1. Margaret Taylor Johnston Bard, ca. 1855. Margaret Taylor Johnston Bard was a woman of means from a family of devout Scottish
immigrants. Her passion for education led
her, with her husband, to use her fortune to
found and support two ducational institutions: St. Stephen’s College in Annandale,
and Trinity School in nearby Tivoli. She was
an integral part of early decisions regarding
the College, as reflected in the fact that she
was named a charter trustee of St. Stephen’s.
After her death in 1875, the St. Stephen’s
community memorialized her with “St.
Margaret’s Well,” which still stands beside the
chapel. Photograph by D. S. Peirce.
2. John Bard, ca. 1890. The eleventh of
fourteen children, John Bard was the product
of an influential colonial and post-colonial
family of physicians and educators. His father,
William Bard, was a pioneer in life insurance
in this country, something he deemed essential
for the protection of widows and children.
John was a deeply religious man, determined
to use his position in life for the betterment
of the less fortunate. With his marriage
to wealthy and like-minded Margaret
Taylor Johnston, they purchased the estate
they renamed Annandale and committed
themselves to educational projects in the
immediate and surrounding communities.
St. Stephen’s was to become the crowning
achievement of the Bards’ philanthropies; it
was chartered by the State of New York in
1860. Photograph by W. Hoffert.
3. William Bard, known as “Willie,” ca. 1864.
Though he was the fourth child of Margaret
and John Bard, he was the first and only
son. Following his death in 1868, the family
moved to Europe, never to return full-time
to Annandale. Photograph by Black & Case.
4. Rev. John McVickar, ca. 1860. An uncle of
John Bard, McVickar was a brilliant teacher
at Columbia, and later the superintendent
of the Society for the Promotion of Religion
and Learning. In this capacity, he was concerned with the need for a new college to
prepare young men for the ministry, a goal
eventually realized through the resources
and energy of the Bards and other devout
philanthropists. |
5. Bard Hall, ca. 1950. John and Margaret
Bard donated Bard Hall to St. Stephen’s as
part of the original grant of land, buildings,
and funds. Built in 1854, it originally served
as a chapel on Sundays, and as a neighborhood
parish school during the week. Over
time, it has served many functions: as a
library, often as a classroom, and, for many
years, as the College’s primary music hall,
with excellent acoustics and a seating capacity
of about 100.
6. The Chapel of the Holy Innocents, late
1800s. Robed St. Stephen’s students can be
seen gathered outside the chapel. The Bards
built two chapels at Annandale. The first
burned to the ground in 1858; the building
was not insured. The present Chapel of the
Holy Innocents was consecrated on February
2, 1860. It was the Chapel, and the religious
services held within, that formed the nucleus
around which all other education developed
at St. Stephen’s.
7. The interior of the Chapel of the Holy
Innocents, late 1800s. Due to water damage
in the 1980s, a new floor was installed, and
most of the pews were replaced with chairs,
affording greater flexibility for the many uses
the Chapel serves today.
8. Campus scene, late 1800s. St. Stephen’s
students gather in front of a building known
variously as “The Janitor’s Cottage” or “The
Old Stone Jug. ” Later a post office, it initially
served as the first dormitory on campus,
housing twelve students within its twentyfive
square foot walls. Students reportedly
had to step outside to put on their shirts.
9. Aspinwall Hall, late 1800s. Aspinwall Hall,
first named Occident, was constructed as
a dormitory in 1861 thanks in large measure
to the generosity of John Aspinwall of
Barrytown. Aspinwall was later a trustee of
the College.
10. Stone Row, late 1800s. The first two
sections, Potter and McVickar, were completed
in 1885, with money given by Carolyn
Bard, a sister of John Bard. Despite financial
difficulties faced by the College, North and
South Hoffman were completed in 1891,
thanks to the sustaining contributions provided
by trustee Rev. Charles F. Hoffman. |
11. George Bailey Hopson, late 1800s.
Hopson served the College between 1863
and 1916 as professor of Latin. He also
served three terms as acting warden, in the
late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,
always maintaining the steady atmosphere
set by Warden Fairbairn, with whom he had
worked for almost forty years. His expectations
as a teacher were high. When students
complained of not having enough time to
complete their lessons he replied: “There was
all the time there was. ”
12. Samuel Upjohn, 1863. Upjohn went
on to serve a congregation in Germantown,
Pennsylvania.
13. Irving McElroy, 1870. McElroy was
a member of the Eulexian Society at St.
Stephen’s. The Eulexian Society was a literary
organization established in 1865, the first of
three fraternities on campus that were active
at the College well into the twentieth century.
14. Charles Simon Coles, 1861. Coles was
one of several pre-seminary students to have
been tutored by George Seymour, beginning
in 1856. Rev. Seymour was missionary at
Annandale, and first warden of the College.
St. Stephen’s began to hold commencements
in 1861, making Mr. Coles the second
student to receive his degree from the
College.
15. Eugene L. Toy, 1868. Eugene L. Toy
held the honor of being first in his class,
receiving the coveted “primus” status. Such
classes were still rather small, however; this
class held two graduates.
16. Pierre McDonald Bleecker, 1876.
Bleecker went on to serve a congregation in
the town of Jewett in nearby Greene County.
17. William Booth Guion, 1878. Guion
became minister of a church in Hiawatha,
Kansas.
18. Ludlow-Willink Hall, late 1800s. The
cornerstone for Ludlow-Willink was laid on
June 13, 1866. The building was the gift of
sisters Elizabeth Ludlow and Cornelia Ann
Willink, and originally built to house the
president, then called warden, and his family. |
