In the 19th century, it was normal for businesses to settle in old homes and turn them into boarding houses. For this post, we will learn how the home of Mary Ambler was turned into a boarding house where a cooking class took place.
Sarah Tyson Rorer
Sarah Tyson Rorer (1849-1937) was born in Richboro, Bucks County, PA to Charles Tyson Heston and Elizabeth Sagers. At a young age, her family moved to Buffalo, New York where her father worked as a chemist. Fascinated by her father's, she decided to explore within the field of science and chemistry.
In 1870, the family returned to Philadelphia where Sarah became a teacher in domestic science. She became the partial owner of the Philadelphia Magazine, Table Talk, and editor of the Ladies Home Journal for 14 years where she wrote and discuss about cooking and health tips for housewives.
Her career was elevated when she enrolled in a cooking class at the New Century Club in Philadelphia in 1882. She was suddenly given the opportunity to teach the cooking class and to lecture at the Woman's Medical College on pertinent health issues.
Two years later in 1884, Sarah opened the Philadelphia Cooking School on Chestnut Street where she taught for 18 years, and educated more than 5,000 students.
Fun Fact #1: The first cooking school that opened in Philadelphia during the 19th century was Elizabeth Goodfellow.
She was America's first dietician because of her teaching on preparing healthy meals. Her knowledge from chemical compounds helped her prepare meals that would work best for the individual consuming them.
Fun Fact #2: A brand new field of study was established from Sarah's influence: hospital dietetics.
She was honored at the Chicago World Fair in 1925 where she gave weekly radio shows on cooking techniques.
Selected Works:
The Philadelphia Housekeeping School
One of her students who came to Ambler to teach her own cooking class was E.V. Cornelius, who rented a space at the boarding house of Mary Acuff. In her class, she taught cooking, catering, household chemistry, sewing, and laundry work. The course lasted from October to May. It's unknown when it officially ended.
What we do know was the building Miss. Cornelius occupied. For a long time, the Staughton was owned by Mary Acuff. Around the time Miss. Cornelius had her classes, Mary Acuff's son William S. Acuff (1856-1902) purchased his mother's property. One year later, he sold the property to William C. Walker.
Bibliography
Baker, Lauren. "Sarah Tyson Rorer." Pennsylvania Center for the Book. Last modified 2018. https://www.pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/Rorer__Sarah_Tyson.
Table Talk, Volume 10, Issue 7 (1895): xvi.
"Wissahickon Valley Public Library's Ambler Gazette Collection." POWER Library: Pennsylvania's Electronic Library. Accessed July 6, 2022. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/wivp-gazett.
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