Laura Matilda Towne
Encyclopedia
Laura Matilda Towne
Laura Matilda Towne (May 3, 1825 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
– February 22, 1901, in St. Helena Island, South Carolina was an abolitionist and educator. She was best known for forming one of the earliest freedmen's schools (schools for newly-freed slaves).
She originally studied medicine when the American Civil War
broke out. In 1862, she answered the call for volunteers when the Union captured Port Royal and other Sea Islands area of South Carolina. In September 1862 she established the Penn School, one of the earliest freedmen's schools. She took care of the school for the rest of her life and eventually gave up practicing medicine. After her death, Penn School was transferred to Hampton Institute, at which time it began operating as the Penn Normal, Industrial, and Agricultural School.
Laura Matilda Towne (May 3, 1825 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
– February 22, 1901, in St. Helena Island, South Carolina was an abolitionist and educator. She was best known for forming one of the earliest freedmen's schools (schools for newly-freed slaves).
She originally studied medicine when the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
broke out. In 1862, she answered the call for volunteers when the Union captured Port Royal and other Sea Islands area of South Carolina. In September 1862 she established the Penn School, one of the earliest freedmen's schools. She took care of the school for the rest of her life and eventually gave up practicing medicine. After her death, Penn School was transferred to Hampton Institute, at which time it began operating as the Penn Normal, Industrial, and Agricultural School.