Westtown School
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Founded in 1799 by Quakers in Philadelphia, USA, who still own and operate the school, Westtown School is the oldest continuously operating co-educational boarding school in the country. The school began as a safe educational haven for Quaker children, which in 1799, was one day's coach ride west from Philadelphia.
During the Hicksite-Orthodox split of 1827, and the subsequent Wiburite-Gurneyite split in the 1840's within Orthodox Friends, Westtown came under control of Orthodox, then Wilburite, friends (see under Society of Friends for more information). Rival George School was founded in 1893 to serve as a parallel boarding school for Hicksite Quakers. Separate Wilburite and Hicksite Yearly Meetings in Philadelphia reunited in 1955, and the by then well-established schools no longer have any doctrinal differences.
The school enrolls children from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th Grade. The boarding program is available from 9th through 12th Grades. Students are required to board in the 11th and 12th Grades.
The main building was designed by Philadelphia Quaker Addison Hutton in 1886. It is a sprawling structure that longer than one tenth of a mile. The western portion of the building is called "Girls End," and the eastern section is "Boys End," each containing dormitories for respective students. Aside from dormitories, the main building contains classrooms, faculty apartments, libray, offices, communal gathering areas, kitchen and dining facilities. The 9th and 10th grade boarding students are placed in dorm rooms a short distance away from the main building, males in a building called Stone House, and females in a building called Balderston House. Near the Main Building is Industrial Hall, which is the largest building to ever be moved by mule-power, the Arts Center, Science Building, Meeting House, gymnasium and Field House, and staff housing.
[edit] Campus
The school campus is approximately 600 acres (2.4 km²). It is located in Westtown Township, Pennsylvania, 25 miles (40 km) west of Philadelphia, just outside West Chester, Pennsylvania. It is located across Pennsylvania Route 926 from Cheyney University and near the new Bayard Rustin High School, named after the late civil rights leader. The campus also has a man-made lake situated a short distance north the Main Building. The southern portions of the campus are reserved for farming, the produce of which are returned to the school for student meals.
[edit] Mission
Guided by the essential Quaker calling to seek out and honor that of God in each of us, Westtown School challenges its students to realize their individual gifts while learning and living together in a diverse community. Westtown inspires and prepares its graduates to be stewards and leaders of a better world.
Westtown School’s roots reach back to 1647, when George Fox founded the religious sect known as the Society of Friends, more commonly known today as Quakers. Few in number, the Quakers have influenced the world well out of proportion to their membership.
Friends believe in seeking that of God in every person. From that essential kernel of faith come the historic positions of Quakers on a wide spectrum of issues ranging from civil rights to pacifism. But Quakers do not cling to a narrow creed, instead believing that every community must continually re-examine past patterns based upon new understandings. This openness to new insights contributes to the vitality of the intellectual dialogue on a Friends school campus. At its founding, Westtown pushed the conventions of educational philosophy, and continues to this day to seek to lead in the practice of education
The Westtown story is rich with the history of both Quakers and education. Westtown maintains an extensive archive of materials relating to the school, those associated with it, Quakers, and Quaker education.
