Alexander Twilight facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander Twilight
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| Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Brownington | |
| In office 1836–1837 |
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| Preceded by | Gilbert Gross |
| Succeeded by | Jeremiah Huntoon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 23, 1795 Corinth, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | June 19, 1857 (aged 61) Brownington, Vermont, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse | Mercy Ladd Merrill |
| Profession | Minister (Christianity) Schoolmaster |
| Alma mater | Middlebury College |
Alexander Lucius Twilight (born September 23, 1795 – died June 19, 1857) was an important American educator, minister, and politician. He is famous for being the first African-American man known to earn a bachelor's degree from a U.S. college. He graduated from Middlebury College in 1823.
Twilight became a Congregational minister. He spent his whole career working in education and the church. In 1829, he became the principal of the Orleans County Grammar School. There, he designed and built a special building called Athenian Hall. This was the first public building in Vermont made of granite. In 1836, he made history again. He was the first African American ever elected to a state legislature. He served in the Vermont House of Representatives. He was also the only African American elected to a state legislature before the American Civil War.
His home and Athenian Hall are now part of the Brownington Village Historic District. This district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
Contents
Alexander Twilight's Family Roots
Alexander's father, Ichabod, was born in Boston in July 1765. Ichabod's father was black, and his mother was white. Alexander's mother, Mary, was described as 'white' or 'light-skinned.' This suggests she may have had some African heritage too.
Ichabod and Mary were free people of mixed African and English descent. We don't know if they were born free. They were likely descendants of both African slaves and English ancestors. Ichabod was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. He fought for New Hampshire. His parents were among the first black people to settle in Corinth, Vermont. They bought property there in 1798.
Early Life and Schooling
Alexander Lucius Twilight was born on September 23, 1795, in Bradford, Vermont. Around 1802, when he was eight years old, Alexander started working for a farmer. This was common for working-class children back then. For the next 12 years, he worked on farms. During this time, he also taught himself to read, study, and learn mathematics.
In 1815, at age 20, Twilight enrolled in the Orange County Grammar School in Randolph. From 1815 to 1821, he finished all the high school courses. He also completed the first two years of college-level studies. In 1821, he enrolled in Middlebury College. He graduated in 1823 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
He was the first known African American to earn a college degree in the United States. This fact was not widely known until 1826. That year, Amherst College gave a degree to Edward Jones. Amherst claimed Jones was the first African-American college graduate. This led Middlebury College to announce Twilight's earlier graduation.
Career and Achievements
Twilight's first job was teaching in Peru, New York. He also studied to become a minister in the Congregational church. He led church services and gave sermons. He was allowed to preach by the Champlain Presbytery in Plattsburgh.
After four years in Peru, Twilight moved to Vergennes, Vermont, in 1828. He taught during the week. On weekends, he held church services in Waltham and Ferrisburg.
In 1829, Twilight was hired as the principal of the Orleans County, Vermont, Grammar School. This school was in Brownington. It was the only high school in a two-county area. He also became the minister of the Congregational Church there. Soon after arriving, he built a house for his family. This house still stands today. It is the headquarters of the Orleans County Historical Society.
Twilight wanted a place for students from out of town to live. So, from 1834 to 1836, he designed and raised money for a large, four-story granite building. He called it Athenian Hall. This was the first public building in Vermont made of granite. It served as a dormitory for the school, which was for both boys and girls. Both his home and Athenian Hall are now part of a historic district. This district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1836, Twilight was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives. This made him the first African American elected to a state legislature. As a member of the House, he tried to stop the Vermont General Assembly from dividing school funding. He wanted to keep all the money for Brownington's school. However, a nearby town, Craftsbury, decided to open its own school.
He left his job as headmaster in 1847. This was after a disagreement with the school's leaders. He then taught school in Shipton and Hatley, Quebec. Without Twilight's leadership, fewer students attended the Brownington school. It closed in 1852. People convinced Twilight to return to Brownington. He became principal and pastor again. He stopped being a pastor in 1853. He continued as principal until 1855.
Death and Burial
In October 1855, Twilight had a stroke. This left him partly paralyzed. He had to retire as principal of the Brownington school. He died on June 19, 1857. He was buried at the Congregational church in Brownington.
Marriage and Family Life
In 1826, Alexander Twilight married Mercy Ladd Merrill. She was from Unity, New Hampshire. They were married until his death. They did not have any children. Mercy Twilight died in 1878.
Legacy and Honors
Alexander Twilight left behind an important legacy. Many places and awards are named in his honor:
- Alexander Twilight House (built 1830) still stands. It is across the street from Athenian Hall. Today, it is the main office for the Orleans County Historical Society. It is part of the Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
- Athenian Hall (built 1834–36) is now run by the Orleans County Historical Society. It is called the Old Stone House Museum. It is a key part of the Historic District of Brownington. It was the first public building in Vermont made of granite.
- Alexander Twilight Hall at his college, Middlebury College, is named for him.
- The Alexander Twilight Auditorium at Lyndon State College is named after him.
- The Aspire Alexander Twilight College Preparatory Academy in Sacramento, California, opened in 2009. It is named for Twilight.
- The Twilight Awards celebrate teachers, schools, and education groups. They are named in his honor.
- Writer Howard Frank Mosher wrote about the Stone House in Vermont Life Magazine in 1996:
I like the way the Stone House still looms up on that hilltop, where the wind blows all the time. There it sits, unshaken and monolithic, as I write this sentence and as you read it, every bit as astonishing today as the day it was completed. What a tribute to the faith of its creator, the Reverend Alexander Twilight: scholar, husband, teacher, preacher, legislator, father-away-from-home to nearly 3,000 boys and girls, an African American and a Vermonter of great vision, whose remains today lie buried in the church-yard just up the maple-lined dirt road from his granite school, in what surely was, and still is, one of the last best places anywhere.
- An official painting of Alexander Twilight hangs in the Vermont State House.
Images for kids
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Alexander Twilight Hall at Middlebury College
