Westtown School in Chester County, Pennsylvania is the oldest continuously operating coeducational boarding school in the United States. It was founded by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1799 with the goal of educating Quaker children in an environment that fostered moral development consistent with their religious ideals. The Westtown School records, 1682-2013 (bulk 1799-2013), include records created by Westtown Boarding School, including its various administrative offices, Board of Trustees, faculty, and students. It is organized into nine series: "19th century records," "20th century records," "Board of Trustees," "Farm and Orchard," "Student papers," "Westtown Old Scholars Association and Westtown Alumni Association," "Subject files," "Special formats," and "Publications." Inventories for some sections of the collection are available on site.
The Borough of Media, the county seat of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, was settled by Europeans beginning in the 1680s. The area remained largely rural until the end of the 19th century. The Malin family was one of the first English Quaker families to settle in Pennsylvania when Randal Malin (1652-1729), a Quaker minister, emigrated from Cheshire, England upon purchasing 250 acres of land from William Penn in 1681. The Malin family papers, 1684-1992 (bulk, 1684-1880), include mostly estate records such as deeds, indentures, wills, bond and mortgages, and estate inventories with some financial papers such as a receipt book, miscellaneous receipts, and shilling notes. There is also a photocopy of a manuscript genealogy of Malin and Edwards families by Phyillis Centman.
Held at: Media Historic Archives Commission [Contact Us]