Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-16
"RURAL FROLIC' FOR THURSDAY
Ladies Benevolent Society Has Party in Build.
ing Where Churches and Schools Started in
Olden Days of Falls of SchuylkilI

ID URAL FRoLTCS were Instituted in the
~ days Of Peter Stuyvesant. At these
rural assemblagcs, under the influence or
! the fiddle toll was enliyerod by raycty aud
| followed up by the dance" Tho Ladies
| Benevolent Society Of the church Of ST.
| James the Less will give a clipping party
on Thursday evening in the historic Acad-
| emy Building nt the Falls which r. now
| used by the mission OF the church This
! old-fashoned party with rew-fashioned
| clippings, means a gay old time for all the
participants The affair is given 70 raise
funds 10 provide CHRISTMAS presents for the
enlisted and drafted men NJ the parish The
Benevolent Society was organized In 1895
by several members of the church. who
formed = committee to visit those m the
ueighborhood iu want. Who were numerous,
owing TO the extraordinary business depres-
sion Of the period. NJ the first meeting in
the parish building permanent society
was organized, with s"Nnniy-0Ne mcmbers.
| The meetings are held on the second Tucs-
day Of each month For tveuty-one years
any one I'm need appealing 10 these noble
women has been helped quietly. without re-
gard to creed. Mrs NJ \. Ferris is presi-
dent, Miss Emma Newsome secretary and
Mrs William y. Grlndrod treasurer. The
committee in charge Of the quilting frolic"
includes Mrs Thomas Reuter-, chairman.
Miss Lydia Farrar. Miss Nettie Turner,
Airs. William Grtndrod Mrs. John Markoe.
Mrs. Athertou Koch and Mrs. James Snow
den.
The cold Srnooahousc" or Academy
building u which the rural party viii he
gwen. stands uu the lower side or queen
street. a short distance from On" Norris
town branch of the Reading RAILWAY. II Is
p 'vo-stury and attic S'onc building. With
ro gable fronting toward the street TO
tho general public u has been known for
generations 10y the above title From the
fact that every church I'm that part or
the city has held services Iu the building II
is known to rburchgoers as "ihc Cradle OF
churches" ln 1919, when the village was
still known by the older residents as Fort
ST. DaNids. and when the scattered popula-
jIuu felt the need Of q place Of worship and
"a schooIhuuSe, Mr. Thomas Smith grand
son OF the Rev. Dr. William Smith, provost
OF th" University Of Pennsylvania. gave
pluf of ground To the village ON condition
that a suitable building Tor school and re
ItgIous purposes should be built thereon.
TO comply with the terms Of the Eift the
}eOmdWy formed AN organization known as
the Falls Of Schuylkill Association, 10 which
any resident could become a member upon
the payment Of 81 \ building was inIne-
diatcly constructed and the COS. paid by
popular subscription. a Eoody nunb.r do
Mating iu place Of cash either building mate
rial or labor. In 1920 the Rev br HoraUo
Gates Jones, who was pastor OF the Lower
Merton BauNs' church. used the building
to preach TO the few Baptists i'm the sec
ton, aud eighteen years later the Falls of
Schuylknl Baptist Church the first reliR-
ious organization I'm that vicinity. was con-
Stituted i'm the lschoOihouse and continued to
Worship there until 1852. when the cougre-
cation moved into it's new ediice. shortly
after Doctor Jones began holding services
4a ~ ftt tlaYu ttt4tg tor