HistoricSiteMarkers
Early Republic

Chowan University

Murfreesboro, Hertford County, North Carolina

Marker Inscription

Chowan University. Opened 1848 as Chowan Baptist Female Institute. Became four-year college, 1992. A university since 2006. Two blocks south.

Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources

The Story

Chowan University opened its doors in 1848 as the Chowan Baptist Female Institute, one of the early Southern efforts to offer women a serious education. It grew into a four-year college by 1992 and took university status in 2006. Its campus lies two blocks south.

Why it matters

Founded to educate young women in an era when few institutions would, Chowan reflects the slow expansion of higher education across gender lines in America.

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Related events

  • Β· Founding of Chowan Baptist Female Institute, 1848

Themes & tags

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