Eleanor and Caroline Butler school exercises from Belmont Academy
Scope and Contents
Essays by Eleanor Angela Isabella Butler include "The Importance of Religion", "The Weaver's Daughter", "Glass: Its Discovery and Its Uses", "An Incident in American History", "Chapitre 1st". Notest by Caroline S. Butler on "Scenes the Moon Looks Upon", "Glass", "Cathage".
Dates
- 1845 and 1849
Conditions Governing Access
Biographical / Historical
Margaret Mercer bought Belmont Plantation, some 5 miles south east of Leesburg, built by Ludwell Lee (1760-1836), son of Richard Henry Lee. The estate was in a dilapidated state when she purchased it, either from Lee himself, or from his estate. Ludwell Lee died on March 23, 1836 at Belmont. Margaret Mercer sent out the following circular later in the year: "Cicular. Belmont, October 1, 1836: Miss Mercer Being Now Prepared to Resume the Exercises of Her School at Her New Residence, at Belmont, Loudoun County, Virginia".
Belmont was open on Sundays for the locals to attend family church services and she encouraged them all to attend: freed African Americans; children of enslaved people; and her neighbors. Initially she encountered a great deal of resistance, but she persevered. Later she persuaded Latrobe to design a chapel and services were held until the 1930's. It was destroyed by arson in the late 1960's. The residents of this part of Loudon had long memories. In the 1960's there was a move to name a new shcool after Mercer and it failed the Leesburg City Council by 7 to 1 votes. However the climate has changed and she was honored a few years ago by having a school named for her and historical markers placed.
Extent
0.04 Cubic Feet (school essays and writing sample book)
Language of Materials
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
- Title
- Eleanor and Caroline Butler school exercises from Belmont Academy
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Ellen Welch
- Date
- 07/06/21
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library Repository
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
P.O. Box 400110
University of Virginia
Charlottesville Virginia 22904-4110 United States