Rochester Free Academy Explained

The Rochester Free Academy is a former secondary school and historic building (1872–1873) in Rochester, New York. It is part of the City Hall Historic District.^[1]

History

The Free Academy was founded by the Board of Education in 1853 and opened in 1857.^[2] Initially called "the High School," it was incorporated as the Rochester Free Academy in 1862.^[2] In 1871, the adjacent lot was purchased, and the surviving brick structure replaced the original school building.^[2]

Notable alumni

• Isaac Adler, mayor of Rochester
• Lucy Elmina Anthony, leader in the American woman's suffrage movement
• Benjamin Cunningham, New York state court judge
• Edward Joseph Hanna, prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and archbishop of San Francisco
• Adolph J. Rodenbeck, lawyer, politician, and judge from Rochester

Notes and References

1. Web site: Rochester Free Academy–Transformed . Landmark Society of Western New York . 3 October 2018.
2. Book: Rochester and the Post Express: A History of the City of Rochester from the Earliest Times . 1895 . Post Express Printing Company . 71 .