nearkansaslivinghistorians

Information about Tulip Academy

The location of the Tulip Academy is at Clover Bend, AR. The 2008 school will be held on July 25, 26 & 27. The cost for the weekend is $100. Additional members of the family may attend for $75. A non-refundable down payment of $50 is required with each registration. Registration for the 2008 year is due by July 1st and the remaining balance is due by July 7th. Class size is limited to 15 young men and 15 young ladies. Students are to provide portions of their period correct clothing, but some assistance is available. Instructions and suggestions on costuming will be provided after deposit receipt.

The school is for young men and ladies between the ages of 12 - 18. All students are instructed in the etiquette of the era and the social dances popular at that time. A Grand Ball will be held as part of the festivities.

The young men will experience life at the Military Academy. There will be drills of the infantry following Hardee's Book of Tactics, learning the mechanics and rules of musket firing, the equipment and responsibilities of the military, and other cadet activities.

The young ladies will experience the life of an educated Southern Belle. They will learn the maneuvers of wearing the "hoop skirt," will be instructed in the domestic activities of the day, and the proper presentations of a young lady.

History of the Tulip Academy

Major George D. Alexander and John T. Garvin established a school of prominence at Tulip, Arkansas (Dallas County) around 1850. The school was known as the Tulip Female Collegiate Seminary and the Arkansas Military Academy. The school was looked upon as offering the highest quality of academic instruction available in Arkansas. A young man or young lady was regarded as having acquired a higher standard of education from this private school. Public schools funded by the state were looked down upon as for the poor and shunned by those looking to achieve social status. The school prospered until the outbreak of the War Between the States and then fell by the wayside as did most of the schools in Arkansas as the South struggled through the war.