Avery College

Date: 1849 to after 1914
Location: Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States
Surnames/tags: black_heritage african_american Avery

Allegheny Institute and Mission Church / Avery College

In 1849 Charles Avery founded the Allegheny Institute and Mission Church in the City of Allegheny, which is now the north part of Pittsburgh.^[1]
Its purpose:

"...promoting the education and moral elevation of the colored population, by the establishment of a seminary, for the education of colored youth in the various branches of literature and the sciences..." ^[2]

In 1858 Charles Avery died, and provided for the Institute in his Will. ^{[3] [4]} It was then renamed Avery College. ^[1]

Charles Avery had willed stock in the Monongahela Navigation Company to provide sufficient operating funds for the school. However, by the late 1870’s the Federal Government broke-up the company. The school was paid $67,000 for its shares. However, the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas directed that $65,000 of the fund be invested in Allegheny County Real Estate. This investment was a complete loss for the college. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided some operating funds which also dried up in 1913. ^[2]

Sometime after 1914, the school closed.

Notable People Associated with Avery College

• Charles Avery (1784-1858), founder
• Thomas Morris Chester (1834-1892), student
• Jonathan Jasper Wright (1840-1885), received an honorary LL.D degree
• Jeremiah A Brown (1841-1913), student
• Benjamin Tucker Tanner (1835-1923), student

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Avery College Historical Marker, found on ExplorePAhistory.com, accessed 25 Jul 2022.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Allegheny History Makers, Avery College (1849-1914), Saturday, October 07, 2006, David, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, found on blogspot.com
3. ↑ "Pennsylvania, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993"
   Allegheny > Will Books, Vol 9, 1858-1861 > image 18 of 361
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 25 July 2022)
   Charles Avery.
4. ↑ "North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000"
   A > Avery > The Groton Avery Clan > image 598 of 809
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 25 July 2022)

• Wikipedia stub article on Avery College