E.P. Hart Circle

E.P. Hart Circle. . , Named in honor of Edward Payson Hart (1835-1919) , Founder of Spring Arbor University , 1873, Born in Vermont, Edward Payson Hart with his wife, Martha (1838-1924), came to Michigan as a Free Methodist Evangelist in 1864. In 1873, Hart founded Spring Arbor Seminary, now Spring Arbor University., E.P. and Mattie Hart arrived by train from Chicago at Ida, Michigan, on a snowy January day. Disembarking from the train, they found no one to meet them. A storekeeper gave them directions to the home of their contact, "a walk of a mile or more through the snow.” The Harts set out to find it, E.P. carrying the luggage and Mattie the lunch basket., Halfway to the house, Mr. and Mrs. Hart stopped to rest. "This looks rather dubious, doesn't it?" E.P. said. Mattie immediately picked up the lunch basket and started walking, singing, "while there's a track I'll never look back, but go on at the risk of my all.", Soon the Harts were welcomed in the home of Henry Jones. They immediately began holding revivals and founding churches. At this time the Free Methodist denomination was barely three years old and the U.S. Civil War was still raging., Hart learned of valuable school property in Spring Arbor, Michigan, with financial support from local residents, Free Methodists purchased the property, which was temporarily deeded to Hart. The Hart Family moved to Spring Arbor to open the school., The property was dedicated September 2, 1873, General Superintendent B.T. Roberts presiding. Roberts said the aim of the new school was "to combine sound and thorough scholarship with careful religious training.", Hart later served as Free Methodist General Superintendent (Bishop) from 1874-1908., Spring Arbor's founding vision is now encapsulated in the Spring Arbor University concept.