As I mentioned a while back, my little adventuring party spent a day this past February in scenic and historic Lititz. We had quite a pleasant experience, even though the borough was very quiet and many of its attractions were closed for the winter season, and I'm hoping to go back before the summer ends.
Lititz is a Moravian settlement at its roots, and while I will go into the history of the community itself when I talk about the actual Lititz marker, today we'll take a look at one of its most enduring institutions - a place where young women have been educated and given the keys to their future for almost 300 years.
The story of the school really begins with the Gemeinhaus, which is why this is a double-marker post. A
gemeinhaus, as I mentioned in my post about Bethlehem's
Moravian community, literally translates as "community house." If you've read my other posts about the Moravians, it will almost certainly come as no surprise to you to learn that Count Nicolaus von Zinzendorf once again has his fingers in the pie. He paid a visit to the thriving communities of
Nazareth and Bethlehem in 1742, as well as to several other, smaller settlements throughout the region. The community which was later named Lititz was originally established as the Warwick County Congregation, and they built a Gemeinhaus in 1746 to - as the marker says - serve as their school, church, and parsonage. It was constructed on land donated by John George Klein, who had originally been opposed to Zinzendorf's teachings but changed his mind after hearing the count preach in the Lancaster courthouse.
This log structure stood on a small hill on what today is Main Street in Lititz. The marker describes it as being on "this side of Carter's Run," and I've since learned that Carter's Run is the name of a small creek which runs through the area. By 1758, it boasted upwards of 70 students enrolled in its school, boys and girls alike; the Moravians were very insistent on their women being just as well educated as their men. In 1766, it was decided that there were enough students to justify breaking the school in half; the log Gemeinhaus was carefully dismantled and moved across the street, and ceased to be used for educational purposes. Instead, the children were divided along gender lines (not at all unusual for the Moravians), and the girls were educated in the Sisters' House while the boys were taught in the Brethren's House.
Sadly, the Gemeinhaus is long gone. It stood at its new location for many more years, but was one of four buildings destroyed in the community's great fire of July 1, 1838.
 |
The marker stands at the entrance to the school
grounds at 212 East Main Street. The marker
for the Gemeinhaus is located across the street. |
Meanwhile, in 1769, the cornerstone was laid for a new girls' school. Many of the Lancaster farm families had started to send their daughters to receive the excellent education offered by the Moravians, and some came at such a distance that it was necessary for the school to be a boarding facility. This new building, known today as Stengel Hall, is still part of the school; the school itself was given the name of Lititz Seminary. At its core, it sought to educate its students so that they could be responsible citizens with a love of knowledge, and even today it still espouses that basic philosophy.
The school only narrowly managed to survive the Revolutionary War. General George Washington commandeered the Brethren's House as a hospital during the war, forcing the boys' school to relocate. Meanwhile, a diphtheria epidemic in the winter of 1777-78 forced most of the girls to evacuate from Lititz and return to their families, leaving just four students continuing to study at the Sisters' House.
The boys' school does not have a marker, so let me just give it a paragraph here. In the 18th century it was turned over to the care of a teacher named John Beck, and renamed the Beck School for Boys. Its alumni included
John F. Reynolds, the great Union general killed at Gettysburg; Franklin Gowen, the railroad tycoon who played a terrible role in the fate of the
Molly Maguires; and one of the nephews adopted by
Thaddeus Stevens after he moved to Lancaster. It was a very successful venture, but didn't last beyond the Civil War, and closed its doors in 1865.
By 1794, the Moravians decided to open the doors of the Lititz Seminary to girls not of the Moravian faith, and have done so ever since. In 1883, the planting of several beautiful linden trees on the school campus led the name to be changed to Linden Hall. The school was and remains committed to keeping faithful records of its history, with carefully preserved church diaries throughout its lifetime reflecting the events which shaped the school and community. They're also committed to recovering early artifacts from the school, and particularly samples of the exquisite ornamental needlework taught to the young ladies who studied there.
Due to having been begun in the Gemeinhaus, Linden Hall is able to claim the title of being the oldest continuously operated school for girls in the United States, and still occupies pride of place in the Moravian Square of Lititz. A junior college operated as part of the school from 1935 to 1961, with a secretarial course included among the offerings. Its student literary magazine, the Echo, is the oldest continuously published school journal in the United States, having been printed regularly since 1877.
As times have changed, so has the curriculum; over the years the courses offered have expanded to include anatomy, philosophy, a rigorous STEM program, a nationally ranked equestrian program, and even an aviation program for licensing pilots. Linden Hall girls are given the option of being day students or boarding on campus, and the school boasts enrollment from all across the United States as well as from other countries. Students are admitted from grades 6 through 12, and the courses are college preparatory.
Though they are no longer affiliated with the Moravian Church, nor any other religion, Linden Hall continues to embrace the education of girls as the Moravians intended, by "caring for the whole girl - intellectually, emotionally, physically, socially, and spiritually." On 49 acres of beautiful Lancaster County, they have been helping girls become community leaders for more than 275 years, and show no sign of stopping.
Sources and Further Reading:
Linden Hall Seminary.
A century and three-quarters of life and service: Linden Hall Seminary, Lititz, Pennsylvania, 1746-1921. The Conestoga Publishing Company, Lancaster, 1921. Reproduced online courtesy of the Internet Archive,
found here.
Update 11/1/2022: My friend Jon, the Hometown Historian, did a video about the history of Linden Hall and even shared some facts I didn't know!
Check it out here.
If you've enjoyed this, please leave a comment!
Except where indicated, all writing and photography on this blog is the intellectual property of Laura Klotz. This blog is written with permission of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. I am not employed by the PHMC. All rights reserved.
Very well written, Laura. Good pictures and extremely informative text. Keep up the good work, girl.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young I wanted so much to go to Linden Hall but of course we could not afford it. Thank you for this wonderful piece.
ReplyDelete