Tuesday, September 27, 2011

100 Years Ago in Powelton: The New Friends' School Building

The Philadelphia Inquirer carried the following story on September 25, 1901:

 “FRIENDS’ NEW SCHOOL BUILDING

   “The Friends’ West Philadelphia School building, at Thirty-fifth and Lancaster avenue, is fast nearing completion and will be ready for occupancy, it is believed, by Oct. 14.  The building is thoroughly modern, and the committee in charge has given special care to the heating, ventilation, and plumbing arrangements.  The drinking water for the entire plant will be filtered through stone and boiled before it enters the coolers.

   “This building will now comfortably accommodate 165 pupils, divided into kindergarten, primary and intermediate grades, promoting finally to the Friends’ Central School at Fifteenth and Race streets, of which graded system it is a part.  The principal is now enrolling pupils at her temporary office, 3507 Lancaster avenue, where she or her assistants may be consulted between the hours of 8:30 A. M. and 4 P. M. every weekday except Saturday.”

Note: the arrangements for clean water were especially important.  There was a serious problem with typhoid fever until Philadelphia finally completed the installation of sand filters for the city's water supply in  1912 and began chlorination in 1913.

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