Well, it could happen again, because it did, once.
That once was the mid 1800s, when the Fair Haven Seminary, a boarding school for young male teens, went great guns and took out full column-long newspaper advertisements to attract ‘young scholars’ from as far away as New York City.
What did Fair Haven look like and how did it appeal to these young scholars on this fine day, Sept. 2, in 1859? According to the school’s principal, Thomas G. Sloan, it was downright idyllic.
“The village of Fair Haven is pleasantly situation on the banks of the Quinnipiac River, about one mile east of New Haven,” he wrote. “It is unsurpassed for its beautiful scenery, and is one of the healthiest locations in New England. It can be reached from New York by railroad, in three hours.”
Some of us think Fair Haven is still beautiful. We still do have a lovely school, the Friends Center for Children, which opened in 2013. It’s up on the heights, in a location likely not too far away from the Fair Haven Seminary, of 1859. Tune in to today’s episode of “This Day in New Haven History” to hear more about the area’s history. You can listen by clicking on the audio above or finding the episode in iTunes or on any podcast app under “WNHH Community Radio.”
