Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: 1945 Volume 6 Number 2, Pages 40–41

The Wayne School

Mildred F. Bradley

Page 40

The Wayne School; the Old Wayne School House Easttown - 1789, the sketch was in collection of J.F. Sachse, Esq.

Sometime prior to the year 1753 Gilbert Wayne, uncle of Anthony Wayne, being a teacher, started a "pay school" not far south of the former Bear Tavern at Paoli. This school was known as the Wayne School, and while there are very few references to such a school in history, it was probably built of logs and served the children of the neighborhood for a number of years.

About the time that Anthony Wayne was eight or nine years of age, his father became a Captain in the Provincial Service, and with the spirit for fighting of all the Waynes went to fight the Indians, leaving the education of Anthony with his Uncle Gilbert. This was to have been a classical education, and Uncle Gilbert endeavored to teach Anthony such things as Greek and Latin with apparently little success. Finally it would seem, in much distraction, he wrote to his brother as follows:

"I really expect that parental affection blinds you & that you have mistaken your Son's capacity. What he may be Qualified for I know not one thing I am certain of; he will never make a Scholar. He may perhaps make a Soldier -- he has already distracted the Brains of two thirds of the Boys under my charge, by Rehearsals of Battles, Sieges etc. They exhibit more the Appearance of Indians and Harlequins than Students. This one decorated with a Cap of many Colours, others Habited in Coats as Variegated, like Joseph of old. Some laid up with Broken Heads and Black Eyes. During Noon, in place of the Usual Games of Amusements, he has the Boys employed in Throwing up Redoubts, skirmishing etc. I must be Candid with you, Brother Isaac -- unless Anthony pays more attention to his Books I shall be under the Painful Necessity of Dismissing him from the School".

Anthony remained at the Wayne School until 1761 when he was sent to the Academy in Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania).

Page 41

Dr. A. W. Baugh told me that Mr. William Wayne while living at "Waynesborough" had informed him that the second Wayne School was a stone building situated on Bear Road a few hundred feet south of the Bear Tavern (which has been the property of the Tredyffrin Country Club for a number of years). This was evidently the School House shown on the Chester County map of 1856. The building seems to have been in Easttown and the play ground partly at least in Tredyffrin. Whether it was on the site of the earlier school is not known.

On the Chester County Farm Atlas map of 1883 there is a building marked "School House" on the Richard Graham property, on the north side of old State Road several hundred yards west of the branch of Darby Creek rising at the old Blue Ball Tavern. There was an old house at that point, but after investigation I can find no proof that this building (now torn down) was ever used as a school house.

In Mr. Brinckle's Diary, printed in "The History of Old St. David's Church" by Henry Pleasants, will be found the following reference to the Wayne School:

"Sept. 1, 1829 -- Warm, Our Association met. Those from the city did not come until this morn. Attended at Radnor, Messrs. Bedell, Smith, Wilmer, Allen, Tyng, Clapp, Steen, Douglass, Morgan, Clemson, 10. Mr. Smith preached at the morning service, Bedell and Clemson exhorted. P.M. Mr. Tyng, Steen, Douglass, Wilmer and Clapp exhorted. Night services in three several places Mr. Wayne's School House, Mrs. Siter's and Mrs. Thomas."

When in 1834 the public school system of Pennsylvania came into being, the Wayne School probably changed from a "pay school" to part of the public school system, and moved along with the times until the Mt. Airy School was built at Daylesford, Tredyffrin Township, in the year 1852.

Several papers dated as early as 1829 and preserved at the Chester County Historical Society refer to the Paoli School in Easttown Township, and as there is no record of a Paoli School until 1890 it seems probable that the following are records of the second Wayne School.

Nov. 10th, 1829 -

Names appended are: John Clauges, Jr., Teacher and Subscribers: William Kennedy, Worral Peirce, with that of Benjamin Wetherby as justice of the peace.

Another dated November 4, 1833, is for the teaching of William, Mary and Rebecca Lindsey 181 days, Martha, John and Joseph Potter 163 days, Jane Witchman 60 days. Robert Andrews and John Hatton signed as trustees with Abram Philipps, as justice of the peace, he having been appointed February 14, 1813, for life.

Still another paper dated February 8, 1834., included Jane Wetzelman and Frederick and Isaac L. Gray from Willistown with Robert Andrews as trustee. These papers also mention Job Coldenwood as a teacher about 1833, and as there are no similar papers dated after 1834 this would indicate that the Wayne School became a part of the public school system at that time.