Clinton Academy in East Hampton was one of the first academies in New York State chartered by the Board of Regents. The academy was constructed in 1784 with funds contributed by local citizens at the request of the Rev. Samuel Buell, the pastor of the East Hampton Presbyterian Church.
It was named for Governor George Clinton, who
contributed the original bell that hung in the cupola. The Academy was a
co-educational institution preparing young men for college or for careers in
seafaring or surveying. Young women were schooled in etiquette, social graces,
and household management. A college education was not available to a woman at
that time, so Clinton Academy would have been the highest academic level
available to a girl living in New York in the 1780’s.
The Academy opened its doors for classes on January 1,
1785. The founders of Clinton Academy were influenced by the intellectual
enlightenment in France and designed a curriculum with three basic departments:
The Common School Department, the English Academical Department, and the
Classical Department.
After the state dissolved the chartered academy
system, the building was expanded in 1886 and became known as Clinton Hall.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it served at times as a
community center, playhouse, town offices, polling station, the original
location of Guild Hall and the East Hampton Library, and as offices for the
East Hampton Star.
With funding from Mary and Lorenzo E. Woodhouse,
Clinton Hall was restored to its late-Georgian style appearance in 1921. The
work was performed under the supervision of Architect J. Greenleaf Thorp. The
building eventually became the home of the East Hampton Historical Society.
Sources:
“Clinton Academy.” East Hampton,
easthampton.com/history/clinton-academy/. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026
“Clinton Academy, 1784.” Historic East Hampton,
easthamptonhistory.org/visit-us/clinton-academy/. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026
