Black nuns in Baltimore petition Black Superintendent of Schools William Howard Day for support for their school and orphanage
Dublin Core
Title
Black nuns in Baltimore petition Black Superintendent of Schools William Howard Day for support for their school and orphanage
Description
Oblate Sisters of Providence to William H. Day (supt of F Schools) gives a history of the school, which the Black sisters established for the education of Black children. Opened a free school and orphan asylum since the war. Petition for financial assistance. Claim that they don't show any preference to religious denomination of students.
Date
10/22/1867
Coverage
Baltimore, MD
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Black Maryland Nuns to the Maryland Freedmen’s Bureau Superintendent of Schools
[Baltimore, Md., October 1867]
William Howard Day, Esqr,
Superintendent of Freedman's schools,
Dr. Sir, The very flattering notice in the Zion's Standard and Weekly Review of Sept. 4th/ 67. of our Academy, and the zeal you have shown in the moral and intellectual education of the children of our race, lead us to hope, that the reports herein enclosed — will be favorably received by you, and that you will, by your influence endeavor to obtain from the Freedman's Bureau some pecuniary aid to enable us to continue the good work, in which you yourself are so deeply interested,
We respectfully submit to your consideration the history in brief of our Establishment. In the year 1829, a few Ladies of Color, formed themselves into an association for the Education of Children of our race, It was the first effort of the kind made in the United States, Our support was derived from the tuition charges of the Boarders in the Academy, who received a
good English Education, consisting of the branches usually taught, such as, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Sewing. Besides these it was optional for the Boarders or day scholars, to learn, French, Music, Tapestry, Waswork &c, at an extra charge, Among the Boarders and day scholars some have always been received free, By great economy we have struggled to maintain ourselves, and to continue to impart to those entrusted to us, a good Education
Free School,
To further the advancement of our race, and to rescue many children from ignorance, the Sisters in March 1865, opened a free school for young girls. The attendance has ranged from 50. to 70. Yearly, The buildings necessary for this school cost $1500, dollars, The hours of class are daily from 9.A.M, to 2.P.M, and the children are taught, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Sewing. Children of all Denominations are received and nothing is done to interfere with the religious views of any,
Orphan Asylum,
To rescue from want and misery, many young children left helpless by the ravages of war or poverty, we in the year 1866. opened an Orphan Asylum, in this home children are received from infancy to the age of 16, They are taught daily the usual branches of an English Education as Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Sewing, The number at
present in the Aylum is 25, The building and furnishing of the house cost $3300, dollars, We have depended upon the charitable collections of the Colored people for the maintenance and clothing of these orphans, (Orphans of all denominations are received).
General Items,
The Oblate Sisters of Providence receive and education children of all denominations; but for the Promotion of order, they require a respectful attendance at Divine service, morning and evening prayer from all, In doing so they carefully and religiously abstain from interfering with the religious convictions of Parents or children. During the war they clothed, fed and furnished with books 8 children from Southern States, whose Parents were unable to transmit funds, and since the close of the War they have been unsuccessful in receiving pay.
The first and longest established Institution in the Country the Sisters have never received one dollar of assistance from the State or General Government.
They respectfully submit to your impartial consideration, that the Free school and Orphan Asylum seem to fall under the class of schools, which since the war the General Government has so nobly maintained in this and other States,
The teachers in the Free school and Orphan Asylum receive no pay for their services, being supported by the labor of their hands, by sewing &c, and by the revenue from the Academy or Boarding school.
This truthful statement would be incomplete if we did not mention, that the debts of the various schools amount to $8000 dollars, and the income from the Academy is only about $4000 dollars, leaving us struggling for the maintenance of the Free school and Orphan Asylum.
The continuance of the Free school and Orphan Asylum must depend, upon the very precarious collections from our poor race, unless your influence and charity shall come to our assistance by obtaining for us some substantial recognition from the General Government.
During the 38 years of the existence of our schools, the number of Pupils was at least 1500 hundred scholars, of whom 800. hundred at least were of a different denomination from that of the Sisters,
Thanking you sincerely for your attention and the interest you have been so kind to take in our schools, we remain Your's very gratefully
Oblate Sis of Providence,
Oblate Sis of Providence to William Howard Day, 22 Oct. 1867, Letters Received, ser. 1962, MD & DE Asst. Comr., RG 105 [A-9634]. Appearing under the title “The St. Frances’ Academy,” the article in question offers a review of the school, its pupils, costs, and the service it provided to the community. “Only those who have lived in Maryland, during the dark days of Bondage,” the author asserts, “can fully realize how much service this School has been.” The article explained that “The Sisters of Providence a colored religious organization have renounced the world to consecrate themselves to God and the Christian education of young ladies of color.” The school was organized, readers learned, under “the Mother Superior, or Directress of all, is Sister Mary Louisa Noel, assisted by Sister Theresa C. Willingmann, Sister Mary Virginia Royal, and others; among these, a bevy of amiable Monitors who are preparing, to succeed when called, to the Sisters’ places.” While the author noted religious differences between the African Methodist Episcopal paper and the Catholic school, they noted “our Catholic friends are too liberal-minded to ask” strict conformity to Catholicism, and were motivated by the desire to educate the Black children of Baltimore. (“The St. Francis’ Academy,” New York Zion's Standard and Weekly Review, 4 Sept. 1867, enclosed in J. M. Langston to Gen O. O. Howard, 13 Sept. 1867, L-225 1867, Letters Received, ser. 15, Washington Hdqrs., RG 105 [A-9634].)
[Baltimore, Md., October 1867]
William Howard Day, Esqr,
Superintendent of Freedman's schools,
Dr. Sir, The very flattering notice in the Zion's Standard and Weekly Review of Sept. 4th/ 67. of our Academy, and the zeal you have shown in the moral and intellectual education of the children of our race, lead us to hope, that the reports herein enclosed — will be favorably received by you, and that you will, by your influence endeavor to obtain from the Freedman's Bureau some pecuniary aid to enable us to continue the good work, in which you yourself are so deeply interested,
We respectfully submit to your consideration the history in brief of our Establishment. In the year 1829, a few Ladies of Color, formed themselves into an association for the Education of Children of our race, It was the first effort of the kind made in the United States, Our support was derived from the tuition charges of the Boarders in the Academy, who received a
good English Education, consisting of the branches usually taught, such as, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Sewing. Besides these it was optional for the Boarders or day scholars, to learn, French, Music, Tapestry, Waswork &c, at an extra charge, Among the Boarders and day scholars some have always been received free, By great economy we have struggled to maintain ourselves, and to continue to impart to those entrusted to us, a good Education
Free School,
To further the advancement of our race, and to rescue many children from ignorance, the Sisters in March 1865, opened a free school for young girls. The attendance has ranged from 50. to 70. Yearly, The buildings necessary for this school cost $1500, dollars, The hours of class are daily from 9.A.M, to 2.P.M, and the children are taught, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Sewing. Children of all Denominations are received and nothing is done to interfere with the religious views of any,
Orphan Asylum,
To rescue from want and misery, many young children left helpless by the ravages of war or poverty, we in the year 1866. opened an Orphan Asylum, in this home children are received from infancy to the age of 16, They are taught daily the usual branches of an English Education as Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Sewing, The number at
present in the Aylum is 25, The building and furnishing of the house cost $3300, dollars, We have depended upon the charitable collections of the Colored people for the maintenance and clothing of these orphans, (Orphans of all denominations are received).
General Items,
The Oblate Sisters of Providence receive and education children of all denominations; but for the Promotion of order, they require a respectful attendance at Divine service, morning and evening prayer from all, In doing so they carefully and religiously abstain from interfering with the religious convictions of Parents or children. During the war they clothed, fed and furnished with books 8 children from Southern States, whose Parents were unable to transmit funds, and since the close of the War they have been unsuccessful in receiving pay.
The first and longest established Institution in the Country the Sisters have never received one dollar of assistance from the State or General Government.
They respectfully submit to your impartial consideration, that the Free school and Orphan Asylum seem to fall under the class of schools, which since the war the General Government has so nobly maintained in this and other States,
The teachers in the Free school and Orphan Asylum receive no pay for their services, being supported by the labor of their hands, by sewing &c, and by the revenue from the Academy or Boarding school.
This truthful statement would be incomplete if we did not mention, that the debts of the various schools amount to $8000 dollars, and the income from the Academy is only about $4000 dollars, leaving us struggling for the maintenance of the Free school and Orphan Asylum.
The continuance of the Free school and Orphan Asylum must depend, upon the very precarious collections from our poor race, unless your influence and charity shall come to our assistance by obtaining for us some substantial recognition from the General Government.
During the 38 years of the existence of our schools, the number of Pupils was at least 1500 hundred scholars, of whom 800. hundred at least were of a different denomination from that of the Sisters,
Thanking you sincerely for your attention and the interest you have been so kind to take in our schools, we remain Your's very gratefully
Oblate Sis of Providence,
Oblate Sis of Providence to William Howard Day, 22 Oct. 1867, Letters Received, ser. 1962, MD & DE Asst. Comr., RG 105 [A-9634]. Appearing under the title “The St. Frances’ Academy,” the article in question offers a review of the school, its pupils, costs, and the service it provided to the community. “Only those who have lived in Maryland, during the dark days of Bondage,” the author asserts, “can fully realize how much service this School has been.” The article explained that “The Sisters of Providence a colored religious organization have renounced the world to consecrate themselves to God and the Christian education of young ladies of color.” The school was organized, readers learned, under “the Mother Superior, or Directress of all, is Sister Mary Louisa Noel, assisted by Sister Theresa C. Willingmann, Sister Mary Virginia Royal, and others; among these, a bevy of amiable Monitors who are preparing, to succeed when called, to the Sisters’ places.” While the author noted religious differences between the African Methodist Episcopal paper and the Catholic school, they noted “our Catholic friends are too liberal-minded to ask” strict conformity to Catholicism, and were motivated by the desire to educate the Black children of Baltimore. (“The St. Francis’ Academy,” New York Zion's Standard and Weekly Review, 4 Sept. 1867, enclosed in J. M. Langston to Gen O. O. Howard, 13 Sept. 1867, L-225 1867, Letters Received, ser. 15, Washington Hdqrs., RG 105 [A-9634].)
Collection
Citation
“Black nuns in Baltimore petition Black Superintendent of Schools William Howard Day for support for their school and orphanage,” Black Maryland in the Civil War—A Microedition of the Freedmen and Southern Society Project, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.fssp.artinterp2.org/items/show/51.