The Origins of Palmer Memorial Institute

The Origins of Palmer Memorial Institute. . In 1846, Christian abolitionists established the American Missionary Association (AMA). After the Civil War, the AMA provided schools for African Americans in the South and founded Bethany Institute here in 1870. Few educational opportunities existed for anyone, especially the poor or those living in rural areas. African Americans, mostly rural and poor, had little hope of receiving even a basic education except through these types of schools., Many students walked miles to Bethany Institute and missed classes frequently due to winter weather. Miss Hawkins solved this problem with the help of students and parents by converting an abandoned blacksmith’s shop across the highway from the church into a classroom and girls’ sleeping quarters. She obtained an old house about a quarter of a mile away for the boys. Because the house was in better condition, she moved the girls there as well. Girls lived upstairs and the boys downstairs. She was a strict disciplinarian of high moral character, and she supervised all activities to ensure proper conduct., The school and church were both well-attended when 18-year-old Charlotte Hawkins arrived in October 1901. Pupils attended classes in the church, sitting on long benches which converted to pews on Sundays. Classes occurred only during the winter for four or five months. The school included higher-level classes for older students training to be teachers and ministers. Miss Hawkins taught the older students while another teacher instructed the elementary grades., Despite the improvements, the AMA withdrew its limited financial support of Bethany Institute in 1902. Inspired by the community’s pleas to maintain a local school and with a strong sense of mission and faith in God, young Charlotte courageously reopened the school on her own in the fall of 1902. It was later named the Palmer Memorial Institute in honor of her friend and mentor, noted New England educator Alice Freeman Palmer., Bethany Church remains an active congregation today and is located across the highway from the parking lot. ,