Built in 1805 on Canterbury’s village green, the Prudence Crandall House became the site of a profound struggle over educational equality. Prudence Crandall bought the house in 1831 and opened a boarding school for white girls, but after admitting a single highly qualified Black student and facing withdrawals by white families, she reopened in 1833 specifically for African-American students. Canterbury residents fiercely opposed the school, and when legal efforts failed, violence followed. Crandall closed the school in 1834 for her students’ safety and left Connecticut. The remarkably intact house is also significant as a distinguished example of the local Canterbury architectural type.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Canterbury, Connecticut · USA