History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 134

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418

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After the Sunday-school had become an established institution, and had been in success- ful operation for over twelve years, the mem- bers of the Lutheran and Reformed congrega- tions of the borough conceived the necessity of organizing separate Sunday-schools for their own children. This was effected on the 12th of April, 1829, under the name of " The Lutheran and Reformed Sunday-school Association of Reading." The school was first opened in the spacious school-room of David Medary, on the

798

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

west side of Fifth Street below Penn. The prospectus of the managers declared " that they were not instigated by any desire to propagate particular religious opinions or to impress the children confided to their care with sectarian principles. . . . In the exercises of the school no preference will be given to one mode of faith or form of worship over any other." The association continued there only a short time, and then removed to the "Old Court- House." E. Jonathan Deininger was the superintendent. Several years afterward the two denominations separated, and the scholars of each occupied places specially provided by the congregations. The Lutheran Sunday-school began in a one-story brick building, erected for the purpose, on the southeast corner of Wash- ington and Church Streets.

As other denominations organized congrega- tions, Sunday-schools were also formed for their respective children. All the congregations have Sunday-schools connected with them, as indis- pensable parts in the great system of inculcating proper conceptions of morality and social and religious duty.

PART VII.

SCHOOLS.

EDUCATION began in Reading in the very beginning of its settlement. The town-plan was laid out in 1748, and the first lots were sold in 1749. Soon after this time churchies were erected; and in connection with the churches there were schools. This conjunction of the two was common throughout the county from its earliest settlements. The oldest build- ing used for school purposes for nearly a hun- dred years, now standing in Reading, is the one-story stone building at the south west corner of Sixth and Washington Streets (the southern half of the building having been torn away). This was owned and carried on by the " German Lutheran " (afterward Trinity) congregation. It was erected, it is supposed, in 1765. The lot was purchased in 1763. Two of the early teachers were Joseph Fleischer and Paul Fuegner. In 1844 the week-day school was

still active, though not so numerously at- tended as previously. Education was con- ducted in German.

The " German Reformed " congregation ob- tained title to a lot on the southwest corner of Seventh and Washington Streets in 1776, and about that time erected a brick building and used it for school purposes for many years. The building is still standing.

The earliest record of a school is the "Charity School," for the establishment of which in Reading application was made in 1756. But an allowance of only three pounds was made three years afterward in 1759.1

One of the early teachers in Reading was Philip Jacob Foesig. His name has been traced back to 1762. In the year 1778 he was still a "schoolmaster." His school was situated on Seventh Street, west side, a short distance above Court.

The " Friends " were active at a very early period in the matter of education. The follow- ing statement was copied from an old, well- worn folio sheet. There was no date upon it. It related to the Friends' School, which was erect- ed on the south side of Washington Street, at Wood, about 1787, and stood there many years.

" From an apprehension of the advantages arising to children by having their school education under exemplary, well-qualified tutors, and the necessity to encourage such schools, we whose names are hereto subscribed do promise and agree to give the sums we have thereto annexed towards building a school-house at Reading, which house and the masters employed while they continue to teach therein shall be and re- main under the direction of Exeter Monthly Meet- ing, or a number of Friends thereby appointed to superintend the same."

There were twenty-seven subscribers, the largest having been Wm. Green, £15; Samuel Jackson, £7 10s. ; John Mears, £5 10s., and James Loure, Richard Lewis, James Imbree and Owen Hughes, each £5; Benjamin Pearson, £4; and Samuel Lee, £2.

This school was successfully conducted for nearly eighty years, when it was removed to the present church building of the Friends, on

1 See Chap. XV. General Education.

799

READING.

Sixth Street, north of Washington. The last teachers were the Misses Griscom, who are two of the oldest surviving teachers in this community after a long period of useful service in the profession of teaching.

READING . ACADEMY .- The Reading Acad- emy was the most prominent educational institu- tion at Reading for about thirty years. The association was incorporated as early as March 10, 1788; but for twenty years its history is unknown.

In 1805 the State made a grant of forty-five hundred acres of land to it, and in that year a board of trustees was organized. Two years afterward, March 11, 1807, the board received a donation of two thousand dollars from the State for the purpose of erecting a suitable building.

In 1805 the following commissioners : Fred- erick Schmidt, Matthias Reichert, Nicolaus Dick, J. K. Messerschmidt, Geo. De B. Keim and Wm. Witman, Jr., were appointed to con- duct a lottery for the purpose of raising money to erect " a building for English worship and for a school-house in the borough of Reading." They advertised the scheme in the Reading Ad- ler on the 27th of December, 1805. Five thousand tickets were to be sold at three dollars each. Prize tickets were 2293; blanks, 2707. The prizes were: 1 of $1000, 1 of $500, 2 of $200, 13 of $100, 6 of $50, 10 of $40, 20 of $30, 40 of $20, 50 of $10, 150 of $8, 2000 of $4.

On the 15th of July, 1806, the commissioners published the drawing of the prizes. The highest prizes were: No. 2577 for $1000, No. 167 for $500 and Nos. 193 and 3734, each $200.

On the 26th of June, 1806, they published a scheme for second-class, same as the first. They presented a petition to the Court of Quarter Ses- sions, praying "that the Grand Jury authorize the county commissioners to take a number of tickets." On the 6th of April, 1808, authority was given "to take two hundred tickets of the second class of the 'Reading Church and Academy Lottery,' to hold them for the profit or loss of the county."

The profits to the commissioners on the lot- tery enterprise were devoted to the " Reading Academy."

The following notice appeared in the Weekly Advertiser of Reading in 1811 and 1812 :

" READING ACADEMY.

" A very large, commodious and elegant building, lately erected in the town of Reading, will be opened on the 13th of April next for the instruction of youth in languages, mathematics, natural philosophy, as- tronomy, chemistry, geography, with use of the globes and projection of maps, English grammar and common English, etc.

" Terms of tuition in the higher branches, five dol- lars per quarter ; the lower in proportion.

"Perhaps no place in the Union can boast of a more advantageous site for such an institution than Reading. Its dimensions are such as happily to com- bine the advantages of a city with those of a coun- try place, beautifully situated on the banks of the river Schuylkill, in the midst of a rich and highly cultivated country, being remarkably healthy-the best of boarding to be had on the most reason- able terms ; possessing every convenience, to be de- rived from stages running in all directions, from good society, well-chosen libraries-it promises a very desir- able retreat, especially in the summer seasons, for studious young men, desirous of obtaining a liberal education.

"To expedite as much as possible the progress of the pupils, sober and experienced assistants will be employed, proportional in number to the increase of students, and the strictest attention shall be paid, not only to their progress in science, but to the preserva- tion of their morals.

"The seminary is under the immediate inspection of gentlemen of the first attainments in the different professions, and private literary characters, who have resolved upon using every laudable means to render this institution worthy the public attention.

"The subscriber flatters himself, from an opportu- nity of a liberal education, and several years' exper- ience in conducting an academy, that he can render every reasonable satisfaction to those who may intrust him with the education of their children.

" JOHN F. GRIER.

" Reading, March 2d, 1811."

. By this notice, it would appear that the build- ing was erected during the year 1810. Its location was on the southwest corner of Seventh and Chestnut Streets. It was opened on April 13, 1811, as advertised.

The donated land was not surveyed till 1818, when it was located in Mifflin township, Lyco- ming County, and a patent obtained for fifty- four hundred and forty-eight acres, eighty-one perches. One third of it, however, was allowed and granted to the surveyor for his services. It

800

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

would seem that the academy never realized any benefit from this grant, for the remaining two- thirds were undisposed of as late as 1838. In 1832 another donation was received from the State, amounting to three thousand dollars- " Upon the condition that four students in in- digent circumstances should be educated for five years in such a manner as to become teachers in common English schools." And it is believed that as early as 1820 the trusteees had received about thirty-five hundred dollars from the estate of Ernest L. Baishe, under his last will, wherein he provided that the principal should be invested and the interest thereof ap- plied to the support and education of poor, talented young men. The trustees also received considerable money from the "Reading School- Honse and Church Lottery." All these several sums of money were expended by the trustees ; but the institution was left in debt. This caused great dissatisfaction in the community. Public meetings were held in relation to it. A sale of the academy was considered at a public meeting on December 22, 1835, and deemed inexpedient and improper ; and on January 2, 1836, another meeting was held, when the same opinion was expressed, as follows :

" That the trustees of the Academy hold it merely in trust for the benefit of the citizens, and that any application of its funds for other purposes than the Academy, is a violation of the rights of the commun- ity ; and that nothing can be done without the peo- ple's consent."

A committee was appointed by the meeting to confer with the trustees as to the sale. Com- plaint was then made to the State Legislature. An investigation was demanded and given. This was in 1837. Considerable communica- tions appeared in the local newspapers in refer- ence to the matter. The academy building and one acre of ground was finally sold in 1838. Then the trustees of the academy, in 1839-40, erected the two-story brick building now stand- ing at the northeast corner of Fourth and Court Streets.1 A school was opened in it May 4, 1840, by Rev. J. R. Goodman, assisted by Professor Bournes. The course of instruction em-

braced all the branches of a classical education, and scholars were prepared for college. Young men from distant parts were accommodated with boarding. The cost of boarding and tui- tion was one hundred and seventy-five dollars a year. Day scholars, for tuition only, was six dollars a quarter.

The trustees then held the academy building till 1850. By virtue of an act of Assembly passed April 8, 1848, they sold it to the school directors for the purposes of a " High School," by deed dated September 8, 1850; and this deed, with its conditions, was accepted October 10, 1850.

The first effort made to establish a High School proved a failure, " through the remissness of one of the wards" (Northeast), and it was aban- doned for a while.

A meeting of the directors of three wards was held December 6, 1849, and they decided to organize a "City Union High School," which was to be opened with seventy-five scholars,-from Northwest Ward, thirty; South- west Ward, thirty; and Southeast Ward, fifteen.

MILITARY INSTITUTE .- A " Military and Scientific Collegiate Institute " was then organ- ized by Captain Alden Partridge, April 1, 1850, and carried on in the building. He was assisted by Professors E. G. Rehrer and J. B. Bachelder. The cost of tuition was as follows :

Primary, under ten years of age: four dollars a quarter. Junior, from ten to fourteen years : Eng- lish, six dollars a quarter; classical, seven dollars a quarter. Senior, over fourteen years : English, eight dollars a quarters; classical, ten dollars a quarter.

General William H. Keim was chiefly instrumental in its establishment. The insti- tute was incorporated under the name of " Pennsylvania Military Institute of Reading" in 1852. Then it had sixty-nine scholars.

Batchelder succeeded Partridge as principal. He resigned in the spring of 1853. Professor Alonzo Brown succeeded him. But the institu- tion was not carried on long by him. About the time of its discontinuance, Rev. Willian A. Good began the "Reading Classical Acad- emy."

COMMON-SCHOOL SYSTEM. - Immediately after the passage of the act of 1834 the people

I An addition was made at the rear in 1869.

801

READING.

of Reading exerted themselves in its behalf. The following extracts are taken from the " First Annual Report of Controllers of the Reading School District," which was published by them in January, 1856. The first organi- zation of the school system in Reading began in 1834 :

"Surprising as it may seem to those who recollect the fierce political opposition it received in Berks for many years subsequently, two of her then members of the Legislature, Benjamin Tyson and Adam Schoener, voted for the original bill. They were renominated by the dominant party the ensuing year, but a ' split ' was the consequence ; the school 'candidates' were defeated by regular old fogies, and from that time until within a few years past, opposition to the public schools continued to be the main article in the ' Dem- ocratic' creed.

"The first meeting which was held in Reading about the time the law was passed in favor of the school system was called by Wm. Wilson, Joshua Davis, God- frey Pfleager, Andrew Martin, Edward Smeck and C. Huzzard. After the law was passed the most strenu- ous efforts were made by the ' wheel horses ' of that day to procure its repeal and prevent the opening of schools. Like most laws of a progressive character, it was pronounced ' unconstitutional,' 'tyrannical' and 'unjust.' But although the 'no school ' party suc- ceeded in the county, they were unsuccessful in the city. The people took the matter in hand, the system was accepted and the schools were opened."

In May, 1836, a meeting of delegates from the various districts of Berks County was held in the court-house, for the purpose of accepting or rejecting the school system.

There were twenty-nine districts represented. The following voted for it : Reading (two dis- tricts), Amity, Caernarvon, Robeson, Ruscomb- manor, Union, Windsor and Womelsdorf. All the others voted against it. At first the school- houses in Reading were 'small and inconvenient. They improved as the population and wealth increased.

The first school directors of Reading were elected without opposition on the 20th March, 1835. They were,-

North Ward, David Rightmyer and Benjamin Davis.

South Ward, William Darling and John Goodheart.

Other pioneers in the cause of education in Reading during this year were,-

North Ward, Henry Rhoads, John Roland and Joseph Kendall. 70

South Ward, Daniel Ermold, William Wanner, Jacob Geiger and Daniel Graeff.

And the reports for this year show that one thousand eight hundred and nine children attended school,-

In North Ward, 579 : 357 males and 222 females. South Ward, 1230 : 860 males and 370 females. And teachers in North Ward, 7 : 4 males and 3 females. South Ward, 10: 6 males and 4 females.

The first school-house in Reading, as a result of the advocacy and adoption of the common- school system, was the small one-story brick building erected in 1838 at the southwest cor- ner of Sixth and Walnut Streets. Previously the schools were conducted in buildings rented for the purpose.

In 1840 there were in Reading seventeen schools, twenty-four teachers and one thousand five hundred and seventy-seven scholars1 and four public school buildings, each with four apartments. These buildings were,-

1. One-story brick, forty-two by thirty feet, on Washington, between Eighth and Ninth, erected in 1838.

2. Two-story brick, forty-five by fifty-five feet, on Franklin, between Eighth and Ninth, erected in 1839.

3. One-story brick, forty-five by thirty feet, on cor- ner of Sixth and Walnut, erected in 1840.

4. Two-story brick, forty-five by fifty-five feet, on Chestnut, between Third and Fourth, erected in 1840.

In 1846 there were seventeen schools, thirty- five teachers and one thousand nine hundred and fifteen scholars.

The " Normal School " began in the spring of 1852, in the Washington Street school building. Thirty teachers attended. The sessions were held on every Saturday morning. Subsequently they were held in the High School building.

The act of 1874, providing a municipal gov- ernment for cities of the third class (which in- cluded Reading), was accepted by the electors of Reading upon the recommendation of the City Councils ; but it was not recommended by the Board of Controllers, they deeming the man- agement of the school affairs under a distinct organization as necessary and as more disposed

1 In Stahle's " Description of Reading," p. 58, the num- ber of schools is stated to have been then 22 (13 public and 9 private), and of all scholars 2532, in public schools 913 ; the total number entitled to privilege of free schools, 2000.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

to promote the general progress of education in the city.

In 1885 an act was passed, directing the holding of "City Institutes" in cities of the third class. The first institute of this kind was held at Reading during the last week of November, 1885, in the Grand Opera-House.

OFFICERS OF SCHOOL DISTRICT .- On the 26th of April, 1864, in the revised charter for the city of Reading, the five school districts of the city-each ward having then constituted a district-were consolidated into one district, un- der the name of the " Reading School District."1 Each ward became entitled to four controllers, with a term of four years; and two were to be elected alternately every two years. The voters at the biennial elections were to vote for one person, and the two persons having the largest number of votes were to be declared elected. This provision was made to preserve political equipoise in the Board of Controllers. The first members were elected at the city election in February, 1865. The city charter of 1874 made provision for school affairs, but it was not accepted. The school district is therefore a sep- arate organization. Under the provisions of this law, the school district was anthorized to assess and collect taxes for school purposes. The management of the school affairs of the city since 1865, by the Board of School Controllers, has been very successful. Numerous large, commodious and handsome school buildings have been erected in every section of the city, and general education has been so thor- oughly introduced as to render the average ability of the many children in the city to read and write equal to that of any other city; in- deed, in excess of that of some cities which are composed, like Reading, of a people mostly de- voted to manufactures. The glory of the great system of free education provided for hy the State under the general act of 1854 is therefore admirably illustrated by the condition of the school affairs in the city.

* The organization of the High School influenced the con- solidation of the wards of the city for school purposes. This was finally effected in 1859, by an Act of Assembly and all the schools of the city came to be regulated by a Board of Controllers.

The school buildings here and elsewhere throughout the State are the pride of the people, not withstanding complaint from some of them in respect to cost, style, etc .; and the system of education which is carried on within them, not- withstanding its weaknesses, contributes a well- being to the general community that cannot be estimated. They are, indeed, monuments which celebrate daily the rise and progress of the peo- ple-the advancement of children, with little or nothing to recommend them to the favor of tlie world, into noble, industrious, law-abiding men and women, who come to occupy positions of prominence and responsibility in the commer- cial, industrial, political, professional and social affairs of life, and, by their education there obtained, to discharge trusts with such ability and fidelity as to win universal admiration.

The following persons were officers of the Board of Controllers of the Reading Schoo District from 1865 to the present time :

PRESIDENTS.

Name. Term.

J. K. McCurdy

1865-67

John S. Richards 1867-72

Henry S. Eckert. 1872-86

SECRETARIES.

Name.

Term.

Lewis Briner 1865-67

John L. Barnes. 1867-70

Charles Scull. 1870-72

Thomas Severn 1872-73

William M. Rightmyer. 1873-77

A. J. Darlington 1877

Harrison Shultz. 1877-79

James M. Lyons 1879-86

TREASURERS.

Name.

Term.

James Bell

1865-66

Matthias Mengel.

1866-68

Peter Jones.

1868-69

Wm. Ermentrout.

1869-77

Levi H. Liess.

1877-80

Ephraim Armstrong. 1880-86

City Superintendents .- In 1867 the school directors of cities containing a population ex- ceeding ten thousand were authorized to elect a city superintendent of the common schools for the term of three years. The directors of Read- ing elected the first superintendent in 1867. Thence, till now, the superintendents were :

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READING.

Name.

Term.

John L. Barnes

1867-69

Thomas Severn

1871-78

Robert K. Buehrle.

1878-80

1865

105

162

1866

142

206

1867

110

192

1868.

193

273

1869

120

219

1870

108

197

1871

101

114

215

1872.

106

140

246

1873

104

136

240

1874.

103

142

245

1875.

148

235

1876.

124

202

1877.

127

183

1878

127

216

1879

154

248

1880

181

276

1881

216

273

1882

103

204

307

1883

135

236

371

1884

157

241

398

1885

162

206

368

SCHOOLS, TEACHERS AND SCHOLARS SINCE 1835 .- The following statistics are interesting to show the gradual development of education in Reading through schools, teachers and scholars for a period covering fifty years :

Schools.

Teachers.

Scholars.

1835

1439

1836

1225

1837

1317

1838

1368

1839.

1400

1840.

1577

1841

1851

1842.

1848

1843

1951

1844

1521

1845

1917

1846

1915

1847

2064

1848

2093

1849.

2327

1850.

2849

1851

2917

1852.

2848

1853

3541

1854.

3247

1855.

4191

1856.

4325

1857

113

1858.

150

1859.

159

1860

158

1861

5253

1862

146

1863.

114

1864

146

David B. Brunner. 1880-81

Samuel A. Baer.

1881-84

Joseph T. Valentine.

1884-85

Thomas M. Balliet.

1885-87

HIGH SCHOOL .- The subject of a " Reading High School " was first agitated in 1851. It was organized on November 2, 1852. William H. Batt was the principal. There were thirty- five scholars, all boys, admitted, who were sent from the several wards as follows : Northeast, 5 ; Sontheast, 5; Northwest, 10 ; Southwest, 10; Spruce 5. In September, 1853, it opened with sixty-three scholars.

The first " High School Commencement " was held on July 3, 1856. The address was delivered by Hon. William Strong.

The " Female High School " was organized in September, 1857. The second floor of the building was occupied for this purpose.

The co-education of boys and girls began August 15, 1859, and continued till 1881. The Board of Controllers then decided upon a sepa- ration, the female department remaining in the " High School " building and the male locating in the building at the southeast corner of Eighth and Penn Streets, third floor.

The fine commodions " Boys' High School, " at the southeast corner of Eighth and Wash- ington Streets, was erected in 1883 and 1884. The total cost, including equipment in all its departments, was $65,500. Possession was taken, and the school began to be conducted in it, April, 1884.

High School Pupils since 1852 .- The fol- lowing table is presented to show the number of scholars in the High School department of the city annually from 1852 till 1885:

Male.

Female.

Total.

1852

1853.

...

1854

...

1855

...

1856

...

1857

4103

1858

5318

1859

5606

1860.

3661

804

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 134

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards Number of Pages: 1418

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418