27

transferred this prOperty on May 25, l875 to the Freedmen's Aid Society, through its agent, W. J. Parkinson, principal.22 The site, about one mile southeast of the center of Greensboro,23 was described by an agent of the Freedmen's Aid Society as beautiful and healthy, with a command— ing view of the city.24

The aim of the school, according to the previously cited arti- cle of July 23, 1875, was to educate teachers. This is further sup- ported by the fact that Bennett Seminary wanted only students who had already acquired 1‘th'e rudiments" and who had begun, or were capable of

beginning, the Third Reader at the time of entrance,25 A newspaper

2gDeed, dated 25 March 1875, recorded 26 March 1875, C. N. McAdoo to Freedmen's Aid Society, Guilford County, Record of Deeds, Book Sl, p. 7, Guilford County Courthouse.v From this docuEEnt it is clear that the Freedmen's Aid Society, not Alfred Bennett, purchased the land in 1875, not l878.‘ FurthermOre, a search of the records of Guilford County land transactions in the 1870's and 1880's, a search of the Greensboro city directories of this time, and an investigation ‘of secondary works concerning éuilford Countyflfirths,nmrriages, deaths, tombstones, families, and miscellaneous information, revealed no ”Alfred Bennett.” ‘ ‘ ‘

Another source, written about‘l935, says that Alfred Bennett of Troy, New York, was the generOus benefactor. Bennett College, A Beacon for Womanhood: The_Bennett Bulletin (Greensboro: Bennett College, U935]), unnumbered page. In the light of the facts that the informa- tion about Alfred Bennett in the earlier source (193]) was not verified; that Lyman Bennett of Troy, New York, was definitely a generous donor, and that the name Alfred Bennett was not found in the Freedmen's Aid Society records, but appeared only in two rather late saurces, the

writer concludes that the above statement about Alfred Bennett is also incorrect. ‘

23Freedmen's'Aid Society, Twelfth Annual Report, l879, p. 37.

'Zhrbid., Eighth Annual Report, 1875, p. 86.

2 , SGreensboro New North State, May 28, 1875.