Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-08-17
THE OLD HALLOwELL SCHOOL.

A correspondent WrluDg from thls
city to the Philad. lphia Record says;
That ancient house, brick, tall, broad
and LEAD gray painted, which stands
under the shadow of the walls of Christ
Church, In this town, Was the Hallowell
school. On one side it hss been en-
crosched on by rev houses that cover
the old playground, aud by structure
that was once a tobacco warehouse, and
later one of the HsIlowsll school build.
logs. The guide who leads you along
wide, rough, historic Wsshir on street
points TO the old house and tells ytu
that there Robert E. Lee attended
school. r E. Lee studied mslhe.
matics there in preparation for WIS,
Point The children OF Nellie Gusts,
granddaughter OF Mrs. Martha Wash.
log ou, apd ward and adopted daughter
of George Washington, conned tex =
books and reclted lessons there, ard
classes are still held in the old oak pan-
eled rooms.
The schoolhOuse had for lis first
ttachtr BRIAN Ba lowell, q sincere
scholar, 8 mau OF lofty character, su-
thor of honest books on mathematics
and astronomy, a distinguished mem
ber Of the society Of Friends aud man
who, because of work and talents, made
an impress on the world.
Berilmln HalloweR was born Au-
gust II, 1899, iu Ohetenhsm township,
Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. He
was the son of Anthony and Jane Hal
lowell snd the grandson of William and
MsrJ Williams HsllOwell aud Of B'u.
amin aud Mary Comfy Shoemaker. He
learned the trade OF carpentry and csbi-
netmaking under a kinsmsn, Nathan
Lukens, OF Harshsm, Pa. he did not
enter zsalously into manual labor, bat
preferred book study aud after some
practice with the tools of workiDgman
be got position ss teacher 10 school
at Fair Hill in the Friends district
around Sandy Spring, Montgomery
county, Nd. Later, be taught 10
school at Westiowp, near Burlington,
n. J and Ia 1924, after many vicls-
itudes opened, on his own account, a
school in Alexandria.
The house he first rented in Alexan-
dris was next door to the home OF the
widow OF Gen. Harry Lee, the mother
OF Robert E. Lee. Mr.. Hsllowell hss
narrated numerous incidents of tha'
estimable lady. Years atterEard he re.
called with fine deiail The visit of La
fayette to Alexandria and the cali which
that patriot made upon Mrs. Lee.
The rates of The Hsllowell school
were $50 a quarter for tuition and board
and for day scholars Sc a quarter for
tuition in the common branches and $40
a quarter for tuition 10 mathematics.
The names OF his first four day.scholars
we're Thomas Sch,fsld, Joseph Miller,
Richard Jsnney and Thomas Psge. A
pupil to be enrolled soon after The open
ing OF the school was Cassius Lee, a son
OF Edmond |. Lee.
Ia the second month Of 1926 there
came TO study mathematics 10 Erepsrs-
ton for entrance TO the United States
Military Aca1emy, youth whose name
was Robert E. Lee. The friendship be-
tween Hslowel and Lee endured till
the dsa!h of the great chieftsin of the
Confederate armies, though the teacher
never sympalbizsd with the cause for
which Lee fought.
Ia 1880 Mr.. Hallowel began the in.
struction in private lessons OF Angels
Lewis, daughter of Mp. Lawrence Lswis,
Of WOodlswn, who was born Nellie Gus.
It's. Mrs. Lewis always accompanied
her daughter to the school aud remained
ao auditor of the Lesson.
Mr.. Hsllowell being FIiend, opposed
the institution Of slavery aud abhorred
war. In 1927 there was organized in
Alexandra, then psrL Of the District
of Columbia, an association called the
Benevolent Society OF Alexandria, to
render legal aid to negroes held IS slaves
but who, because OF some will or other
reason, were entitled to be free. The
president OF this association was Thomas
Jacobs aud the secretary was BsojImiu
Hallowell. Among the members we're
Samuel NJ. Janney, George Drinker,
Abjsh Jsnuey, Townsend Waugh,
Presley Jacobs, Thomas Preston aud
Daniel CswoOd. Many negrots entitled,
uDder the laws, to freedom were liberst.
ed through the work of this society.
Ooe of the illus,rious men on record ss
having lent valuable aid to the society
ives Francis Scott Key, OF Georgetown,
author Of the S ar SpSnRled Banner"
Batweeu 1912 and 1916 the school was
conducted by Bsrjlm HsIlowelPs
nephews, G .leb Hsllowell and James S.
HslloWell, while the founder during that
time was in retirement ct his farm, Roct-
land, near Sandy Spring, Md. 10 1854
Bsrj min HaloWell was lined 10 the
conduct Of the school by his SOD, Henry
O HSlloWell, aud his sOn.in.law, Francis
Miller
Berjamin Hsllowell died ct Sandy
Spring iu 1877. The school passed from
the hands OF the Hsllowell family and a
generation ago the propertX was bought
by John Sinclair Blackburn.
Next door to the Hsllowell school on
the north is the Lloyd House In which
General Lee was first apprised Of bis
appointment to The command of the Viz.
ginis troops. The dWellers in this house
today, Mrs. Yestman and Miss Minnie
Lloyd were present when Lee was noti-
fed by bis cousin, Mrs. Tabb, that
committee from the Virginia convention