Dutchess County, located in the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York State, has a rich and varied history. By the end of the 18th century, the county was home to a remarkable number of schools where girls produced samplers. Female academies, seminaries and Quaker day and boarding schools were established throughout the county. This trend continued well into the 19th century and, in fact, Poughkeepsie, the county seat, became known as “The City of Schools.”
Because of the number of schools where the curriculum included ornamental embroidery, a large number of samplers made in Dutchess can be found today. Pieces from well-known institutions such as Nine Partners Boarding School, Pleasant Valley Boarding School, M.E. and A. Sketchley’s Academy can be found in museums and collections around the United States. But the work of girls from many other Dutchess County schools also exists today, much of it in the hands of private individuals, collectors and local historical societies, and much of it as yet unidentified, unresearched and not yet connected to a specific school or teacher.
Although other Sampler Archive Initiatives covered entire states, the decision was made to focus the Dutchess County Sampler Initiative (DCSI) on Dutchess County because we expected to find a high concentration of samplers made in and around the area. This has proved true and already some new groupings of samplers have been identified, likely tied to specific schools or teachers. Much fascinating research is already underway with more to come.
DCSI has held 2two Sampler ID Day events so far, one in June of 2023 at the Rhinebeck Historical Society’s location at the Starr Library, and one in September of 2023 in Hyde Park at the Wallace Center, part of the FDR Historic Site. Those ID days brought in samplers from private individuals, local historical societies, and collectors. The combined results from both events included 130 samplers photographed and documented. Of those, 111 were American and 43 were found to have been made in Dutchess Countywith an additional 15 coming from the adjacent counties of Ulster and Columbia.
More Sampler ID Day events will be planned because we have just scratched the surface of the number of samplers yet to be documented. But, DCSI has already increased awareness of schoolgirl needlework and the history of female education in our county and we continue to research, write and lecture. Listed below are some of the events and publications that have already resulted (at least in part) from DCSI.
Exhibit: Clinton Historical Society, “A Quaker Legacy in Stitches, Samplers from the Nine Partners Boarding School, 1798-1846” June 2025
Publications: Piecework Magazine, “Mapping America, One Stitch at a Time” – available at pieceworkmagazine.com/library
Lectures: In addition, we have provided ten lectures about the work of the Dutchess County Sampler Initiative and preliminary research on samplers made in Dutches County schools.