Indiana Williams

Sweet Briar College was founded in 1901, the legacy of Indiana Fletcher Williams, who left her entire estate to found an institution in memory of her only daughter, Daisy, who died at the age of 16 in 1884. At the time of Mrs. Williams' death in 1900, her estate consisted of more than a million dollars, and over 8,000 acres of land, including the Sweet Briar Plantation. The first board of directors determined that the College should be free from denominational control and that it should maintain the highest academic standards. Sweet Briar would unite classical and modern ideals of education and, in the words of its founder, prepare young women "to be useful members of society."

Source: http://sbc.edu/about/history

Indiana Fletcher Williams

Indiana Fletcher Williams (1828-1900) directed in her will that, aside from a few legacies to family and friends, her estate be used to establish a school for young women in memory of her daughter, Daisy. Her father, Elijah Fletcher, had spent his early adulthood as a schoolteacher and believed strongly in the importance of a solid education. He sent all of his children away to school (the sons attended Yale). Born and raised in Lynchburg, Indiana attended the school of Georgetown Visitation Convent in Washington, D.C. (now Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School). She subsequently attended St. Mary’s Hall (now Doane Academy) in Burlington, N.J., and later toured Europe with her sister and one of her brothers. An accomplished manager who steered her property safely through the turmoil of the Civil War and a savvy investor during her widowhood, she left an estate worth more than $1 million and encompassing over 8,000 acres. Despite objections from some family members, her bequest launched Sweet Briar College in 1901.

Source: http://sbc.edu/museum/fletcher-williams-family

Sweet Briar Plantation

A Brief Overview of the Fletcher Family at the Sweet Briar Plantation

In 1810 a young man from Vermont, Elijah Fletcher, left home to seek a position as a tutor in a far distant southern state. After an arduous journey of many months on a bay mare, he arrived in New Glasgow, Virginia in May 1811. He had accepted the presidency of the New Glasgow Academy (a private school for boys). He settled into the neighborhood quickly and soon met one of the leading families: the Crawfords (who lived at Tusculum). In April 1813 he married Maria Antoinette, daughter of William Sidney Crawford. They began their married life in Lynchburg, Eiljah soon left teaching and turned to land sales, politics, and eventually farming. In the 1840s Elijah tired of town life and decided to retire to one his favorite plantations, named Sweet Briar after a species of rose favored by his wife. They had four living children: Sidney (1821-1898), Lucian (1824-1895), Indiana (1828-1900), and Elizabeth (1831-1890). When Elijah died in 1858 he deeded Sweet Briar to his eldest daughter, Indiana. Sidney had already inherited Tusculum, his mother's family's plantation and Elizabeth built a plantation across the road from Sweet Briar which she named Mt San Angelo. The fourth son, Lucian, did not inherit any land from his father.

Source: http://www.tusculum.sbc.edu/SweetBriarPlantation/history.shtml Sweet Briar House, home of the Sweet Briar College presidents, began as a two story, six room, red brick farmhouse. It is believed that it was built in the late 18th century by one Joseph Crews who called it and his plantation, "Locust Ridge." Some of the plantation was originally patented as "wild land' in 1753. Elijah Fletcher bought the house and 1,000 acres from Mr. Crews in 1830 for $7,000.00. Elijah had become a very wealthy land owner in VA. The plantation became the Fletchers' summer home and was called "Sweetbrier" for the wild roses that grew on the property. Elijah had married to Maria Antoinette Crawford, whose father was the owner of Tusculum and seven other plantations, in 1813. In 1858, Indiana and her sister, Elizabeth, were given "Sweet Briar" plantation by their parents. Their brother, Sidney, had received "Tusculum Plantation" from them several years earlier. Indiana later bought out her sister's share and became the sole owner. Indiana married James Henry Williams, an Episcopal clergyman from New York, in 1865. They were blessed with only one child, a daughter, Maria Georgiana, who was called Daisy. Sadly Daisy died in 1884 from a lung ailment at the age of 16. James died in 1889. After Indiana's death in 1900 and in accordance with her will, Sweet Briar College was chartered by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1901 in remembrance of her daughter, Daisy. Indiana survived the Civil War, endured the death of her husband and only child. Her legacy continues today, as an all girl college. She was a remarkable woman.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Apr 1 2018, 20:49:01 UTC