The Franklinville School was one of the last schools to be established in Whitpain Township after the enactment of the PA's Free School Law of 1834 led by PA congressman Thaddeus Stevens. There were oppositions of the 1834 school law, mostly because it was something the Germans and their descendants were not use to.
Whitpain adopted the common school system in their township few years later, with a majority supporting it.
Early Accounts of the Franklinville School
"The early school-houses were all built of stone. The desks were placed around against the walls, and the pupils occupying them sat facing the windows. Benches without backs, for the smaller scholars, occupied the middle of the room. A desk for the teacher, a huge wood-stove in the middle of the room, a bucket, tin-cup, splint-broom, and what was called a 'pass.' a small paddle, having the words 'In and Out' written in opposite sides, constituted the furniture of the room."
- Bean, 1173
The Franklinville School was built in 1858, and it was a one-room schoolhouse with desks for students. Unlike the description Thomas Bean used, the benches used at the school have backs that were attached to the desks behind them; and the desks were facing the teacher's desk, not the windows. There is a huge wood-stove in the middle of the room that is in good condition.
The challenges of children walking to school was difficult. For the Franklinville School, the school directors decided to issue trolley tickets for the students to make it easier for them to come to school.
The school closed down in 1916 due to the growth of the Shady Grove School. Fortunately, the school directors sold the schoolhouse to Ralph Beaver Strassburger who would use it for his son's education, which was later known as Peter's School House. Ralph owned the Normandy Farm during the time he purchased the Franklinville School.
He established the Fifty Year Club of Montgomery County at the former Franklinville School in 1925 to unite residents who lived in the area for more than 50 years. More than 1,000 members joined the club.
The Franklinville School was listed to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
Mary Livezey
Mary Roberts Livezey was born on October 25 in Wilmington, Delaware. Her family had lived and moved to different places until reaching Montgomery County. She gained so much knowledge while being in school which led to her career in teaching.
In 1865, Mary taught at the Franklinville School where she taught for six years. With her success as a teacher, she became principal at the Audenried school in Cheltenham. There, she formed a friendship with Cheltenham school board president Thomas Williams.
Fun Fact #1: The former Thomas Williams Junior High School and the Thomas Williams Park in Wyncote were named after him.
She was an active member of the Society of Friends, and advocated for women's rights as well as temperance, personal purity and kindred objects.
"She has been useful and effective in these and other channels, taking her stand with the progressive and earnest men and women of the day in efforts to enlighten the public mind, break down the authority of tradition and superstition and point the way to a better era than any which the world has ever seen."
- Roberts, 61
Conclusions
It is amazing to find out that schoolhouses like the Franklinville School is still standing to this day, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places just a few years ago! But I want to know, "Why are they still standing?"
The reason why the Franklinville School was listed because of the Fifty Year Club established by Ralph Beaver Strassburger. But how about the schoolhouse itself and the significance of it?
The establishment of the Franklinville School and other schoolhouses around the county were based on the need of formal and public education. Before the 1834 law was enacted, many children was educated either at home or at their churches. The earliest school in Whitpain was at the Boehm's church. Over time, when there was a scarce amount of teachers for the children and parents were not available to educate their children, a demand for schoolhouses was met.
In reflection of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were children being educated from their homes, and there was a concern with their mental health. Drs. Amira Said and Lindy McGee of Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine stated that,
"School is about much more than education. Interacting with peers is important for social and emotional development. Many children rely on schools to provide meals and opportunities for physical activity. Schools provide a safe place for children to be while their parents work. Teachers are important role models and adult figures in kids’ lives."
- Said and McGee, "Why in-person education is crucial for kids during COVID-19"
The doctors continued to say that at-home learning created a negative impact on middle and lower class families as well as seeing the rise in mental health and abuse at home.
The Franklinville School gives us a reminder of why schools exists. Schools should be a place to grow and learn with teachers supporting the students. Without schools, the country, as well as the world, will never develop and understand the world around them.
Bibliography
Bean, Theodore Weber. History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Volume 2. (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1884): 1172-1173.
"Franklinville School Sold." Ambler Gazette. January 18, 1917. Page 6. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/9694/rec/21.
"Google Maps Area Calculator Tool." DaftLogic. Accessed January 26, 2022. https://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-area-calculator-tool.htm.
Hopkins, G.M. Atlas of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Page 031, 1871.
Roberts, Ellwood. Biographical Annals of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Containing Genealogical Records of Representative Families, Including Many of the Early Settlers and Biographical Sketches of Prominent Citizens, Volume 2. (New York, Chicago: T.S. Benham & Co. and The Lewis Publishing Co., 1904): 60-61.
Said, Amira and Lindy McGee. "Why in-person education is crucial for kids during COVID-19." Baylor College of Medicine. Last modified July 22, 2020. https://blogs.bcm.edu/2020/07/22/why-in-person-education-is-crucial-for-kids-during-covid-19/.
"The Fifty Year Club of Montgomery County." Found in Collection (blog). December 11, 2014. https://hsmcpa.wordpress.com/2014/12/11/the-fifty-year-club-of-montgomery-county/.
"The Franklinville School." Wissahickon Valley Historical Society. Accessed January 26, 2022. https://www.wvalleyhs.org/the-franklinville-school/.
"Wissahickon Valley Public Library's Ambler Gazette Collection." POWER Library: Pennsylvania's Electronic Library. Accessed January 25, 2022. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/wivp-gazett.
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