Colonel Alfred Cary donated the land for the school, and with citizens, subscribed funds for the erection of the building. The cornerstone was laid July 4, 1840, and in the fall of 1844, the school opened. During the first winter term there were 136 students, almost evenly divided between boys and girls. Pupils were allowed to board at the school, or in private homes in the community. The annual enrollment from 1844 to 1860 ranged from 200 to 300 students. During the Civil War the school suffered, but after the war the school was especially prosperous. In later years, the school eliminated the primary and intermediate departments and work was confined to the academic grade. The availability of free education provided in Oakfield began the downfall of the seminary. By 1905, the Seminary had closed, and the building was leased by the Oakfield school district. In 1926, the Seminary building was torn down and a new district school was built in its’ place.
Ellen passed away 1904 and is buried in the Col. Alfred Cary Cemetery, Oakfield, NY, In the Village of Oakfield, Genesee county, NY.
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