Darrow School
42°27′10.94″N 73°22′58.49″W / 42.4530389°N 73.3829139°W
| The Darrow School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
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110 Darrow Road New Lebanon , Columbia County , New York 12125 United States | |
| Information | |
| School type | Independent, Boarding & Day |
| Denomination | Non-denominational |
| Founded | 1932 |
| Oversight | Board of Trustees |
| Chairperson | Alexa Seip |
| Head of school | Andrew J. Vadnais |
| Staff | 52 |
| Teaching staff | 31 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Gender | coed |
| Enrollment | 110 |
| Average class size | 8-9 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 4:1 |
| Language | English |
| Campus size | 365 acres (1.48 km2) |
| Houses | Ann Lee, Brethrens', Hinckley, Neale, Meacham |
| Color(s) | Maroon |
| Song | "Simple Gifts" |
| Athletics | Basketball, cross-country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, ultimate frisbee, outdoor education, alpine skiing, fitness |
| Athletics conference | HVAL, NEPSAC |
| Mascot | Darrow Ducks |
| Accreditation | MSACS |
| Publication | Peg Board |
| Endowment | $3 million |
| Affiliation | NAIS, TABS, NYSAIS, NYBSA |
| Website | www |
Darrow School is a co-educational college-preparatory school for boarding and day students in grades 9-12 and PG (post-graduate). It is located in New Lebanon, New York.
History[edit]
Darrow opened in the fall of 1932 as the Lebanon School for Boys. In 1938 president Charles S. Haight died and C. Lambert Heyniger purchased the school, becoming its headmaster and treasurer. Heyniger was a Princeton alumnus who had taught as a missionary in China and then pursued graduate study at Columbia University before joining General Motors. He renamed the school in the Shaker tradition, after a family prominent among the religious colony.[1]
In 1963, three Darrow students set a fire and destroyed the century-old dining hall and fire leveled the 156-year-old gymnasium. Both fires threatened dormitories housing 175 pupils. The boys had hoped school officials would send all the pupils home until repairs were made.[2]
In late 2023, the school's precarious finanical situation almost led to closure.[3]
Campus[edit]
The campus is situated on the original site of the Mount Lebanon Shaker Village, a National Historic Landmark.[4] It spans over 365 acres of land, with 26 buildings, tennis courts, playing fields, ponds, orchards, pastures, marshlands, and a vast forest.
Student body[edit]
The school currently enrolls 110 students from across the United States and beyond.
Athletics[edit]
Student participate in a number of competitive and non-competitive sports:[5]
- Fall
- Cross-country
- Soccer
- Outdoor education
- Mixed martial arts
- Winter
- Girls varsity basketball
- Boys varsity basketball
- Boys prep basketball
- Alpine
- Spring
- Lacrosse
- Softball
- Outdoor education
- Esports
Traditions[edit]
The strong visual traces of Shaker austerity stand in contrast with the modern and less conventional morés of some affluent students raised in such different moral settings. In an interview, teacher Ed Noggle stated that a fascination with ghosts resulted. "These young people," Noggle says, "are very much of this world, very sensual, sexual beings. It has always been a matter of 'Ha, ha, what would the Shakers do if they could see all this? They'd roll over in their graves.'"[6]
Notable alumni[edit]
 | This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. (September 2023) |
- Gerald A Cann, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Class of 1949
- Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr., Apollo 12 commander and third man to walk on the Moon, Class of 1949
- Michael Flomen, artist, attended 1969-1971
- August François von Finck, German businessman
- Sam Harper, screenwriter of Cheaper by the Dozen and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. Class of 1974[7]
- William H. Hudnut III, mayor of Indianapolis
- Christopher Lloyd, actor[8]
- Donald Cushing McGraw, Jr., businessman, Class of 1943
- Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, radio personality, Class of 1978
- David Henry Sterry, writer
Notable faculty/staff[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Sargent, Porter (1943). Private Schools for American Boys and Girls. An Annual Survey. p. 275.
- ^ "Arrest 3 Boys In Darrow School Fire". The Times Record. Troy, NY. September 23, 1963. p. 24.
- ^ Fanto, Clarence (2024-01-26). "Outpouring of donations keeps the Darrow School alive, averting a threatened shutdown in May". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ Rocheleau, Paul (1994). Shaker built : the form and function of Shaker architecture. New York, N.Y.: Monacelli Press. p. 245.
- ^ "Athletics". The Darrow School. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ Myers, Arthur (1990). "The Troubled Ghosts". The ghostly register. New York: Dorset Press. p. 263. ISBN 9780880294720.
- ^ "Peg Board" (PDF). Darrow School. Fall 2016.
- ^ Schneider, H. Rose (December 14, 2023). "Darrow School in Columbia County could close due to aging buildings, lack of tuition". The Times Union. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
