Cherokee Female Seminary Columns - Park Hill, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 52.015 W 094° 57.336
15S E 323439 N 3970953
These three columns are all that is left of the Cherokee Female Seminary, destroyed by fire in 1887.
Waymark Code: WMQEJD
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 02/16/2016
Views: 6
After the Trail of Tears and the relocation of the Cherokee Tribe, they settled around what is now the town of Park Hill, just south of Tahlequah, the current tribal headquarters.
Education was valued by the Cherokee and in 1846 their Principal Chief John Ross proposed two seminaries of higher education for males and for females. This female seminary opened its doors in 1851. It was a building 185 ft. by 109 ft. The back was three stories and the front two stories. On three sides, there were massive columns supporting two-story outdoor porches. Of the 25 original columns, these three are all that remains. All bricks were fired using local materials and labor, and fired in a kiln nearby.
In 1856, due to a shortage of funds, the school was closed. Then, with the beginning of the Civil War, the area was vastly disturbed by by armies from both sides. The Union army used the school for storage during much of the war. Re-opening after the war, it was devastated again by a fire in 1887 which destroyed the seminary, leaving only these three columns. The photo gallery shows photos of the seminary before and after the fire.
In the mid 1970's, after nearly 100 years sitting undisturbed and now fully overgrown with foliage, the Cherokee National Historical Society took over the project of restoring the site. It was dedicated in 1974 and stands in front of the Cherokee Heritage Center. The columns stand as they did in 1851, and now have plantings, and a fountain and low wall surrounding them.
A plaque posted reads: "ORIGINAL SITE ~ CHEROKEE FEMALE SEMINARY / 185 feet long 108 feet wide part two and three stories high. Opened May 7, 1851 - destroyed by fire April 10, 1887. These three columns from the south side of the structure are all that remain of the original building. 25 such columns encircled the east south and west sides of the building. Material were procured locally and the bricks fired in the vicinity from local clays by Cherokee craftsmen."
Links for details of the School:
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