Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
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Source: April 1985 Volume 23 Number 2, Pages 45–54


The Berwyn Lyceum

Bob Goshorn

Page 45

In the fall of 1878 the Berwyn Hall, on Church Avenue (now Main Street) opened. Within a few months it became the site of the Berwyn Lyceum that was soon established in the rapidly growing little village.

The Hall was built by "The Berwyn Hall and Library Association", which had been incorporated the previous May. Its object was "the erection of a hall for public and private use, and the maintenance of a public library". The Hall was a two-story building, twenty-six feet wide and forty feet long, built at a cost of about $2,000 and completed in September. The formal opening of the Hall was held on October 17, 1878with a supper and promenade concert, for which an admission fee of 50 cents was charged.

The library, "supplied with daily papers, magazines and books of general information", opened its reading rooms on the ground floor of the Hall on the following New Year's Day. Three weeks later, on January 21, 1879, the first meeting of the Berwyn Lyceum was held, in the large hall on the upper floor. The room extended the full length and width of the building.

Both the library and lyceum were reflections of the widespread interest in adult education in the latter half of the nineteenth century.

As early as in the 1820's the lyceum movement, dedicated to the "general diffusion of knowledge", had its beginnings in New England. Originally the lyceum served primarily as a platform for traveling speakers; among the better known lyceum lecturers were Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Bayard Taylor, Henry Ward Beecher, and Isaac Hayes, the polar explorer. In smaller towns and villages, places "off the beaten track", however, lyceums were organized with local people - frequently school teachers - as the speakers.

Page 46

By 1858 it was noted in Harper's Magazine, "The lyceum - a course of miscellaneous winter lectures in towns and villages all through the country - had now become a fixed institution." (In the previous year there had been a Chester Valley Lyceum in Howellville and the Franklin Lyceum at Leopard, the two centers of population in this area at that time. In each place they were held in the school house building.) With its new Hall in 1878, the village of Berwyn could now accommodate one.

It got off to a good start. On January 11, 1879 it was reported in the West Chester Daily Local News, "The Berwyn lyceum, recently started at that place, is in a flourishing condition. There are about thirty-five members, who will meet every Tuesday evening." At the first meeting ten days later, which was "well attended", twelve more members were elected. As might be expected, Isaac A. Cleaver was one of its leading proponents; he was also officially the vice-president, but served as chairman at all the Tuesday night meetings in the usual absence of the president. (in addition to being the proprietor of the local general store, Cleaver was the postmaster, a school director, a deacon in his church and Sunday School superintendent, among other activities in Berwyn!)

While the local school teachers and music teachers took an important part in the Lyceum's proceedings, the new lyceum also drew upon the talents of others in the community.

Among the teachers participating were Abbie Eyre, who had recently been appointed to teach at the Glassley School to replace a Miss Ruth Worrall; Annie Wertz, the teacher at the Mt. Airy School in Daylesford, who later married a William Bigler Miller and became "well known in some of Philadelphia's best society circles"; and Lizzie Criley, graduated in 1876 from the West Chester Normal School. Private school teachers active in the program included James T. Doran, a "genius" at mathematics who conducted a classical school, first in Berwyn and later in Malvern, and a Miss Freeman, who with her sister, Mrs. Doran, ran the Spring Cottage Seminary before it was absorbed into Doran's school. Another regular participant was "Professor" John Kauffman, the "sweet singer" who had enlisted in the Civil War as a musician and who conducted a singing school in Berwyn in addition to his work as a surveyor and conveyancer. On several occasions, "scholars" from some of the local schools took part in the program.

Other members of the community who participated in the various presentations included, inevitably, Isaac Cleaver, his wife Lizzie, their daughter Jennie, and their son "Master" Eugene. Also frequently on hand were John Campbell, a traveling wall paper salesman whose hobby was elocution; Enos R. Lewis, a contracting painter who loved to quote Shakespeare; and Frank H, Stauffer, writer of many childrens' stories, a frequent contributor to a number of leading magazines and periodicals, and the author of several books and poems, his wife Etta, and their son Marshall.

Page 47

Occasional presentations were also made by Sam Kromer, telegrapher and hotel keeper; P. W. Lobb, a feed, lumber and coal dealer, and his sister Ida; and by Harry Burns, the owner and operator of the planing mill and the builder of sixteen railroad stations along the Main Line as well as several schools and churches and numerous homes; along with other townspeople. As it was observed in the Berwyn Herald, "There is talent among our young people that should be fostered."

On two or three occasions people from out of town also appeared on the program. In February, for example, a Miss Lillie Buddy, of Philadelphia, sang an alto solo, "a beautiful song, and well executed". On the following week Maud Marshall, of Bryn Mawr, gave a declamation, and the week after that a Mrs. Wilson, also from Philadelphia, favored the audience with a song "well rendered".

The typical Tuesday night program included essays, declamations, selected readings, recitations, monologues, dialogues or skits, tableaux, and occasional musical offerings, as well as "answers to referred questions "and group singing, usually favorite hymns, led by "Professor" Kauffman, with an organ accompaniment.

The referred questions, incidentally, covered a wide range of subjects. "Who were the alchemists?"; "What is parliamentary usage when an amendment is offered destroying the original meaning?"; "Who was the author of 'Mother Goose Melodies'?"; or "What is the value of the Queen of England's Crown?" are typical examples. (On a more frivolous note one night the question "Why is the Berwyn Lyceum a dangerous place to spend the evening?" was asked, to which Miss Annie Wertz replied, "Because it has a sharp Cleaver in it!".)

While admission to the Lyceum was initially free, men could join it as members for 25 cents a month, to meet the expenses of the rental of the Hall. There was no charge for women to become members, however.

As previously noted, the series started auspiciously. The first session was, according to newspaper accounts, "well attended", while two weeks later "the house was crowded with a very intelligent audience". Although on the following week a "storm had the effect of keeping many at home,... there was quite a good audience gathered from our village and the country", and by February 25th it was again noted that the "house was filled with an appreciative audience".

Despite the good attendance, however, at the Meeting on March 11th it was unaminously agreed "that, in view of the deficit in our treasury, we charge an admission fee of ten cents to our Lyceum for the evening of Tuesday next, the 18th of March". Even so, it was reported the following week that the "house was full, notwithstanding the admission fee of ten cents". It was further noted that "the chair thanked the audience for their liberal response to the call for aid to pay the 'incidental expenses', and also for their good attention, and invited them to future sessions, which would be free".

Page 48

Following the meeting on March 25th, however, no meeting was held on the next two Tuesdays, and when the Lyceum did reconvene on April 15th, it was later reported, "Owing to it not being generally known that it would meet, the hall was but half filled, and many were absent who had parts assigned them in the programme".

Due to an unfortunate tragedy, the meeting on March 4th was adjourned after the recess. During the recess, vice-president Cleaver was notified of the sudden death of Reese Lewis, one of the members of the Lyceum, who had been killed when struck by a train while crossing the railroad tracks in Green Tree. He had appeared on the program three weeks earlier, with selected readings from the works of Shakespeare.

The Lyceum closed for the season in April, it being announced at the April 22d meeting that "agreeably to the action of the Lyceum, with this meeting its season would close until the coming fall months", "This is the first winter for this Lyceum," it was noted in the Local. "and everybody says it has been a success, and all look forward to the pleasant meetings in prospect when it shall again reorganize,"

On the following December l6th it was reported, "The Lyceum at Berwyn will reorganize about the beginning of the year, and will be held as heretofore in Berwyn Hall." A month later there was an item noting, "A meeting of the Berwyn Lyceum will be held on Saturday evening next. The program will consist of select readings by John Campbell, T. C. Morton and Isaac A. Cleaver; an essay by F. H, Stauffer, and declamation by Miss Cora E, Webster."

But that apparently was its "swan song", as no reference to the Berwyn Lyceum can be found in succeeding issues of the Local, Its first successful season was apparently also its last.

The programs for the 1879 season, as reconstructed from the reports in the Daily Local News, are on the following pages.

Page 49

Programme
January 21, 1879

Music "We Shall Know" led by Prof. Kauffman
Abbie Eyre at the organ
Answers to Referred Questions F. H. Stauffer
Essay "Character vs. Reputation" J. T. Doran
Selected reading "John Maynard" Lizzie Childs
Declamation "Lament of John Gray" Frank Barrett
Selected reading "Ben Hazzard's Guests" Abbie Eyre
Declamation "Bingen on the Rhine" Master Eugene Cleaver
Music "On the Shoals"

Recess

Music "We Shall Gather at the River" Prof. Kauffman
Ada Bowman at the organ
Announcements
Selected reading "Infelicissimo" John Campbell
Declamation "Hazing the Freshman" S. W. Kromer
Selected reading "The Snoring Machine, or a Night in a Sleeping Car" Frank Fennimore
Dialogue "Strategy, or How to Manage Girls" Etta Stauffer, Jennie Cleaver, P. W. Lobb
Music "Rouse, then, Soldiers"

Programme
January 21, 1879

Music "We Shall Gather His Wheat in His Garner" Abbie Eyre at the organ
Answers to Referred Questions Harry Burns, Marshall Stauffer
Recitation "The Old Sewing Machine" Frank Barrett
Selection "Lord Dundreary at Brighton" John Campbell
Declamation "The Engineer's Escape" Etta Stauffer
Essay "Work" Annie Wertz

Recess

Music "Rescue the Perishing"
Selection "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" Isaac Cleaver, of Troy, Pa.
Recitation "My Mother at the Gate" Jennie Cleaver
Selection "My First Pickerel" F. H. Stauffer
Selection "Uncle Daniel's Apparition and Prayer" I. A. Cleaver
Roll call and Sentiments
Music "Whiter than Snow"

Page 50

Programme
February 4, 1879

Music "Hold the Fort" John Kauffman, Chorister
Abbie Eyre at the organ
Answers to Referred Questions John Campbell, Annie Werts
Selection "Is it Anybody's Business?" Mary Ottey
Essay "Poets of One Poem" F. H. Stauffer
Declamation "Calling a Day in the Morning" Master Eugene Cleaver
Selection "The Critic" J. T. Dolan
Recitation "The Boys" Annie Wertz

Recess

Music "On the Shoals"
Dialogue "Scene in a Police Court" F. H. Stauffer, G. A. Kromer
Selection "Revolutionary Reminiscences" I. A. Cleaver
Announcements
Music "Freedom's Flag"

Programme
February 11, 1879

Singing "When the Mists have Rolled Away"
Selection "Duncreary in the Country" John Campbell
Declamation "Little Katie's Last Dream" Etta M. Stauffer
Selection "The Schoolmaster's Guests" Abbie Eyre
Alto Solo Miss Lillie Bundy,
of Philadelphia
Essay "Our Public Schools" I. A. Cleaver

Recess

Music "On the Shoals"
Business Meeting
Answers to Referred Questions
Declamation "The Tinker's Mistake" Marshall Stauffer
Selected Reading from Shakespeare E. R. Lewis
Selection "Tacking Down the Carpet" I. A. Cleaver

Page 51

Programme
February 18, 1879

Music "He Shall Gather His Wheat in His Garner"
Reading of minutes F. H. Stauffer, Annie Wertz
Answers to Referred Questions
Selection "Pleasure Exertion" G. H. Taylor
Declamtion "The Felon" Price Supplee
Essay "Stepping Stones" Abbie Eyre
Declamation "Nobody Cares for Me" Maud Marshall, of Bryn Mawr

Recess

Dialogue "Miss Smith's Boarder" Frank Barrett, Mary Childs
Selection "Charge of the Light Brigade" John Campbell
Declamation "Motherless Turkeys" Horace Cleaver
Selection "Drunken Colliloquy in a Coal Cellar" P. W. Lobb
Announcements
Answers to Referred Questions
Music "Rescue the Perishing"

Programme
February 25, 1879

Music "We Shall Know" Abbie Eyre at the organ
Reading of minutes
Answers to Referred Questions J. T. Doran, Etta Stauffer
Horace Cleaver
Selection "The Alpine Cross" Sally Nixon
Declamtion "How We Whipped Them" Eugene Cleaver
Recitation "Dundreary" John Campbell
Essay "Nature's Orchestra" Lizzie Criley

Recess

Solo "The Nameless Heroine" Mrs. Wilson, of Philadelphia
Business meeting
Announcements
Selection "How We Saved St. Michael" Annie Wertz
Declamation "A Hundred Years from Now" Tillie Nixon
Double Declamation "Mrs. Cleaver's Shoe" Mr. & Mrs. I. A. Cleaver
Essay "How to Make our Lyceum Interesting" I. A. Cleaver
Music "The New Song"

Page 52

Programme
March 4, 1879

Music "He Shall Gather His Wheat in His Garner"
Recitation "The Learned Negro" Jennie Cleaver
Selection "No Sect in Heaven" Ella McAffee
Essay "Now and Then" Miss Freeman
Recitation "Deep in the Woods" Etta Stauffer
Answers to Referred Questions F. H. Stauffer, J. T. Doran,
James Williams

Recess
(Meeting adjourned)
Programme
March 11, 1879

Music
Resolution to honor E. R. Lewis F. H. Stauffer
Answers to Referred Questions J. T. Doran
Selection James T. Doran
Essay "Oddities of Authors" F. H. Stauffer
Selection "Which Shall it Be?" Mary Ottey

Recess

Solo "The Actor's Grave" Miss Griffith
Answers the Referred Questions
Business meeting
Recitation Frank Barrett
Selection I. A. Cleaver
Recitation Abbie Eyre
Roll call and Sentiments
Music

Page 53

Programme
March 18, 1879

Music "Rescue the Perishing"
Reading of the minutes
Answers to Referred Questions Marshall Stauffer, James Williams,
Annie Wertz, Miss Freeman
Selection "The Newsboy's Debt" F. H. Stauffer
Recitation "The Church Spiders" Eugene Cleaver
Selection "Nature's Gentleman" Sallie Nixon
Recitation "The Briefless Barrister" Marshall Stauffer
Selection "How We Hunted a Mouse" I. A. Cleaver
Recitation (by request) "The Engineer's Episode" Etta Stauffer

Recess

Selection "The Deacon's Story" Ella McAfee
Tableau "It Never Rains but it Pours"
Selection "Advice to a Fire Company" Ida Lobb
Dialogue "Mrs. Muggins, her opinions of cooks, suitors, and husbands" Annie Rossiter, Mary Wilds, Maggie Williams (scholars of Miss Wertz)
Tableau "The Flower of the Family" (in two acts)
Recitation (by request) "The Learned Negro" Jennie Cleaver
Tableau "Good Night"
Announcements
Music "The New Song"

Programme
March 25, 1879

Music "On the Shoals"
Answers to Referred Questions Abbie Eyre
Selection "The Country Tavern" George H. Taylor
Declamation "The Inch Cape Rock" Lillie Nixon
Selection "The Children" F. H. Stauffer
Recitation "Waiting by the Gate" Lizzie Childs
Selection "Mrs. Caudle on Shirt Buttons" Mary Ottey

Recess

Music "I Love to Hear the Story" Ella McAfee
Announcements
Selection "The Diver" Abbie Eyre
Recitation "Mad May" Frank Barrett
Selection "Single Head of Wheat" Annie Wertz
Recitation "Force of Habit" Jennie Cleaver
Selection "Mark Twain Interviewed" I. A. Cleaver
Roll call with Sentiments
Music "He Shall Gather His Wheat in His Garner"

Page 54

Programme
April 15, 1879

Music "Shall We Gather"
Reading of the minutes
Selection "Single Blessedness" Mary Ottey
Recitation "The Boy who Never Told a Lie" Eugene Cleaver
Selection "Jane Conquest" Abbie Eyre
Selection "Shelling Peas" Sadie Glenn
Recitation "The Children of the Battlefield" Frank Barrett
Selection "The Wedding Fee" Annie Wertz
Essay "Too Late for the Train" I. A. Cleaver
Music "I Love to Tell His Story"

Programme
April 22, 1879

Music "We Shall Know"
Reading of the minutes
Selection "The Man that Hailed our Boat" Mary Childs
Recitation "A Qurstion" Jennie Cleaver
Selection "The Frontier Wedding" Mary Ottey
Essay "Were it Better Not to Be" Sallie Nixon

Recess

Dialogue "Arrabella's Poor Relatives" Messrs. Barrett, Jones
Misses Wertz, Lobb
Selection "Annie's Ticket" F. H. Stauffer
Recitation "Our Folks" Lizzie Childs
Selection "Gloverson the Mormon" I. A. Cleaver
Announcements
Music "Shall We Gather"

 
 

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