The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-01-06
One Hundred Years Old.

One Hundred Years Old.
, There is an organization in Noun
Holly that will be one hundred years O
age on January 26, 1914. 1t is 9Th
Mount Holly Female Benevolent Asso
citation" AS its name indicates, it is
charitable organization, the charity il
its earlier existence having consisted
principally of conducting free public
school in the old school house, No. 81
Brainard street; in later years the char
ity consisted, as it now does, in furnish
ing food and fuel to the poor of the
town.
The history of the society is quite in
teresting. On January g. 1914, a. mum
Der of women of Mount Holly and vi
cinity formed themselves into 1.-The Fe
male Benevolent Association" for the
following named purposes: ITO endeav-
or to afford some relief to the poor and
distressed, or so many as may stand in
need of assistance in any way that is in
our power to bestow, and we also wish tC
extend our views toward opening a
school at some future time for the in
struction of poor children, II our pres
ent undertaking meets with sufficient
encouragement"
The following named women were the
original members: Mary Smith, Eliza
beth Smith, Ann Pippit, Margaret Bis
pham, Elizabeth Hutchinson, Sarah
Read, Ann S. Budd, Sarah b. Dugdale,
Elizabeth West, Sarah West, Rachel
West, Jane West, Sarah Budd, Marga-
ret Nugent, Eliza HI. Neale, Rebecca
Burr, Ann Carr, Mary Carr, Eliza Cox,
Rebecca Shinn, Anne Davidson, Lucy
M. Dobbins, Elizabeth Shiras, Esther
Rogers, Agnes Rush, Jr., Hannah Cox,
Martha Hughes, Hannah Burr, Lettice
nj. Butterworth, Abigail Bullock, Ann
Chambers, Maria Budd, Eliza Rossell,
Margaret Rossell, Beulah Gaskill, Jane
Kemble and Rebecca Bispham.
These women and their successors
have continued the association until the
present time. On February Is, 1874, the
Legislature granted the society char
ter of incorporation under the name of
1.-The Mount Holly Female Benevolent
Association.
At meeting of the association held
July Is, 1914, preparatory arrangements
were started to open a school for the in
struction of poor children, by appoint
ing a committee to consider ways and
means therefor. On August ID, 1914,
this committee reported that eight or
ten children had been found that would
attend and a room had been secured.
Eight young women offered themselves
as teachers.
On March IA, 1915, the heirs of num-
Der of the stockholders in the Brainard
school property, now 35 Brainard street,
met and signed an agreement that the
Female Association shall and may oc-
cupy the old school house" for the lau-
dable purpose of causing Ito be taught
in public school all the poor children
of Mount Holly and vicinity gratis.
Thus was started the first public school
in Mount Holly, which since has ex-
banded to gigantic proportions.
The use and occupancy of the old
building have been continued to the
present day by the association, which
still holds its meetings there.
In the 33d annual report of the organ
ization it was stated that the opening
of the public schools in Mount Holly
had caused many of the larger scholars
to leave the Brainard school, so that the
number of pupils was reduced to As,
who received instruction in the elemen-
tary branches of an English education.
The sole support of the school was by
annual subscriptions and donations I'M
til 1888, when share of the state school
fund was received, averaging about $40
per annum.
When the school was established it
was taught gratis by several members of
the association. The second session a
teacher was hired, and about 30 scholars
were enrolled.
Upwards of 1000 children received in
struction in this school, many of whom
got no teaching in any other institution.
The above is brief history of the phil
anthropic work that has been accom-
plished by the association in an unosten-
tatious manner during its long existence.
The organization is the custodian of
the J. Wardell Brown coalfund legacy,
and under the will of George Elwood
Pancoast, deceased, is to receive a legacy
of S., 600.
The present officers are Miss Priscilla
H. Clothier, directress; Mrs. John r.
Howell, second directress; Mrs. Edward b.
Jones, secretary; Mrs. Anna Nj. Norcross,
treasurer.
1t is proposed to have some kind of
celebration of the centennial anniversary
of the association, in the historic old
building on Brainard street. The details
of the programme have not yet been
completed.