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Since 1839: A Brief History of EHS
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Giving Thanks, An EHS Tradition
“The boys were much elated over the repast, a half dozen making themselves sick by repletion.” - Launcelot Blackford Thanksgiving 1874
“This momentous event, long and eagerly awaited, left nothing to be desired, and we herewith doff our hats to Mrs. Clark and the culinary department. Huge turkeys, noble fowls, disappeared before the hungry mob as chaff before the wind and at length returned to the kitchen, whence they had issued forth a short time magnificent in all the glory of cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes, mere skeletons of their former selves. The day was indeed one for thanksgiving.” The Monthly Chronicle 1926
Since its earliest days, Episcopal High School has given thanks. After the School’s formation in 1839, and throughout the nineteenth century, the EHS community gave thanks to the visionaries of the Virginia Diocese who recognized the great need for a high school to prepare the boys of the region for college. During the twentieth century, establishing faculty masterships became a tradition to honor the extraordinary impact masters have on the lives of EHS students. Today, we give thanks to all who make possible Episcopal’s flourishing into one of the top boarding schools in the country.
Traditionally, the EHS community celebrated Thanksgiving together on campus. For much of the School’s history, students did not travel home for Thanksgiving, due to the expense and time required for long-distance travel. Thanksgiving Day began with a religious service, but the highlight of the day was Thanksgiving dinner. The kitchen would outdo itself to treat the boys to an exceptional meal. The early Thanksgiving dinner menus are familiar. The 1873 meal included nine turkeys, cranberry sauce, a dessert of potato pudding, and green apples. Turkey was, of course, the star of the show from year to year. In other years, ice cream and cake, pumpkin pie, or plum pudding might be offered for dessert. The rolls are remembered with particular fondness by former students and faculty. Thanksgiving dinner was like no other meal at Episcopal. It was festive and leisurely.
The students, seated at tables of 14, anxiously awaited the arrival of the enormous turkeys from the kitchen, which were carved by the master seated at the head of each table. Some masters relished the opportunity to demonstrate their carving skills, even bringing their personal carving sets. Others approached this task with trepidation.
Headmaster Lancelot Blackford appraised Thanksgiving dinner at Episcopal High School not just by the meal served, but by the number in attendance. Thanksgiving dinner included not only the students, but also Episcopal alumni studying at the Seminary and others from the neighborhood.
Blackford appreciated a large crowd at Thanksgiving dinner, and when he saw a decline in attendance around 1900 due to students going home for the day, he took swift action, sending a circular to parents announcing that no leaves would be granted for Thanksgiving. When this proved insufficient to stem the number of students celebrating Thanksgiving elsewhere, Blackford scheduled a half day of class after the morning Thanksgiving chapel service.
The tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving Day together continued well into the 1960s, even when the School returned to granting a one day Thanksgiving holiday. By the late 1960s Episcopal High School made a departure from tradition, granting a Thanksgiving weekend holiday, enabling students to travel home to celebrate with their families. Those who lived too far away to travel home for the holiday weekend were invited to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Headmaster’s family at the Hoxtons’ farm in West Virginia.
Today, the School celebrates Thanksgiving with a traditional turkey dinner the evening before the students depart for a week-long vacation. The day of observation may have changed, but Episcopal High School’s tradition of giving thanks endures.
