24 September 1968
by Ed Dybicz
When Upper Merion decided to build its own high school in 1927, the location became such an issue, that the Lower and Upper voting district fought about it.
This perhaps came about from the pledge made by winning Lower District School Directors that the new educational plant would be built in the Lower District, then comprising Gulph Mills, Rebel Hill – Mechanicsville, Hughes Park, Swedeland, King Manor and Swedesburg.
The battle over the school site raged to a point where many citizens in both districts offered land free of charge for the proposed school building.
It is interesting to examine the battle lines which were drawn when a meeting was held on Feb. 8, 1927 at the Swedeland School for the site selection.
A newspaper account read: “The majority of the Board had in mind its election promise to build the school in the Lower District. This was admitted by Director Charles McKay who objected to making a change because of the pledge.
“It turned out to be an old time community gathering. The League of Women Voters also had a large delegation among the 200 people who crowded into a classroom.
“The assemblage wanted to hear the free offer of land reported by William Walker, a resident of the Upper District, who said he had made a free offer of four acres at three different parts of his farm with all the land abutting Swedesford Rd. (now DeKalb Pike) and not far from the present antiquated school building at King of Prussia.
“Mr. Walker told the directors if four acres are not enough, he would add whatever more was needed.
“Harry Wood, a neighbor of Mr. Walker’s, also made a proposition to the School Board in the form of four and a half-acres for one dollar. Mr. Wood also made an offer of meeting the Board half-way in having a water main extend 400 feet to the school site.”
“There was also an offer of free land of two acres by Joseph Shoemaker on Church Rd. near Crooked Lane in the Lower District. To this was added a free offer of two acres adjoining that of Mr. Shoemaker by Francis J. McCormick.
“John M. Yerger offered for sale six acres of land near Hughes Park at $2,000 per acre.
“A feature of the meeting was a highly exploited legal point whether the School Board could buy a part of the historic Hughes Tract opposite Hughes Park because John Hughes, a member of the family owning the land, was a school director.
“F. P. Croft of Port Kennedy said the only place for a Junior High School was on Swedesford Rd. (Now DeKalb Pike) and not along any back road or crooked lane. ‘The future of the township is between King of Prussia and Bridgeport’ said Mr. Croft.
“Others who spoke in favor of a school site in the Upper District were Rev. J. P. Lafferty, Rev. William Seen, and Howard Hampton. Speaking for advantages in the Lower District was Frank Rhinehart.
“A surprise resume was given at the meeting by Miss Ann Pechin on the school census.
“She said there are 973 pupils enrolled in Upper Merion. Of these, Swedesburg has 160; Swedeland, 305; Gulph Mills, 168; Port Kennedy, 167; King of Prussia, 102; Heavnerville, 26; and King Manor, 45.
“Also Sacred Heart Parochial School in Swedesburg has an enrollment of 300 pupils.
“Miss Pechin said, Swedesburg with a population of 1700 inhabitants, may be lost since Bridgeport Borough Council voted to annex the village and possibly King Manor. Supervisors will oppose the annexation movement in Court.
“A vote was taken by the School Directors on Mr. Walker’s free offer of land in Upper District, but ended in a tie.”
Many interesting meetings, filled with charges and counter charges, various debates involving State Authorities and County School Officials, finally ended when the School Board settled on a site in the Lower District, purchasing the land area bounded by Gulph, Henderson and Crooked Lane in Gulph Mills. A high school was built and opened in 1930.
This property today houses the Henderson Rd. School in which is also located the Pennsylvania State University Evening School and the Crooked Lane and Yerkes Rd. School.
2019 UPDATE
With the construction of the new Gulph Elementary School in 1953, the building became a junior-senior high. Due to overcrowding, it was converted to a junior high in 1958, and was eventually closed in 1964 when the new Upper Merion Junior High was completed.
It was later sold and is now The Merion Building.