Historically speaking
The village of Sparta was once home to the "Sparta Female Seminary." The building still stands as an excellent example of Greek Revival architecture. It was built in 1839 and opened in 1840 by Mrs. Sarah C. Dayton, widow of Ezra F. Dayton, a former pastor of the Sparta Presbyterian Church who died in 1838. The builder was the indomitable Pierson Hurd, who constructed the 12 room house for a cost of $2,500. Part of the cost was a "necessary" which was reputed to be the finest outhouse in the county. Students came to the seminary from as far away as Newark. Two sessions of 22 weeks were held each year. The cost per term was $50, which included board and tuition. Music instruction was an additional $20. For an additional $10 a young lady could have 22 weeks of instruction in French, an ancient language, mathematics, or the drawing-painting-fancy work course. At the bottom of the scale was the worsted work at $4. Above all, the young ladies' morals and manners were of the utmost concern to Mrs. Dayton, the principal. Sometime around 1870 Mrs. Dayton's health no longer permitted her to continue the school and it closed. The property was sold to Moses Delaney for $1,300 who leased it to various tenants including, it is said, people who kept goats in the cellar. A far cry from the days when fashionable young ladies inhabited the house. Later owners were the Dr. Buist family. Many Sparta residents still refer to it as the Buist building. In August of 1964 a small group of Sparta residents met at the municipal building and voted to organize a society for the preservation of things historic in Sparta Township. This was an outgrowth of a public meeting called by the Sparta council to discuss the preservation of the then 125-year-old historic Sparta Ladies Seminary property. It was agreed that the property with its historical and architectural significance should be preserved and used to house relics of Sparta's heritage. The name chosen for the organization was "The Sparta Historical Center". Richard Buist executor of the estate of his mother, Mrs. George L. Buist, offered the property to the organization for the appraised value of $35,000, with the stipulation that the building would be preserved for its historical and architectural significance. After a strong fund raising campaign it became apparent to the trustees of the newly formed organization that their efforts had fallen far short of the required $35,000 purchase price. Despite some generous private donations they were only able to raise $10,000. The donations were subsequently returned to the donors. The building currently houses a real estate and mortgage company. The impressive "necessary" no longer stands.