When the town of Florence was laid out, The
Cypress Land Company gave two large lots in the center of the town for school buildings-one for boys and one for girls. On the one donated for a girls' school the citizens built a large, rather imposing structure surrounded by a board colonnade whose colonial columns were two stories high. In this building, the Synodical Female College commenced its existence in October 1854. It was chartered December 13, 1855; the bill was vetoed by Governor Winston, but passed by the constitutional majority. The incorporators were William Mitchell, Robert M. Patton, James Irvine, Richard W. Walker, Sydney C. Posey, Neal Rowell, Thos. Kirkman, Samuel D. Weakly, Charles Gookin, Benjamin F. Foster, John S. Kennedy, William K. Key, Benjamin Taylor, Boyles E. Bourland, John T. Edgar, A. Smith, A. A. Doak, and R. B. McMillan. These trustees were empowered to hold real and personal property in trust in perpetuity for use of said college and for the
Presbyterian Synod of
Nashville, Tennessee, and all powers concerning property usually conferred upon trustees were granted to this board; also all legal title to property heretofore donated or conveyed to the Synod of Nashville by the president and trustees of the Florence Female Academy or by the mayor and aldermen of Florence, or by any others, was vested in the President and Trustees of Florence Synodical Female College. In addition, the power was given to confer diplomas upon graduating pupils, and to do all other necessary and proper things for the promotion of education in said college. ==History==