Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-03-24
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Monthly Meeting, Held Monday
Night, of Great interest.
PORTRAIT OF LATE JUDGE WALES
Presented by Bishop Coleman
on Behalf of Committee.


torica Society of Delaware OH Monday |
Chief Justice Charles u. Lore presiding, |
O portrait of the late Judge Leonard Il. |
i Wales, former president Of the orani2a
4 tion, was presented. bishop Coleman, |
i who was chairman OF the committee to |
secure the portrait made the presenta-
tion speech Tho pastel framed in gold |
rested on Hn easel and was much ad
\ mired as an excellent likeness OF the |
late judge. The bishop made felicit-
GUS speech conlmeuding the plan of |
preserving the names and the records |
and tho portraits Of the members OF the
society. Chief Justice Lure. in accept |
ing tine portrait spoke briefly yet elo-
quently of Judge Wales genial per
sonnlity and especially Of his asaucia-
tion with the members. 4 vote of
thanks wRs extended to the committee
for its work.
The matter OF the celebration OF the
h 200th anniversary Of OLD Swedes
Church was brought up. Bishop Cole
man, although not speaking on the
authority OF the corporation of Trinity
+ parish, said il wns generally under
stool that the large celebration would
\ not he held until Trinity Sunday, next
n year. the anniversary OF the dedication
q of the church. The building was begun
in 1893. but not dedicated until l699
The Rev. Thomas A. McCurdy, ID.
D., was elected an nctive member NJ
the society. N iss Margaret Ii. Hilles
and Mrs. Emma G. Long wers made
associate members DR.. Henry Garrett,
NV. q. MahslFy, Robert Pennington and
Thomas d. Pierce OF Philadelphia, were
proposed for membership.
II Among the donations we're three pro-
N..l.. L..
j Maris Of this city in 1860 about the
4 time of the death of Lincoln, given by
NJohn Is. Martin; grape shot fired
+. ifrom the British frigate Roebuck at
\ American galley boats oil the mouth Of
" the Christiana. given by Alfred d.
a. Vandever.
M Charles B. Palmer read history Of
THE Brandywine Academy" which
was founded l00 years ago. Photo
graphs of the building we're displayed.
4 The paper follows:
Founded century ago for the edu-
cation of the children of Brandy
VILLAGE; the meeting Mace for the first
"a public religious services in that neigh
RI borhood; the centre of various in
~ terests in religious, social and poiti
n cal life, the t}rundywine Academy, more
generally known as the Old Academy,
offers itself as fit subject for his
torical treatment. As one stands on
the Brandywine bridge at Market street
and gazes to the norIheRstward, the
dull effect of the view of fences and
yards and housetops ia broken by a
H belfry with white uprights supporting
green dome, which rises against tho
skv. But to secure full view of the
structure surmounted by the belfry of
" white and green, one must 60 to
V8ndaver avenue. short distance
back from Market street. There one
N sees the strong stone walls of grayish
A. brown, two stUries in height, with
gable roof of shingles. and rising from
the cupola, rod with bal and weather
vane. As further detail one may
notice that the initial letters de-
signed to indicate the four chief
points OF the compass have shift
ed so that the M points west-
ward and the south, east and weat
arms are corrsspondingly mjsdirected.
III Observing once more tha front of this
quaint building, ore aces above the
central doorway an oval white stone
which tolls 10 well cut letters and
figures that it was Founded a. D.
I79S." This is the Old A academy. And
N although it may sound paradoxical, yet
it is not out of nlace, perhaps, to say
that the ncCdemy ia now in Its second
childhood; for Whereas in tho earlier
L days children of all ages studied there
the various, ii limited. branches taught
| yto-dAy it is USED as a Kindergarten
Tho expression, second childhood, ia
not to be takOn, however, as conveying
any idea of decay, for the old school is
l apparently destined for many more
4 years of usefulneSa -.
So far as the writer has been able to
learn, the history of ths institution has
III never been written in a connected and
detailed form. One gentleman, who
WAS questioned concerning it, thought
4 he had seen sketches on the subj ject,
N but mono has been found, and con
sN Bequently the present paper must be
based upon original sources and upon
M such matter ns may he glsaned from
older residents. Scharf's History Of
n Delaware, page ESQ, has n brief and
IL not altogether accurate account OF its
Darly history.
u About 100 years ago the milling in.
r. hustry was enjoying great prosperity,
md as ii was centred in Brandywine
Village and iu the settlement on the
south side of the Brandywine. those
K two places occupied a leading position
in this vicinity. The mill owners were
largely QuaEera, and, to provide {
school for their children, Joseph Ship
ley gave, conditionally. plot OF grount
for schoolh0use on the west side o.
King street, where the house, No. 100!
King street now stands. The condition
was that when il ceased to he a school
house the property should revert to tht
Shipleys. Here, about 1893, the Quaker
built schoohouse for the small chill
dren, and it was in use about 80 years
But persons of other religious belle
also wanted school accommodations 70
n their children, and the residents OF tn
village evidently began to take al
interest in the subject. Land wa
offered for a school site by Johl
III Dickinson, of the borough of Whining
tou, the same John Dickinson, wh
was President OF Delaware in the yea
1882, and by John Welsh, farmer o
IL Brandywine hundred. The following
subscription paper was prepared an
very likely put in circulation or per
haps signed in village meeting:
Know all men by these presents tina
We the undermined subscribers @
Brandywine hundred & county Of Ns
astle considering the utility of school
or seminaries Of learning, and bein