Portledge History

In May of 1965, the trustees of the AKC Fund, Inc. gave fifty-nine acres of the Alice S. Coffin estate, Portledge, and all the buildings on this land, to the adjoining Miss Stoddart’s School for the purpose of establishing a coeducational college preparatory day school. The main residence was renovated during the summer, and the school, named Portledge, opened in September with one hundred children in nursery, kindergarten, first and second grades. Thereafter, a grade was added each year until the first senior class graduated in 1976. Miss Mary F. Jonathan, Headmistress of Miss Stoddart’s School, continued as Headmistress at Portledge to guide the development of the Lower School. In 1970, Mr. David S. Staples, who had taught at Exeter and had been the Assistant Headmaster at the Key School, became the school’s Headmaster. He was succeeded in 1977, by Huson R. Gregory who had been Director of Guidance and an English teacher at Princeton Day School in Princeton, New Jersey. In 2006 Mr. Gregory was succeeded by Steven L. Hahn, who recently had served for 19 years as the Head of Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts.

The 1970’s marked a time of expanding enrollment, facilities, and academic programs. By 1970, the Lower School had been completed with a library, dining facilities, a gymnasium/auditorium and additional classrooms. At the same time, the original Miss Stoddart’s School building had been transformed into the Headmaster’s residence, Stoddart House. In 1991 the Lower School building was named the Anne M. Thomas House to commemorate the quarter-century of work on behalf of Portledge by founding Board President, Anne M. Thomas.

The renovation of the Carriage House in 1970-71, provided classrooms, a library and a science laboratory for the Middle School. At the same time, four and one-half acres of land were graded and seeded to form two full-sized athletic fields. In 1972, construction began on the Wellington Gymnasium, designed also to house the cafeteria, to serve the Middle and Upper Schools. During 1974-75, construction began on the Upper School building, to which the Gilmour Library was added in 1979. This building presently contains the Middle/Upper School library, classrooms, and offices for the Headmaster and Director of Admissions. Facilities for art and music and additional classroom and office space were added to the Carriage House in 1978. Three acres of new playing fields also were developed at that time. In 1983, five tennis courts were added.

The Slanetz Science Center opened in the spring of 1987, to provide science labs, a computer center, and additional classroom and office spaces for the Upper School. Between 1993 and 1994, passenger elevators were added to Thomas House and to the Carriage House to provide greater accessibility. Similarly, ramps were installed where necessary to make all building entrances accessible. Between 1994 and 1998, the Trustees raised $1.4 million in endowment and $600,000 for campus restorations. Phase I of the Carriage House expansion, Bahnik Hall, and two classrooms were completed during the summer of 2000. The groundbreaking for Phase II of the Carriage House expansion occurred in August 2002, and the construction was completed by early fall 2003. The expansion provides much-needed facilities for the Middle School, including ten new classrooms and two new science labs, as well as additional space for instruction in music, studio arts, and computer. Well over $4 million was raised for this project, as friends of Portledge generously showed their support of the school’s vision for the future. In 2006, the Carriage House was dedicated as the Huson R. Gregory Carriage House in recognition of the 29 years of service that Headmaster Gregory gave to Portledge. Recently, too, the Broxmeyer family sponsored the construction of a baseball field, with the completion of the work being celebrated on Founders Day 2005. Currently, the Strategic Planning Committee is actively planning the next phases of growth for Portledge School.

At present, Portledge enrolls over four-hundred students in pre-nursery through twelfth grades, with a long-range objective of increasing enrollment to the planned maximum of four hundred-seventy-five to five-hundred, this growth to occur primarily in the Upper School. Guiding the growth in enrollment is a structured and supportive atmosphere throughout the School which enhances its demanding and thorough college-preparatory program. Commitments to the individual student, academic excellence, small classes and a personal and trusting atmosphere will continue to define the mission of the School.

Portledge is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the New York State Association of Independent Schools, and the College Board. Portledge has its absolute charter granted by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York, is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools, and is registered as an approved, accredited secondary school by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York.