Call Number:

16

Repository:

Lower Merion Historical Society

Extent:

3.0 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

1814-2010 (inclusive)

Creator:

Lower Merion Historical Society.

Abstract:

The Lower Merion Academy in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, was created at the bequest of Quaker Jacob Jones in 1812. The Academy was one of the first public schools in the United States and was one of the first in Lower Merion township to provide a free education. The Lower Merion Historical Society collection on the Lower Merion Academy, 1814-2010, includes administrative records for the building and of the Academy, and a small amount of financial records.

The Lower Merion Academy was created at the bequest of Jacob Jones in 1812. Jones, a Quaker settler, left land and money to build the school and to pay for a teacher. The Academy was one of the first public schools in the United States and was one of the first in Lower Merion township to provide a free education. The school was in use until 1915. The building is still standing and is currently in use by the Lower Merion School District and several community organizations.

Bibliography:

Maier, Phyllis C. and Mary Mendenhall Wood, eds. Lower Merion--A History. Ardmore, PA: Lower Merion Historical Society, 1988.

This collection includes records of the Lower Merion Academy gathered by the Lower Merion Historical Society. There are administrative records for the building, which include leases and proposals for restorations as well as documentation of the restoration work done by Lower Merion Historical Society. There are also administrative records of the Academy, which include trustee records and minutes from 1816-1969, original and copied student and teacher lists, student workbooks, attendance records, and teacher monthly reports. There is also a small amount of financial records, which include an account book and miscellaneous receipts.