Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-22
WAS FAMOUS IN ITS DAY
Brooke Hall Seminary, Where Nrs. Mckinley
Went to School.
Remembered with Pride in Media
That She Was Once q Stu
dent There.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

SPeSihi Correspondence OF Evening Star
MEDIA, Pa, January H. 1925 '
ihe good folk OF Media, the county seat Of
Delaware county, Pa. pride themselves on
the fact that the wife Of the President OF
the United States was once a school girl
in their village.
Media is built on an elevation OF nearly zoo
feet above the level of the Delaware river.
Wnich Is about seven miles distant, and
mas a population variously estimated by
The Inhabitants Of from 1000 TO 1000 IL
Is desirable place for schooling. and
there are educational institutions in the
village that are known throughout, the
country. Another thing that the average
Media citizen prides himself On and de-
lights In telling strangers about is the
fact that there has never been a saloon In
the place.
More than thirty years ago Mrs William
mckinley was student at Brooke Hall
Seminary, Media. She was then Ida Sax
ton, and the thought of some day becom-
ing the frst lady of the land had proba-
bly, never entered her head. At that time
the young man destined to he President of
the United States and the idol of her af-
fections had returned to his home in the
little town of Poland Ohio and yas he
ginning the study of the law and fitting
himself for the life that has been such an
INDUSTRIOUS contribution TO American his
tory. Ida Saxton was then a girl of eigh-
teen.
Brooke Hall was at that time and for
n any years after one of the bcs.-known
S, hools for girls. Its reputation extended
TO every state in the Union, and the roll
contained the names of students not only
from the United States, but frcrl foreign
col ntr-es. Miss Eastman, the Principal
Tor more than third of a century died a
few years ago. An effort was made to
continue the work of the school, but :he
IL terest Jagged, and today the sta;ely old
building is used as a boarding house
1if-G frnv,
spend the summer there.
A more beautiful place for a school would
be, Indeed hard to find. The grounds are
veritable Arcadia. IL they were pleasant
thirty years ago they are doubly so row.
Then the trees were young and the
branches gave little shade. The Brooke
Hall grounds embrace about eight acres
and extend from Wasf ington street one
OF the main residence thoroughfares of the
borough, to the Pennsylvania railroad
track south.
Brooke Hall. which was named after III.
Jones Brooke, the founder of Media. is ON
the summit of the grounds and Is az
stone with a pebble-dash covering. IL In
plain building of three stories with "A
big, wide porch. after the southern planta-
uon style extending along the south and
east sides. The south porch is 10 feet
long, and was Intended as a place for ex-
erclse when the weather was unfavora
II was along this roomy ole piazza that
Mrs. Mckinley, as a school girl, marched
with her companions.
There was large school room on the
hrst floor; opening off from which was
large play room, where the girls used
TO dance on Wednesday and Friday nights
There were also on this floor rooms for
recltatioDs and practice. East OF the hall
way were the pdrlor library and a number
Oh smaller rooms. The second and third
floors were divided mainly into bed rooms
There were also few recitation rooms and
rooms for piano practice. A few unim-
portant changes have been made i'm the
interior. otherwise everything looks as IL
old score and ten years ago.
Through the southeast corner of tie
grounds there runs little rivulet Span
ming this and leading to the railroad sta
ton is a rustic foot bridge. Down a some
what steep embankment. at the rear of the
seminary winding path leads to the Old
spring house, where pans OF milk were kept
for cooling. On the walls within are TO be
found still Gndimmed the names of MANY
former students at Brooke Hall. Among
,nem are the names of Ida Saxton and
Mary h. Saxton, her sister.
Media third of a century ago was a
small village The population was less
than thousand. In favorable weather the
students took walk every day under the
chaperonage of Miss Hettie E. C;ault Ism
ally they marched around the court house
square, and sometimes out Washington
street east. Mss Gault still lives in Mcdia,
and she Is not forgotten by her old pupil
now in the White House. She is an ayow-
ed candidate for the Media post Office and
has the Endorsement of Mrs. Mckinley,
IL
the administration.
Among the girls who attended Brooke
Hall at different times was the present
Mrs. John r. Mclean of this CITY. Kate
Chase, daughter of Chief Justice Salmon
r. Chase, and who married Gov Sprague
of Rhode Island, was also student at
Brooke Hail. So were the wives OF Maj.
Gen. Wheaton and Maj. Gen. John Brooke
and former Representative John FindIay of
Baltimore. daughter of Gen Daniel
Sickles OF New York was also a Brooke
Hall girl.
James MeKnif. the borough marshal of
Media, was the chore boy about Brooke
Hall during the time Mrs. Mckinley WAS
there, and he remembers her well rs a
school girl Christ Church, where Mrs.
Mckinley worshiped while at Brooke Hail,
Is stone edifice Of pleasing architecture
the walls of which are clad with ivy. with
the exception of a slight alteration in the
chancel the interior is unchanged Tho
church rolls 40 not show that Mrs. AfcK.a-
ley was member Of Christ Church.
of Russfa's Musical Watch.