Marion has distinguished itself as a cultural landmark city by having influenced the founding of six institutions of higher learning, namely, The Manual Labor Institute of South Alabama ( later named Madison College), Marion Female Seminary, Judson College, Lincoln Normal School, Howard College, and Marion Military Institute. Consequently, Marion has earned the title of "The College City."
Of these colleges, The Marion Female Seminary was established in the spring of 1836 as a non-sectarian school "where denominational connections should neither qualify or disqualify an individual for the situation of Principal, or teacher in its Faculty of Instruction," and provide young ladies with the basic elements of ancient history, classical and modern languages, the Bible, literature, natural science, creative arts, mathematics, music, etc. To accommodate these young ladies, a four story brick building was erected with classrooms and private rooms housing four to six students each.
Among the various presidents elected was the appointment in 1841 of Miss Priscilla Maxwell, one of the teachers, making her (according to recent research) one of the first female college presidents in the United States. In 1844, after marrying Edwin Upson, a local gentleman, she moved to Eutaw, Alabama, to start an academy, and a few years later started an academy in Camden, Alabama.
In 1850, the four-story structure was deemed no longer to be safe, and was replaced with a new three-story brick building. During the interim, the Trustees rented a 17-room building in town that had served as the "Planters' Hotel."
Throughout the later half of the 1800's the school had an unbroken and fairly prosperous career, and though its annual enrollment was never large, the names of hundreds of women who "have been useful and honored citizens are enrolled among its alumnae."
One of the most notable professors during the antebellum years was Nicola Marschall. Born in St. Wendel, Prussia, in 1829, this professional artist came to the United States in 1849 and taught art, music, and languages at the Seminary during the 1850's and 1860's. While in Marion, he married a local girl, and supplemented his income by painting portraits. Many of these portraits are prized possessions and several have won national awards.
Perhaps one of the most notable accomplishments of Nicola Marschall was his original design for a Confederate flag which was selected as the first official flag of the the Confederacy. This design is not the one that was later adopted as the "Battle Flag" of the Confederacy. In addition, Marschall designed what would become the official uniform of the Confederacy.
The Marion Female Seminary continued to operate as it had from its beginning until 1908, at which time it was turned over to the Presbyterian Synod of Alabama. Unfortunately, in time it struggled, and in 1915 the Presbyterian Synod voted to consolidate its Alabama schools. This resulted in the closing of the Marion Female Seminary. The next year, the Seminary officially closed and the property was turned over to the Perry County Board of Education.
Beginning in 1917, the building housed an elementary school and in 1919 the structure was reworked into a two-story building and has remained such since that time. In 1928, the building became a junior high, and with the demolition of the Perry County High School building in 1930, the Seminary building became Perry County High School and functioned as such until 1965 when the new Francis Marion High School was built some blocks away.
In 1987 the vacant Seminary building was purchased by the Perry County Historical and Preservation Society, at which time efforts were made to preserve and restore it. About the same time, the Historical Society agreed to lease the building to the Perry County High School Alumni Association with the purpose of working jointly to restore and maintain the Seminary property.
Upon restoring the various classrooms and the auditorium, the Historical Society saw it fitting to create an historical museum with the focus on Perry County heritage. The museum is open for tour groups and at association events.
The Seminary building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The building and the museum are maintained through private tax-deductible donations.
--Perry County Historical & Preservation Society
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