About Burwell School Historic Site
The Burwell School Historic Site preserves the setting for one of the state’s earliest schools for girls, The Burwell Academy for Young Ladies. Today, the site’s two-acre property encompasses the Burwell residence (ca. 1821, 1848), the original brick classroom building of Robert and Margaret Anna Burwell’s school (ca.1837- 1857), a rare brick “necessary house” (ca. 1837), and beautiful formal gardens.
From 1835 – 1841 the Burwell household was also home to Elizabeth Hobbs, a Burwell family slave sent from Virginia with Robert and Anna Burwell to work for them in Hillsborough. Elizabeth was a talented seamstress who possessed drive and determination; she later married, bought her freedom, and became a successful businesswoman and the confidante of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln.
Tours are offered daily and the homestead and the grounds are a lovely setting for weddings, parties, and corporate events.