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Home : Quarterly Archives : Volume 2 |
Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society |
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Source: October 1939 Volume 2 Number 4, Pages 82–87 Old Carr School
The Second Old Carr School On the north side of the Old Gulph Road in Tredyffrin Township, a few hundred feet east of its intersection with the old Radnor Road, and about one mile north of Wayne station, stands a one story building. Its form suggests at once a primitive school house; but a small, well-filled graveyard in the rear assures the visitor that the purpose of the building was two-fold. This was the Old Carr School, now better known as Mt. Pleasant Chapel. Tradition says that this was the successor in the original work at the Old Eagle School nearer Strafford Station, which for half a century had been the center for the education and religious training of the pioneers. When the old Eagle became too small to meet the increasing needs of the neighborhood, the Carr School was erected and the Eagle School building soon became dilapidated until again in 1843 it was enlarged and came into use. The first meeting for the expressed purpose of choosing and appointing trustees to purchase a lot of ground for school purposes was held at the home of James Carr on March 14, 1832. At this meeting James Aiken, James McPherson, Peter Supplee, Zimmerman Supplee, and Mahlon Byerly were chosen trustees and on May 15, 1832, a deed of the land, containing about one-third acre, was executed to these trustees by Stephen Stephen, James Carr, and Martha, his wife, Jesse Wharton, and Sarah, his wife, to hold for the foregoing purpose "during the term of nine hundred and ninety-nine years fully to be completed". Thus, for eight dollars, a small section of each adjoining farm was deeded to the trustees to be used as a school house lot. The building erected on the land faced the south and was almost square in shape. Later the southern entrance was closed and the present entrance on the east side of the building opened. In its early history it accommodated not only those who resided in the neighborhood now known as Mt. Pleasant, but derived its support from, and extended its influence far into, Radnor and Upper Merion. Most of the territory now known as Mt. Pleasant was then a vast forest, through which straggled the northern end of the Radnor and Chester Roads, "Aiken's path through the woods" from King of Prussia; and other paths from "Whippes Hollow" and "Morgan's Corner", into the old Gulph Road. On April 26, 1833, we find Adam Siter, schoolmaster in Tredyffrin, (who had been teaching at the Old Eagle School prior to the opening of the Carr School), requesting the county to pay the tuition, and so forth, for children unable to pay. His request was as follows:
"April 26th, 1833, Tredyffrin. On the back of the application we find: "Before me Benjamin Wetherby, one of the trustees of the peace in and for the said County of Chester. Personally appeared the within named Adam Siter (School Master) who upon his solemn affirmation doth declare and say that the within account as it stands stated for teaching poor children and including stationary and fuel amounting to Seven Dollars and fifty cents is Justly one and owing unto him from the Commissioners of Chester County and that he hath not directly or indirectly received said debt or any part thereof. Affirmed and subscribed before me on the 27th day of April, 1833. Benjamin Wetherby" Another bill to the county, dated the fifth month, the sixth, 1833. Teacher Adam Siter bills 4O 1/2 days for Mary Ann Siter @ $2 per quarter - $1.12 1/2 gr, stationary 46-1/2- cents, fuel 2O 1/2 cents, his employers for this bill were John Mullen and James Pyott. In October, 1833, Louisa Thomas asked for money for the poor children. Her employers were Stephen Stephen and Joseph Walker which probably proves that Miss Thomas was the second teacher at the school. In February, 1834, we find Richard J. Vincent teacher with James Carr and Jesse Wharton his employers. It is interesting to note that for the year beginning November 4, 1834, the money levied for the county and paid to the school district amounted to $169.90. Costs of materials during that year were as follows: Quills, two for one cent, testament, 18 3/4 cents, primer 6 1/4 cents, spelling book, 16 cents, "Joshua Jones English Grammar", 75 cents, fire wood, 44 cents a quarter schooling, arithmetic, 37 1/2 cents, slate and pencil, 19 3/4 cents, paper, pen and ink for quarter, 15 cents, the paper averaging one cent a sheet. Few incidents of special interest have been preserved concerning the history of the school. To tell the general story of one of these early schools must tell the story of all, and a description of one practically describes all. The wooden seats of the Carr School were probably not quite so primitive as the Eagle School, but certainly of the plainest form and utterly devoid of varnish or paint. These were arranged in double rows around the side of the building, forming a hollow square in which stood a large ten plate stove. In this square stood also the master's desk. The old ten plate stove was a great improvement over the open fireplace at the Old Eagle School, because it furnished not only more reliable and continuous heat, but also a more satisfactory mode of drying shoes, about a bushel of which were deposited under the stove in the course of an evening's entertainment in bad weather. The use of the building for religious purposes and for lyceums and singing schools was largely for evening services; the meetings were usually advertised "for early candle light". This was understood as a suggestion that each one as far as possible should bring with him some means of illumination which generally meant "dip candles" and the general lighting of the building was accomplished by sticking the candles in rows along board racks which hung on the side of the walls. Where, as at singing school an individual needed more light than furnished, he obtained it by picking a candle from the rack and holding it in his hand. The leader of the meeting read by individual candle light or, more frequently, by the light from a "Dutchman's lantern" which consisted of a short candle in a closed metallic box, in the sides of which were punched numerous holes to furnish enough air for combustion, but not so much as to extinguish the flame. The feeble light that escaped through those holes furnished a gloomy illumination. Lamps were at first almost unheard of, although occasionally a bowl of lard was furnished into which a thick cord was plunged with the top extending over the side; this being fired gave a dismal flickering light. In later years tin lamps wore fastened on the side of the walls. All Protestant denominations seem to have been welcome in the old building. In fact, there seems to have been no inhibition against any creed by the terms of the deed, and ministers from the Christian Church, United Brethren, Methodist, Baptist, Quakers, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians have at times held services there. Early in its history the Old Carr School house seems to have furnished a place for the organization of a Union Sunday School, and to this means of religious instructions the neighborhood owes more than to the occasional services which were conducted there by ministers of neighboring churches such as the Great Valley Baptist, The Gulph Christian, Radnor Baptist, Trinity Presbyterian and others. Prominent in the management of those early Sunday School services was James Carr, one of the donors of the ground, and later John Aikens, one of the first trustees of the property. Those men were succeeded in their good work by Samuel Jones, Hugh McGinley, Samuel Bittle, George Murray, and James Marlin, assisted by Hannah Jones, Margaret Cornog, Alice Lewis, Elizabeth Lewis, John Wilds, Hannah Wilds, Mary A. McKnight, Sallie Laud, and Hannah Supplee. In 1836, the school probably became a part of the public school system under duly elected school directors and little is known of the happenings about the school until 1867, when on she School Board minutes of May 6 is the following: "Motion of J. G. Dannaker that a new school house be built in place of No. 8 (Carr)." Motion laid on the table and no contract was given out until after July 9, 1868, when the board received a petition signed by nineteen citizens praying the board to build a new school house in place of Carr's old house. The contract for the new building was given to Mr. H. Fritz for $1,513.35 as lowest bidder. This building was a one-story stone building facing toward the Gulph Road. After it had been erected about two years the need for a vestibule seemed urgent and a frame addition was added including a porch with natural cedar posts. This now school soon dropped the name of Carr School and became the Mt. Pleasant School. During this year M. V. Peterman was the teacher with a salary of $34.00 a month. The tax duplicate was $2,843.13 and state appropriation $184.50. Mr. George Souder was re-elected treasurer and collector of the school tax for the year when the tax was 4 1/2 mills for educational purposes. The now Mt. Pleasant building was furnished with all modern furnishings including the double desks for two students, which many may remember using in their early school days. School hours were from nine to twelve and one to four except from March until the end of the term when they were from eight and one-half a.m. to twelve and from one and one-half p.m. to four and one-half p.m., says the minutes of that year. One of the teachers about this time was Miss Sallie Martin who afterward became Mrs. William Siter. Some of the pupils about this time were J. A. Morris, Kate Owens, and Isaac Wilds. A little earlier you might have found Oscar Dillin, William Murray, Charles, William, and John Dillin. A jubilee was held in the Old Carr School on October 17 for many years during the lives of Zimmerman and Peter Suplee. After the erection of this new building the Old Carr Schoolhouse fell into almost total disuse for several years, and its battered walls and decaying roof seemed eloquently to say that its work was nearly finished and that like so many similar institutions which Whittier had immortalized, it was little more than "a ragged beggar sunning". Early in the year 1880 several of the residents of Mt. Pleasant found the distance to tho Sunday School of the Wayne Presbyterian Church, founded largely through their efforts, too groat to insure the regular attendance of their children, and sought to revive tho old Union Sunday School formerly held in the Carr School house. The old deed was dragged from its hiding place, and after careful examination, the following notice was posted in several conspicuous places in the neighborhood. "A meeting of the citizens of the vicinity of the Carr School House will be held on Saturday evening, May 15, 1880, for the purpose of reviving the Board of Trustees of Carr School house and grounds.
Signed, At the meeting then convened, Charles A. Dillin was chosen president, Dr. James Aiken, secretary, and the following resolution was passed. "Whereas a certain lot of land with the schoolhouse thereon known as Carr School House having been deeded in trust to the citizens of this vicinity to be controlled by a Board of Trustees elected by said citizens, and whereas there seems to be no Board of Trustees or any person claiming authority as such. Be it therefore resolved that this meeting proceed to elect a Board of Trustees to serve for a term of three years from this, the 15th day of May, 1880, or until their successors are chosen and be it further resolved that hereafter the election of Trustees shall take place triennially one month before the term expires, and it shall be the duty of the Board of Trustees to call a meeting for the purpose in accordance with the above resolution." The following trustees were elected. T. W. Baker, President; Leonard F. Carr, Secretary; John Wilds, Treasurer; Charles A, Dillin and Peter McPherson. These trustees proceeded to consider the best method for the restoration of the building and to this end appointed the following Building Committee. Miss Annie Wertz, Chairman; Charles A. Dillin, Leonard F. Carr, T. W. Baker, John Wilds, and Mr. and Mrs. John H. Leamy. With subscriptions of money and laborers giving their time, by January, 1881, the building was again in condition and the old Sunday School reorganized under the special direction of William J. McCone who was succeeded by Henry Morrison, Ellwood Morris, Henry Pleasants, William McCutcheon, J. F. Grummon, and Isaac Purcell. In 1890, a shedding was added in the rear of the building, and a few years later the fine iron fence around the property.
The First Carr School Up until 1894, it had been the custom to close the Sunday School at Christmas and open it again for Easter, but by this time so much interest was manifested that beginning January, 1895, services were continued all year; until in 1897, when there seemed to be a need for larger quarters and ground was broken August 30, 1898, with simple ceremonies and the corner stone of the Grace Memorial Chapel was laid. With the completion of the Grace Memorial Chapel, the Carr School once more closed to the religious life of the community, and no further religious services were held there until in 1824, when some disagreement at the Grace Chapel brought about a split and a number banded together and reopened the old Carr School, giving it the name of Mt. Pleasant Chapel. As this building cannot be sold for 999 years and must be governed by trustees, we find George Noblit, Ernest Snyder, and John Snyder, today, carrying on the work of the early trustees. About the year 1901 or 1902, the Mt. Pleasant one-room school became too crowded and it was necessary to again open the Old Carr School to be used for the education of the primary grades. In 1903, the School Board saw the need of a larger schoolhouse and so the present Mt. Pleasant School was erected with J. Morris Rossiter as general contractor and J. A. Morris stone mason and plasterer. In erecting tho new building, the second Carr School or First Mt. Pleasant School was torn down and the materials used in the building of the present schoolhouse, with the exception of the frame vestibule and porch which was the second addition. It was moved to the Carr estate just across the field where it still stands, having been kept in the best condition through the years. You can almost hear the old school bell ring as you walk up the drive to the home of Mr. and Mrs. William E. Boyer, where that part of the school stands; not as a "Ragged Beggar Sunning" but as a memorial to the many, both great and small, who passed through its doorway on their walk along the paths of early life; and to those who now are journeying along life's early paths in our large and well equipped schools; it is a promise that the things of yesterday are still the things of today and will have a part in tomorrow. The history of the last building or present Mt. Pleasant School will be published in a later issue. TopMaterials for this article were procured from:
Minutes of the School Board. |
