Samuel Alsop, Headmaster 1846–1853. Upon John Bullock’s death, Samuel Alsop, a Philadelphia Quaker, scholar, mathematician, and teacher at the Bullock School, becomes headmaster. He runs the school until 1853, when he sells his interests to...
Samuel Alsop, Headmaster 1846–1853. Upon John Bullock’s death, Samuel Alsop, a Philadelphia Quaker, scholar, mathematician, and teacher at the Bullock School, becomes headmaster. He runs the school until 1853, when he sells his interests to...
60th Anniversary of Washington’s Stay in Chester. General George Washington stays at this hotel after his defeat at the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. It is later renamed Washington House.
Theodore Hyatt, President 1853–1887. Educational excellence, Christian influence, parental involvement, strict discipline and the addition of military training are hallmarks of Hyatt’s tenure.
Military Drill Begins, 1858. Legend holds that Theodore Hyatt entered the gymnasium to find his pupils drilling with broomsticks. Hyatt soon introduces military training to “develop the muscles, expand the chest, and impart an erect gentlemanly...
Anti-Slavery Broadside. Chester, an important route on the Underground Railroad, plays a significant anti-slavery role in the years preceding the Civil War. Growing anti-slavery sentiment, combined with the Fugitive Slave Act, results in widespread...
Robert Wetherill & Co. Building, 1872. Brothers Robert and Richard Wetherill begin to manufacture Corliss steam engines at their shop at 6th and Upland Streets. Large stationary steam engines enable manufacturers to run more complicated...
The School Moves to Pennsylvania, 1862. The school is uncomfortable with Delaware’s pro-slavery stance and moves to the former Bolmar Academy building in West Chester. The name is changed to Pennsylvania Military Academy. Pictured here is the...
Henry Thomason was the Valedictorian of his P.M.A. class of 1879. He was trained as a doctor and served in the US Military. In 1898, he enlisted in the Spanish American War as Major and Surgeon in the Michigan Volunteer Infantry. He served as an...
These images adorned PMA stationary, commencement brochures and catalogs in the 1800s. One image includes the school's motto "Virtue, Liberty and Independence." PMC used this motto as well.
This project features photographs, bulletins and documents about the Preparatory School, Dr. Moll's letter about the closing of PMPS in 1956, and a short history from the 1956 Prep School Yearbook.
Construction of Old Main began in 1867 and for 15 years, it served as the principal building on campus. Student dormitories occupied the top floors. A dining room, classrooms, library, assembly hall and labs were on lower floors. The President's...
Truxton Beale, Writer, Diplomat, and Philanthropist. Beale, a cadet at PMA from 1867 to 1874, is pictured with his father’s valet, Jordan, a former slave. Beale will become an ambassador to Persia, Greece, Romania, and Serbia.
William Penn Marker. In the fall of 1882, the United States celebrates the 200th anniversary of William Penn’s landing on American soil. In this photograph, Chester Baker, a prominent local historian, stands proudly next to the Penn Monument at...
