History

For nearly 200 years, Vermont College has been a pillar institution in Vermont, serving thousands of students from across the country and around the world.

From its beginnings as Montpelier Seminary to its illustrious history as Vermont Junior College and Vermont College, the institution provided opportunities for students of all disciplines to pursue their educational goals. The college officially opened its doors in 1834 as Newbury Seminary in Newbury, Vermont.

Since 1868, Vermont College has been located on a 31-acre campus in Montpelier at the intersection of East State and College streets. The striking campus, with stately brick buildings centered by a scenic college green, previously was the site of a Civil War hospital.

In June 2008, the newly founded Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) bought the historic campus and three MFA programs from Union Institute & University, which had owned the campus since 2001. In its first 10 years of operation, VCFA launched six new graduate programs, constructed the first new building on campus in over 50 years, and has established itself as one of the top graduate fine arts institutions in the nation.

TIMELINE

• 1834 Newbury Seminary
• 1841 Newbury Theological Institute
• 1846 Springfield Wesleyan Seminary
• 1865 Vermont Conference Seminary
• 1868 campus moves to Montpelier
• 1870 Vermont Methodist Seminary
• 1894 Montpelier Seminary
• 1941 Vermont Junior College
• 1958 Vermont College
• 1972 Vermont College of Norwich University
• 2001 Vermont College of Union Institute & University
• 2008 Vermont College of Fine Arts
• 2009 175th Anniversary of Vermont College
• 2018 10th Anniversary of Vermont College of Fine Arts