Blair Academy


Blair Academy is a coeducational, boarding and day school for students in high school. The school serves students from ninth through twelfth grades as well as a small post-graduate class. The school's campus is situated on in Blairstown Township, in rural Warren County, New Jersey, United States, approximately west of New York City.

Academics

Blair's academic program follows the traditional four-year college-preparatory plan. Diploma requirements are governed by college entrance requirements.

Athletics

Blair primarily competes in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League. Its traditional mascot is the "Buccaneer" and the school colors are navy blue, white and grey. Blair's traditional arch-rival is The Peddie School of Hightstown, New Jersey. Since 1903, Blair and Peddie have competed in football, and the rivalry constitutes New Jersey's oldest continuous prep football competition. Each November, the two schools vie for the coveted Kelley-Potter Cup by playing against one another in a fall sports competition.
During the days leading up to Peddie Day, spirit abounds at Blair. The campus is bedecked with banners hanging from windows, often poking fun at Peddie's Falcon mascot. On Peddie Day "Eve," a spirited pep rally, torch procession and stories-high bonfire pave the way for a day of athletic competition. The Bonfire at Blair in the past has been over tall, however fire regulations prohibit such large fires now. On Peddie Day held at Peddie in November 2013, Blair claimed the Kelly-Potter Cup for the fourth straight year.
The most successful athletic program is wrestling. Under previous head wrestling coach Jeff Buxton, the team won 31 consecutive National Prep Titles and produced a number of NCAA champions and Olympic gold medalist Robert B. Weaver. Most recently, Blair has produced PAC12 Champion Evan Martin Silver. He has gone on to wrestle for Stanford University after leading as wrestling team captain at Blair. The academy's wrestling team is considered one of the most successful high school wrestling programs in the nation, winning 10 National Team Championships.
Over the past several years, Blair has developed a respected basketball program whose alums include NBA players Luol Deng, Charlie Villanueva, and Royal Ivey.
Former Blair football player Dion Lewis was drafted in the 5th round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He has received numerous honors in 2010 such as, Sporting News Top 5 Heisman Trophy Candidate, Top 25 Overall Players, All America Team, All-Big East, as well as ESPN.com "Big East's 25 Best" No.1.

Facilities

Almost all campus architecture is in the Richardson Romanesque style, and modern buildings reflect the features and themes of the older structures. There are five major academics buildings: Clinton Hall, Bogle Hall, Timken Library, Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts, and the Chiang Center for Innovation and Collaboration. Bogle Hall, dedicated in 1989 and expanded and renovated in 2019, provides laboratories and classrooms for the science department and includes the 100-seat Cowan Auditorium. Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts was dedicated in 1997 and includes the 500-seat DuBois Theatre, the black box Wean Theatre, and practice rooms. The renovated Timken Library opened in 1998. Annie Hall, a girls' dormitory, opened in the fall of 1999. The Romano Dining Hall was completed in the fall of 2000, and renovation of Insley Hall was completed in 2001. A major expansion and renovation of the School's athletic and activities facilities and fields occurred between 2006 and 2009: a lighted, synthetic turf field for football, field hockey and soccer, with new stands, press box, and 400 meter all-weather track; ten new tennis courts, a new junior varsity baseball field, and expansion of the existing, natural grass fields. The renovation and expansion of the existing athletic center, including a new student center, concluded in March 2009. This facility, known as Hardwick Hall, houses seven squash courts, three gymnasiums, wrestling facilities, aerobic space, a fitness center, a training room, and locker rooms, and also includes Blair Commons, home of the School's bookstore, The Black Canteen, and college counseling offices. Blair's athletic facilities also include a nine-hole golf course. The School's pedestrian campus was completed in 2010, making the center of campus vehicle-free. In 2015, the School opened Kathryn Hall, an upper-school girls' dormitory, and Lakeside Hall, an upper-school boys' dormitory, each of which includes three faculty apartments. The Chiang Center for Innovation and Collaboration, a modern, technology-rich academic facility was completed in 2017 and serves as home to Blair's technology and fine arts departments. Also in 2017, Weber Hall was renovated to best facilitate the teaching of math. In 2018, Blair added an indoor golf training center and seasonal winter sports complex to its athletic facilities.

Statistics

Enrollment

Characteristics of the student body:
For the 2020-2021 academic year, Blair charges $66,500 for tuition, room and board. Day students are charged $46,500, which covers tuition, study rooms, and meals at school.
In rankings based on tuition, room and board and required fees for the 2013-14 school year, Business Insider ranked the school as the 29th-most-expensive boarding school in the United States. The school was 26th-most expensive based on the publication's rankings based on 2012-13 data.

Faculty