“build a School House near the Meeting house of the people called Quakers in Lower Merion…within ten years after my decease…”

or the money was to revert to Pennsylvania Hospital. In the will of Elizabeth George, proved December 1, 1806, she directed that the residue of her estate be given to the estate of Jacob Jones, her brother for

“…establishing a free School or Schools in the Township of Lower Merion.”

It is, however, the will of Jacob Jones which was the most generous in funding the Academy. In his will of September 30, 1803, he gave not only 800 pounds to erect the school building, but another 500 pounds in trmst on landed security to employ teachers.

The interest from the monies was not only to employ teachers, but to instruct free of expense

“…as many Poor and Orphan children of both sexes living in the said Township… without regard to their religious Profess ions or Education…”

He also included

“…a Certain messuage or Tenement and piece or parcel of Land at the West End of my Plantation…”

The parcel was approximately 10 acres. Although the will was proved on Agril 26, 1810, the trust was not established until after the death of his wife, Mary, on October 28, 1811.

“…for the establishment and support of schools, under the care of a stand ing Committee appointed by several Monthly or Particular Meetings…” and to send “…an account of what they have done therein,” by the next Yearly Meeting.

“…a lot of ground be provided, sufficient for a garden, orchard, grass for a cow, etc. and that a suitable house, stable, etc. be erected thereon: Such a provision would be an encouragement account of boarding him [the teacher], from one house to another, amongst themselves…”

“And if to what has been proposed, Friends were willing to add the promoting the subscription, towards a fund, the increase of which might be employed in paying a Master’s salary, if necessary, and promoting the education of the poorer Friends’ children; such a fund, tho’ it might be small in the beginning, being a fixed object, would draw the attention of Friends to contribute, whereas so long as there is no beginning made, this weighty service is neglected, by many who would be glad of giving encouragement to so necessary and good a work. People frequently appear to think it is at their option to do what they will with their own substance, which they call their own, to give or withhold, at their pleasure, forgetting that they are but as stewards accountable to him who has entusted them…”

“On the twenty second day of the third Month/March One thousand Eight hundred and ten departed this life in the Ninety Seventh year of his age the afforenamed Jacob Jones by birth a Member of the Religious Society of Friends and an active usefull Member thereof through his long life which he closed in unity with them and was much Respected by his Neighbours as a Honourable and Charilable Man and whose Memory will justly be held in deserved estimation as long as Science shall record virtue and Benevolance for by his Christian Phylanthophy and Munificance was founded the Lower Merion Benevolent School…”

Jacob Jones’ birth was recorded in the Merion Meeting book of births and deaths for 1682-1806 as “Jacob, son of Joriathan & Gainor Jones…Born…Day, 14; Month, 5; Year, 1713.” (This date is from the Julian Calendar). Jonathan was the son of Dr. Edward Jones, one of the founders of the “Welsh Tract,” and one of the original patent holders of Penn’s Experiment.

Little has been found about Jacob’s early life. His name begins to appear in the Radnor Monthly Meeting Minutes around March 14, 1752 when he and Mary Lawrence declared intentions [to marry] at Merion Meeting House, and Robert Roberts and Richard George were to inquire.

By June 11, 1752, Jacob and Mary were married. Merion Meeting proposed in 1759 a certificate for them to Philadelphia. Their three years in the city are unknown at this time since no evidence was found in city records or directories.

When Jacob did return, he became active in the Merion Meeting starting in 1763. That year he became an Overseer of the Meeting and held many positions from visiting wayward Friends (hoping they would return to Meeting), to membership on education committees, to Treasurer (January, 1772).

In March 1776, Jacob even counselled his nephew, Algernon Roberts, for his “military appearance” and reminded him of “our ancient and Peaceable Testimony.” Jacob was also confronted with difficult decisions such as expelling Algernon and others from Meeting since they persisted in “…the Practice of Bearing Arms” (May 10, 1776).

Jacob was part of the Committee of Suffering which helped those Quakers who refused to serve in the Revolutionary War by paying the fines that were levied against them (August 8, 1777).

He was also active in Monthly, Quarterly and Yearly Meetings in the 1790s. When Jacob died, Joseph Price in his diary (March 25, 1810) mentions Jacob’s passing, building his coffin and

“Geard up and went to Burial, arivd at our yd. about 11 OC- & had a Great Meeting 3 Preachers…”

(Price will later build the Academy.)

One feels compelled to call Jacob Jones a Quakers’ Quaker and a person who acted on his principles while finding the spirit of good in all.

From the tax records of 1786, 1788, 1793, 1795, Jacob was listed as a fanner with 200 acres, a dwelling, 1-2 horses, and 2-3 cows. He did not pay an occupation tax because he is listed as either “infirmed” or “ancient.” Jacob and Mary, apparently, had no children since none are listed in the wills or birth records. Knowing this, and his continued interest in education, it is easy to understand his gift and his generosity to future generations of children forever.

“…he [Jacob] having most generously Bequethed a Lot of near ten acres of Land for the purpose of erecting there in a School house and Other Improvements and the sum of six thousand three hundred and Eighty seven dollars a part thereof for erecting said School house and Improvements and the remainder to be placed at Interest on Landed security and the Interest thereof to be appyled to the Schooling Poor Cnildren Inhabitants of Lower Merion. To the foregoing donation is to be added the sum of three Thousand five hundred and seventy seven dollars being a Bequest of the Widdow Elizabeth George a sister of the afforenamed donor: And the further sum of One hundred and thirty three dollars and Thirty three Cents being a Bequest of his Nephew John Roberts; which several sums fell to the direction of the Trustees appointed by the will of Jacob Jones…”

Jacob apppointed five men and their heirs and assignees to oversee the trust…Jonathan Jones, Algemon Roberts, Henry Bowman, Jonathan Walters and David Roberts.

Before Jacob’s death, Walters had died on April 1, 1806, but for some reason, no amendment for replacement was made in the will or its codicil (June 10, 1807).

This led to some confusion concerning whether the remaining Trustees could legally act to fulfill the last wishes of Jacob.

Edward Tilghman offered his legal opinion, dated March 3, 1812: He advised the Trustees that they could legally carry out Jacob’s wishes with a reduced number of trustees, but they should apply to the Yearly Meeting of Friends in Philadelphia to appoint the fifth and any future trusees as Jacob had requested in his will.

The Trustees applied to the Committee of Sufferings which was the primary step before an educational matter could be placed before the Yearly Meeting. The Committee decided not to represent the Trustees’ problem before the Yearly Meeting

and “…gave such umberage to Jonathan Jones as caused him to withdraw his further assistance from the remaining Trustees.”

This event did not stop the construction of the school or the determination of the Trustees to open its doors. Only three Trustees were functioning without a problem until the death of Algernon Roberts in 1815.

At that point, Jonathan Jones returned to help the remaining two Trustees, Henry Bowman and David Roberts. They again applied to the Yearly Meeting (April 15, 1816) and the Meeting decided

“…that it did not comport with the nature and design of the Meeting to take charge of such an appointment and that it declined taking any further steps in the business.” The extract from the Meeting defined Jacob’s wishes as, “…the establishment of a School for the free Education, of poor and orphan Children without regard to any Religious Profession or denomination whatever, and also leaving the branches of Education entirely in the discretion of certain Trustees…”

Apparently Jacob’s wishes were too liberal for 1816. The nature and direction of the Committee of Sufferings and the Yearly Meeting obviously had changed since Jacob’s participation in those meetings (almost 30 to 40 years before).

Replacing the vacancies of Roberts and Walters was not settled until 1819 when Jonathan Jones and David Roberts petitioned the General Assembly of Pennsylvania to have the Trustees appoint the successors with the consent of the Orphan’s Court, Montgomery County.

Governor William Findlay approved a legislative act (March 16, 1819). Because of this act, Jonathan Walters and Algernon Roberts were replaced by Paul Jones, Jr. and Isaac Warner Roberts (Algernon’s son).This act finally established the process of Trustee succession which will last forever, as the trust must.

The duties of the Trustees were numerous. In the beginning, they had to decide who would build the school, how it should be constructed, how the school would be governed, who would qualify for the “free of all expenses” schooling, and who would teach.

There were fireplaces in the two small rooms. The flooring was again heart pine. The third floor was divided into four rooms…one was to have the same dimensions as the large schoolroom below it, and the two smaller rooms, with fireplaces in each, were for the family.

The fourth room was “…a Committee or Library) room.” The flooring on this story was “good sap pine.”

The “garrets” or attic (the fourth floor) was separated into four rooms. All rooms in the building, including the attic, were plastered and “sealed” except the kitchen… plastered but not “sealed.”

The roof was “good heart Cedar shingles” with tin gutters and spouts, and five dormer windows.

A “cupelo” was on the roof with “spear and Vane” and an “Electrick Conductor projecting from the spear to the ground…”

A well was dug and walled, according to a separate contract between the Trustees and John Melenefy.

The building was to be finished and painted “on or before the first of May next” (May 1, 1813).

The memo also stated the terms of wages agreed upon to do certain work, and also a clause concerning how they would settle any disagreements among them. Tne matters would be “referred to disinterested Men whose determination shall be final.”

At the bottom of the memorandum, a notation was made about Henry Bowman donating all the stones for the schoolhouse and “…all the Other Buildings on the School Lott…”

An insurance survey done for the Green Tree Mutual Assurance Company by Philip Justus on October 13, 1814, placed an evaluation of $4,600 (1814 dollars) on the schoolhouse. It also gave details of the appearance of the building.

The woodwork was described as “plain mantles, surbase, washboard, and window cased.” The entry way featured an “…Arch head front door with neat Jambs and archatrives.” Windows were examples of “…12 lights each, glass 8 by 10 inches.” The stairs were defined as “…2 flights of un newell painted Rampt handrail Stairs, with half Nails, Close String.” The cupola was “…a neat Square Cupalo, with venetian Blinds, a Ball, vane & Electrick Conductor.”

This schoolhouse with many rooms and levels was an unique example of public architecture for its time.

• No student would be admitted if he/she had a contagious disease;
• Vacations occur every other seventh day, or Saturday, and for two weeks at harvest;
• Parents who did not send their children regularly were to pay as if they did;
• No student was to leave the school without the teacher’s permission;
• No use of profane or obscene language was permitted;
• No writing or injury to school property (especially walls or partitions);
• Prizes were to be purchased by parents/guardians of the children to whom they were awarded. Prizes were given each quarter to those “scholars” showing “superior improvement.”

Those rules are very similar to those of modern schools.

The Trustees held quarterly examinations of the students with their parents, guardians, or masters present. Attendance was often poor.

The girls school was closed for a time in 1814 due to declining enrollment. Subscription money to sustain a teacher was therefore lessened. Girls’ tuition was lowered to $2.50 per quarter. The Trustees added to the subscription money to help the shortfall.

A new teacher, Mary Passmore, was hired on a one-year contract for the girls school…subscription money plus $30 per quarter, provided by the Trustees.

“…the additional salary as money well expended, hoping that in a future day (not long distant), the credit of the school will be so established as to inable a teacher to be [totally] supported by… subscription money…”

The next quarterly examination on February 22, 1815 was better attended. The Trustees hoped more regular attendance by parents would aid them in improving

“…the system of managing the schools by pointing out any errors in its present management or such as may happened hereafter…”

Another problem for the Trustees seemed to be the “opposition” mentioned in the Minute Book.

“For its with much concern the [Trustees] view the uncandid and illiberal Opposition carried on in Order not only to Injure so Benevolent an Institution but to deprive the neighbourhood of the advantages that might arise had less pains been taken to support the Institution that has been taken to oppse it and maligne its conductors…”

The opposition might have been neighbors who felt that Jacob’s money should have gone to Quaker projects instead of a project that benefitted the community. The first Trustees would be proud to know the “opposition” did not win, and the Institution continued to serve the community for 184 years and beyond.

“to wait on the Trustees of Lower Merion Academy to ascertain whether and upon what terms the said Academy can be obtained after the 16th of March next.” Another committee was appointed on the same day “to obtain legal advice in regard to the power of the Trustees of the Lower Merion Academy to transfer the said house to the Directors of Lower Merion Township.”

For the year of 1836, the Directors agreed to pay $150 to use the Academy unless the school law changed. It did with section 17 which allowed the Trustees to control the school and use public funds to support the school if “conducted in conformity with the common school system of this commonwealth.”

This joint administration of the School Directors and the Trustees governed the school until 1914, when the Academy closed formally as a school. The larger Cynwyd Elementary School was built on the Academy grounds, due to an increase in the stable school population.