USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Historical sketches : a collection of papers prepared for the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1921-1925, Volume VII > Part 5
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Whose brows our young eagle, triumphantly soaring From the dun smoke of battle, encircled with bays: And while the choral song Floats on the air along
Blending the tones of the mellowing strain, Bright o'er the melting soul New scenes of glory roll,
Glory that spreads its broad blaze o'er the main.
Hail to the brave, who in language of thunder, Born on the foam-crested billows to war,
Claims of their foe no inglorious plunder- The trident of Neptune and victory's car : And while Columbia's stars Wave o'er her gallant tars,
Bounding in triumph along the blue deep; See o'er the bloody wave, Many a Briton's grave, The proud queen of ocean disconsolate weep.
Hail to yon orient star, that adorning And gilding the skies with its ravishing light,
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HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Blazes unquench'd on the forehead of morning, And dispels the cold gloom of oppression and night: "Tis by that ruddy glow Slaves and their tyrant know Freedom and hope to the world have returned, So shone the pilot star, Hail'd from the east afar That over the manger of Bethlehem burn'd.
Peace to the dust that in silence reposes Beneath the dark boughs of the cypress and yew; Let spring deck the spot with her earliest roses, And Heav'n wash their leaves in its holiest dew: Calm as the Hero's soul Let the Potomack roll Wat'ring the willow that over him weeps, And, from his glassy wave, Softly reflect the grave Where all that was mortal of WASHINGTON sleeps.
Hail holy shade! we would proudly inherit The flame that once deign'd in thy bosom to glow
While yet but one spark of thy patriot spirit, Thy godlike benevolence lingers below. Ne'er let thy fav'rite tree Sacred to Liberty By Anarchy's sulph'ry sirocco be riven, But in immortal bloom Rise o'er its planter's tomb Rich with perfume as the breezes of Heaven.
. Report of Annalist For 1921*
By CLARA A. BECK
MUNICIPAL
Norristown's borough treasurer has issued the statement that official figures prove that our borough assets are a million dollars ahead of our liabilities, and that we have a great borrowing capacity. This in answer to the critics who asked-"Is Norristown broke ?"
Norristown has elected three women school directors; they are Mrs. George Brecht, Mrs. Anna Weber and Mrs. A. B. Garner; also, Emma C. Alker as tax collector, who, in turn, has appointed Miss Lillian R. Kriebel as her deputy. Miss Laker, on the Democratic ticket, received a record majority of over 3,000 votes-a high tribute to her ability and popularity.
The proposed Constitutional Convention, sponsored by Governor Sproul, was defeated in Montgomery county by a majority of 1191 votes.
Freas Styer, Esq., of Norristown, has been appointed by President Harding Superintendent of the United States Mint at Philadelphia.
John S. Kennedy has been appointed Superintendent of Valley Forge Park, to succeed the late Col. S. S. Hartranft.
Following the success of the Woman-Suffrage move- ment, the first Montgomery county jurywoman called for duty was Elizabeth Murphey, of Norristown; and the first secretary of the grand jury as well. The first forewoman to render service was Miss Clark J. Davis, of Pottstown, Pa., and the first woman juror to be excused from duty was Mrs. Bertha Bromer, of Schwenksville, Pa.
*Read before the Society, April 30, 1921.
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REAL ESTATE
In building operations very little has been done this year, and the record of permits taken out at City Hall indi- cates the "slackest" year in construction in this borough.
The old Penn Hotel on west Main street has been bought by Lamprose Brothers, and converted into a restaurant. The first license for this hotel was issued to Abraham S. Ortlip, in 1865. It has since been owned by Jonas Heydt, Charles Ulrich, Adam Zinnel, F. D. Hildebrand, Charles Scheidt, Amos Tyson, William Finley, John Burkhart and John J. O'Donnell, who sold it to Lamprose Brothers.
The property of the Dr. Pyfer Estate, on West Main street, has been sold to Michael Garber, of West Fornance street, for $52,000. The new owner, who is in the hardware business, will erect a new building for the use of his company.
The Dyer mansion, also on West Main street, was pur- chased by James P. Elverson for $50,000, and will be occu- pied by the Moose Association. The residence was built by Perry Gresh; it adjoins the residence of H. C. Gresh.
William H. Gilbert has sold his property, 132 West Main street, to Harry Weiss, who conducts a "Chain Store" system.
The S. S. Kresge Co., of Detroit, Michigan, operating a chain of five-and-ten-cent stores throughout the country, have obtained a long-term lease on 6 and 8 East Main street from Samuel Tabak.
The Lamprose house, on Swede street, with another bought from the Slingluff Estate, have been purchased by the Norristown Club, and a club house will be erected on their sites.
The "Norristown Herald" has been bought by Ralph B. Strassburger, Esq., for $90,000; he also bought the Herald building, belonging to the Wills Estate, for a price of $1,515 per front foot.
"Rothella," the beautiful estate of the late Joseph H. Sinnott, at Rosemont, Pa., has been sold to a Society of Sisters of the Roman Catholic Church, and will later be
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REPORT OF ANNALIST FOR 1921
opened as a preparatory school for young women. The estate contains 42 acres and cost $250,000.
One of the most unconventional and unusual residences in this part of the country has recently been constructed by George A. Detweiler, a granite and marble dealer, at Phoe- nixville, Pa., entirely of marble and granite blocks, from posts, coping, foot- and step-stones taken from the Morris Cemetery, at the extreme southern section of the town, at the cost merely of hauling the material away.
EDUCATIONAL
Montgomery county schools will receive $262,859.37 from the state this year. We have 38,249 pupils and 1,008 teachers in the county.
The Whitemarsh Consolidated School, located at Barren Hill, has been formally dedicated by Judge John Faber Miller, with due ceremony. The building cost $80,000.
Plymouth township has issued bonds to the amount of $85,000, to cover cost of building Black Horse School, and to place an addition to the Ivy Rock School. The ground upon which the latter is being built was donated by the Alan Wood Iron & Steel Company. Most of its employees live in the vicinity.
The residents of Souderton have voted to defeat a $60,000 bond indebtedness proposed by its school board, because the board "boosted" the tax rate to 25 mills and $5.00 per capita. But per contra, the Norristown school board reduced its per capita occupation tax from $5.00 to $2.50.
The school board of Norristown has changed the name of the Noble Street School to Abraham Lincoln School, and the Markley Street School is now to be the Theodore Roose- velt School.
A library has been erected by the alumni of Ursinus College as a memorial to the soldiers and sailors who lost their lives in the World War, who were students of the College.
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The new Swedeland School has an adornment over the entrance-a fine carving of an eagle, which measures six feet, six inches from tip to tip. It is mounted upon a base, on which is also carved the shield of the United States, which weighs over two tons. These carvings were furnished by the John Bolger Co., and the design by C. Edwin Brumbaugh, son of former Governor Brumbaugh.
MISCELLANEOUS
The Christmas Savings Clubs of the banks of Norristown report a distribubtion of $340,000, of which sum the Penn Trust Co. issued checks for $260,000, and the Montgomery Trust Co., $80,000.
Those engaged in trapping in Montgomery county re- ceived in bounties from the State, this year, for animal pelts, $916.00.
Of the 3,099 persons, who are inmates in the State Hos- pital for the Insane at Norristown, are 76 former United States service men. Incidentally, the expense for maintain- ing this institution is about $900,000 per year.
The "Abraham Lincoln Company" recently spent a day with Dr. Burk at the Valley Forge Museum, and in appreci- ation of his courtesy, a copy of the play, specially inscribed, and signed by every member of the company, was presented to Dr. Burk.
Miss Margaret Moran, of Front and Mill streets, Bridge- port, is due to receive the Hero Medal from the Carnegie Hero Commission, for frequent rescues of children from drowning in the canal.
The Federal Government has donated a cannon, weigh- ing 1,275 pounds, to be placed in the cemetery of the Evan- gelical Lutheran Church at Barren Hill, in recognition of the service of more than 180 men who have served in the United States armies in five wars, whose bodies repose in the churchyard; and also because the original church build- ing was used by General Lafayette as an advanced post while the Continental army was encamped at Valley Forge.
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The Mann Iron & Steel Co. have donated a three-inch field gun and caisson to be placed on "The Soldier's Lot," in the triangle at Astor and James streets and the Boule- vard, at the entrance to Elmwood Park.
Among the guests entertained by the Huguenot Society at Valley Forge, on the occasion of its annual meeting, were Col. William Gasperd de Coligney, of Maryland, and Charles Newton Conde, of Canada, their ancestors having fought side by side in wars of France between 1552 and 1572. There were present also Walter Laidlow, representa- tive of The Huguenot Society of America; Gifford Pinchot, Commissioner of Forestry of Pennsylvania, and candidate of the Republican Party for Governor of the State; Count Viviani, the distinguished French statesman, and General Robert Georges Nivelle, the noted French officer in the World War.
On May 30th, a flag was raised at Elmwood Park in honor of the 48 local boys who gave up their lives in the World War. And on the 11th of November, the Masonic fraternity unveiled a bronze tablet at the Temple in Norris- town, in memory of their members who fell in that war.
Norristown will have an airport in its vicinity, to be known as "06," which number will be placed on the roofs of buildings in the neighborhood.
Rev. Paul Zeller Strodach, son of the late Henry Stro- dach, was installed pastor of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Norristown.
Among the items which the "Norristown Herald" is daily printing, under the caption, "50 and 100 Years Ago," is: "The Schuylkill Bridge drifted down the river into the Delaware, and was found 25 miles below Philadelphia."
Early Friends' Schools in Montgomery County*
By HELEN E. RICHARDS
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When speaking of Friends' Schools the first thing one thinks of is the twelfth query in the Book of Discipline, which reads as follows: "Are there schools established among you for the education of your children, under charge of teachers in membership with us, and superintended by committees appointed in your business meetings? Do teach- ers and pupils attend mid-week meetings?" This query is answered annually in the preparative, monthly, quarterly and yearly meetings. Before the Discipline was revised in 1894, this was known as the second annual query, with a very slight change in the wording.
When William Penn founded his colony, he advised all persons having charge of children to instruct them in read- ing and writing by the time they were twelve years old, and in 1746, the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting sent a minute to the rural meetings reading: "We desire you, in your several Monthly Meetings, to encourage and assist each other in the settlement and support of schools for the instruction of your children, at least to read and write, and some further learning to such whose circumstances will permit it, and that you observe as much as possible to employ such masters and mistresses as are concerned not only to instruct your chil- dren in their learning but are likewise careful in the wisdom of God, and a spirit of meekness, gradually to bring them to knowledge of their duty to God and one another: and we dought (i. e. doubt) not such endeavors will be blessed with success."
*Read before the Society, April 30, 1921.
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EARLY FRIENDS' SCHOOLS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
In the early colonial times, the meeting houses were fre- quently used for schools, also, in the first mention of a sep- arate school-house in the Gwynedd Monthly Meeting was in 1721. Howard M. Jenkins, in his "Historical Collections of Gwynedd," tells of a petition of Rowland Hughes and Robert Humphrey for the necessity of a road to be laid out from their plantation to the great road leading to Philadel- phia, by a school-house recently erected by their neighbor- hood. The first mention of a schoolmaster was in 1729, when there was a record that Marmaduke Pardo, of Gwynedd, schoolmaster, was married at Merion. Marmaduke Pardo came from Pembrokeshire, Wales, with the following cer- tificate, dated April 18, 1727: "We whose names are here- unto subscribed being the curate and others of the inhab- itants of the parish of St. David's, do hereby certify whom it may concern that ye bearer hereof, Marmaduke Pardo, of the City of St. David's, and county of Pembrokeshire, hath to ye utmost of our knowledge and all appearance lived a very sober and pious life, demeaning himself according to ye strictest rules of his profession, viz .:- what we call Quakerism, and yet he hath for these several years past took upon himself ye keeping of a private school in this city, in which station he acquitted himself with ye common applause, and to ye general satisfaction of all of us who have committed our children to his care and tuition." Signed by Richard Roberts, curate, and twenty-five others. There are no records of other teachers, but there was a school at Gwynedd Meeting House, under the care of Friends, at least as early as 1793, as will be seen from the following extract of a letter written by Joseph Foulke in 1859: "My earliest recollection of schools which I attended was at Gwynedd meeting. There was no house for the purpose, but what was called 'the little meeting-house' was used. An old tottering man by the name of Samuel Evans was the teacher. The reading books were the Bible and Testament: we had Dilworth's Spelling-Book, and Dilworth's Assistant or Arithmetic. Grammar was a thing hardly thought of; there was, however, a small part of the spelling-book called 'A New Guide to the English Tongue,' and a few of the
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older pupils learned portions of this by rote, and would occasionally recite to the master, but the substance ap- peared to be equally obscure both to the master and schol- ars. My next schooling was in 1795, in the house late the property of William Buzby, on the Bethlehem road, above the Spring-House. It was a kind of family school, taught by Hannah Lukens. I next went to Joshua Foulke, my father's elder brother, and an old man. He taught in a log school- house, near the 18-mile stone on the Bethlehem road. My father, with the help of his neighbors, built this house about 1798, on a lot set apart for the purpose, at the southern extremity of his premises. This log school-house stood about thirty years, and besides Joshua Foulke, we had for teach- ers William Coggins, Hannah Foulke, Benjamin Albertson, Hugh Foulke (my brother), John Chamberlain, Christian Dull, Daniel Price, and Samuel Jones. I have probably not named all, or given them in the order in which they came."
In 1818, Joseph Foulke established a boarding school for young men and boys on part of his father's estate at Gwynedd, and it was continued very successfully until about 1860. During the later years, it was in charge of his sons, Daniel and Joseph, and his nephew, Hugh Foulke, Jr. This school was not under the care of the meeting.
The first reference of the Gwynedd Preparative Meeting minutes to a school is dated 2-20-1798, when reference is made to Hugh Foulke and Ellis Cleaver having been ap- pointed some time ago to get recorded the deed for the school-house lot given by Margaret Williams and Ellen Lewis. They report it has been done, and the meeting ap- points Jese Foulke to take charge of the deed, and Joseph Shoemaker, the Declaration of Trust. The next month, "The following Friends are appointed to examine the situation of our school-house lot and report to next meeting what may be expedient to be done, Thomas Evans, Levi Foulke, Nathan Cleaver and Jese Foulke." The meeting approves the committee's report that John Williams should have the school lot and dwelling for five pounds a year, and fencing expenses to be taken out of the £5. The school-house must have been built about this time, as will be seen from the
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minute of 2-19-1799: "The Friends appointed to consider in what way it might be left to raise the remaining part of the money for building the School House reported they agreed to propose its being raised in the usual method, which being approved and as our proportion for the support of the poor is wanted, this meeting directs that £75 be raised and the following Friends are appointed to collect the same, namely : Joseph Shoemaker, Jr., John Jones, Jr., and Joseph Shoe- maker, Sr." In 1801, the first school committee request to be released, and in their place the meeting appoints Caleb Foulke, George Maris, John Evans, Hugh Foulke, and Ellis Cleaver, and directs them to visit the school when they may think it necessary.
In 1804, the minute refers to a bequest of Milcah Martha Moore for the support of a school within the limits of the Preparative Meeting at Gwynedd for the schooling of poor girls either belonging to the Society of Friends or such other poor girls of the neighborhood as the trustees shall judge proper. A few years later, a well was dug, and the building enlarged, at a cost of about $400. The teachers must have been members of the meeting, as the first reference to a teacher not in membership is in answer to the second annual query in 1817.
From the year 1819 to 1830, the school was closed, which was probably due to the excellent free school at Montgomery. About 1820, it was taught by William Collum, an accomplished teacher, and under his leadership a very flourishing debating society was maintained. Benjamin Hancock taught here when his son, General Hancock, was born, and Samuel Aaron was one of the pupils.
The Gwynedd school was reopened in 1830, but kept open very irregularly, and in 1844 seems to have been the public school, partly supported by the meeting fund.
In later years, Ellwood Roberts, who was a member of the Historical Society of Montgomery County, taught at Gwynedd, when Judge John Faber Miller was a pupil there.
At the present day, the principal is Jane W. Meredith, assisted by Lucretia M. Kester and Carrie S. Childs, and the meeting committee in charge: Mary Anna Jenkins, Laura
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L. Foulke, Anna S. Evans, G. Herbert Jenkins, John M. Willis, Elizabeth Hollingsworth, John Wilson Divan, Gwen- dolen Evans and Walter H. Jenkins.
There was a school under the control of Friends at North Wales in 1793.
According to Wickersham's and Bean's histories, there has always been a school in connection with Plymouth Meeting, even as early as 1688, before the meeting house was built. A bequest of £100 was left by Joseph Williams, and this money was used about 1780 to built an addition to the northeastern end of the meeting house, to be used for a school. The minutes show there were three schools under the care of Plymouth Meeting. From the answers to the annual query, they were kept open rather irregularly, but there was always one, and some years two and three. After the public school system was started, these schools were sometimes partly supported by the public fund.
Besides the school at the meeting house, there was one at Sandy Hill, and another at Whitemarsh, known as the Williams School. This school was built by a committee of Plymouth Meeting in 1816, on ground left by Isaac Williams and his wife for that purpose. The first teacher was Thomas Paxson, followed by Grace Paxson, David Lukens, John H. Callender, Hugh Bell, and Joseph Paxson. The Friends ap- pointed in 1856 to hold the deed of trust for this school were Charles Williams, Lewis A. Lukens, Isaac Williams, John Cleaver, Thomas Phipps, William Jeanes, Jr., J. Wilson Jones, and Samuel Phipps. In a minute dated 5-24-1866, "The school directors of Whitemarsh propose to Plymouth Preparative Meeting to lease at a nominal rent for a period of fifty years the school house and lot formerly granted by Isaac Williams, for the purpose of erecting thereon a new school house and continuing therein a school for the neigh- borhood of the same under the general school law and in no way to use same in violation of the original trust for which said grant was made." The meeting did not unite with the proposition, but that was the last reference in the minutes to this school, and about this time it became a public school.
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The Sandy Hill School, also called Whitpain School, was built on ground deeded by Joseph Lukens and his wife, Mary, in 1796. A minute of 1827 reads: "The persons ap- pointed to have the Deed and Trust for the Sandy Hill School lot drawn and recorded report that the service is performed and the Deed lodged with the treasurer and the expense paid." William Jeanes, Charles Styer, David Mere- dith, and Nathan Conrad were the committee in charge of this school. The school directors of Whitpain township, in 1859, requested permission of the meeting to build a new school-house on Sandy Hill lot and there being no objection, the request was granted.
The old school at the meeting house was well attended, the children coming on horseback for six or seven miles from the surrounding country. The minutes make frequent reference to the upkeep of the log stable and sheds on the ground. Ellwood Roberts, in his history of Plymouth Meet- ing, says there is a tradition that David Rittenhouse at- tended this school, and was said to have come on horseback, and barefooted. Some of the later minutes speak of the school being open during the summer season. The old eight- square school on the meeting house grounds was probably built about 1811, as it was proposed at this time that a com- mittee of women Friends be appointed to act with men Friends in procuring a teacher or teachers for a school to be opened at this place. The children must have been rest- less in mid-week meeting, as a minute dated 6-26-1817 reads: "A proposal was made in the meeting to have a few Friends to sit in the back part of the meeting to preserve order amongst the children on the Fifth-day of the week. Ann Foulke and Susan Streper are named to that station." The following quotation from the Reminiscences of William P. Livezey is in line with the above minute: "In the rear of the meeting house stood the old octagonal, or as better known then, the eight-square school house with desks ar- ranged around seven of its sides, at which were seated some forty or fifty boys and girls, with their faces toward the wall and their backs toward the teacher, who presided with imperial dignity from his desk on the eighth side with the
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insignia of his office-a rod sufficiently long enough to reach and instil education into the backs, if not the heads, of the largest and dullest of his subjects. Oh! Benjamin Conard, how I remember and cherish thy precepts, revere thy memory and still feel the sting of thy rod."
In 1855 the meeting united with the committee that a new school-house should be built, and a committee was ap- pointed to raise money for that purpose. In 1899, the school was enlarged to its present size. Alan W. Corson and Dr. Hiram Corson were two of the prominent people who were pupils, and some of the teachers were Jesse Williams, Josiah Albertson, Alan W. Corson, Joseph Foulke, Joel Vanartsdalen, Hannah Adamson, and, in recent times, Pro- fessor Benjamin Smith, a graduate of Yale University, was principal for about fifteen years. At the present time, the principal is H. Eloise Bryan, assisted by Sara Cloud, and the meeting committee, A. Conrad Jones, Eleanor Corson Price, Mary J. W. Ambler, George C. Corson and Eliza W. Ambler.
For many years Hannah Williams kept a boarding school in the home now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. William W. Ambler. It was opened in 1827, as will be seen by this minute: "It has been proposed in this meeting that a com- mittee be appointed to give some attention to the school now opened by Hannah Williams at this place, Friends con- curring therewith appoint Hannah Foulke, Elizabeth Paul and Mercy Roberts to give such assistance as may be neces- sary and report to a future meeting."
Alan W. Corson had a boarding school in his home at Whitemarsh for many years, and Hannah Adamson, also a teacher at Plymouth, a school for girls at Norristown, Mrs. Stein being one of her pupils. A boarding school for boys was kept in Norristown in the sixties by a Mr. Newbold, who was probably an Orthodox Friend, as he attended meeting in Plymouth, but the boys attended the meeting at Swede and Jacoby streets. Among the pupils were Ben- jamin Hilles, John Shoemaker and Albert Atkinson.
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