Burney Academy
| Burney Academy | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1854 |
| Opened | 1859 |
| Building Style | Brick - Dormitory Style |
| Location | Lebanon, Oklahoma |
| Alternate Names |
|
History
Operating as a Presbyterian mission school until 1832, before being officially re-established in 1854 by Chickasaw Council. Construction began in 1854 to establish the school and went on for 3 years. Opened as "Burney Institute" for Chickasaw girls in 1859, under supervision of Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Rev. Robert S. Bell and wife, teachers. There was a capacity for 60 students. The boys were taught agriculture and horticulture, and the girls were taught housework, cooking, washing, ironing, plain and fancy sewing, quilting and knitting. All the students were given instruction in all branches of finished English education. The first post office, Burney Academy, was established on July 3, 1860, with Robert S. Bell serving as postmaster and remained open throughout the Civil War.
The home was discontinued during the years of the Civil War and reconstruction, but was re-opened about 1872 serving both boys and girl students. After the Civil War, Burney Institute became known as the Lebanon Orphan Institute.
Name changed to Chickasaw Orphan and Manual Labor School, 1887. The school taught boys agriculture and girls homemaking, but English and literature remained extremely important.
The brick school building was erected at the Chickasaw Orphan Home in 1896. It was a brick, three-story dormitory style structure. The second story reportedly had 18 bedrooms with 18 fireplaces. This building currently still stands but has been reduced to one floor.
Burney Institute finally closed in 1910.
It appears the site was temporarily lost after 1919, being found again after an investigation conducted by the Director or Indian Work for Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1981. At this time they were able to locate the original property, the dormitory building, and the old school building. All were privately owned - the deeds tracing back to L.E. Wood in 1919. In January 2006, the Chickasaw Tribe announced acquisition of the two-story brick school, the first floor of the dormitory building (the only part remaining), amd its surrounding 176 acres. In 2014 the Chickasaws funded a complete restoration of the property for use as a possible historical museum site, which has yet to come to fruition.
