Linden Hall School for Girls is an independent boarding and day school for girls in grades 6–12 located in Lititz, Pennsylvania. The school was founded in 1746 and is the oldest girls' boarding and day school in continuous operation in the United States.[4][5][6][7]
| Linden Hall School for Girls | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
212 East Main Street , , 17543-2029 United States | |
| Coordinates | 40°09′23″N 76°18′09″W / 40.15649°N 76.30250°W |
| Information | |
| Former name | Lititz Seminary |
| Type | Independent boarding & day school |
| Motto | Latin: non scholae sed vitae discimus (We do not learn for school, but life.) |
| Established | November 1746 |
| Status | Currently operational[1] |
| CEEB code | 392295 |
| NCES School ID | 01197774[1] |
| Head of school | Nan Wodarz[2] |
| Faculty | 25.1 (on an FTE basis)[1] |
| Grades | 6–12 |
| Gender | All-female |
| Enrollment | 123 (2022-2023) |
| • Grade 6 | 6 |
| • Grade 7 | 8 |
| • Grade 8 | 14 |
| • Grade 9 | 17 |
| • Grade 10 | 22 |
| • Grade 11 | 26 |
| • Grade 12 | 28 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 8.2[1] |
| Hours in school day | 7[1] |
| Campus size | 49 acres (20 ha) |
| Campus type | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Blue & White |
| Nickname | Lady Lions |
| Publication | Echo |
| Newspaper | The Linden Ledger |
| Annual tuition | $62,696[3] |
| Affiliations | NAIS,[1] & TABS[1] |
| Website | lindenhall |
History
editLinden Hall traces its history to November 1746, when a Moravian congregation was established in Lititz.[8] The congregation's original building was a "Gemeinhaus," a log structure that could serve as a combined chapel, schoolhouse, and parsonage. The school educated both boys and girls. As of 1758, it reportedly enrolled "70 to 77 children."[9] Brethren's and Sisters' Houses were built by the Moravian congregation between 1758 and 1761 to separate the activities and education of the community's unmarried men and women.[10] The original Gemeinhaus building was taken down in 1766. For the next few years, girls' schooling occurred in the Sisters' House, while boys' schooling was closely associated with the Brethren's House. Church diaries from this period mention that girls from Moravian families in Lancaster (several miles from Lititz) were enrolling in the school and boarding with local families.[10][9] The local Moravian congregation was a country congregation whose members lived on scattered farms, so it is likely that some of their daughters boarded at the school or nearby due to its distance from their homes.[11] In May 1769, the cornerstone was laid for a new building for the girls' school to accommodate a growing student body. This building, now named Stengel Hall, is still standing as of 2020. The school's first recorded non-Moravian boarding student, Margaret "Peggy" Marvel of Baltimore, Maryland, was enrolled in 1794.[10][9]
The school's name was changed from Lititz Seminary to Linden Hall in 1883. The new name referred to plantings of basswood (linden) trees on the campus.[9]
The John Beck's Boys Academy, now defunct, also was related to the Moravian church schools established in Lititz in the 1700s.[11][12]
Linden Hall added a junior college, Linden Hall Junior College, in 1935. Its offerings included a secretarial program. The school discontinued the Junior College in 1961.[9]
The school's weekly chapel services are held in the Lititz Moravian Church and incorporate "readings, commentaries, and music that represent many of the major philosophies and religions" along with the "School's Moravian heritage".[13]
Curriculum
editLinden Hall's curriculum is aimed at college preparation.[14] Extracurricular activity offerings include an equestrian program. Team sports include soccer, tennis, volleyball, riding, cross country, golf, basketball, archery, and dance. A cooperative program with Warwick High School enables Linden Hall students to participate in field hockey, lacrosse, swimming, track and field, softball, and bowling teams.[15] Upper school students can participate in an aviation program through which they can earn a pilot's license.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for Linden Hall". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ "Head of School Welcome". About. Linden Hall. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ "Tuition & Financial Aid". Admissions. Linden Hall. 2022–2023. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ "At a Glance". Linden Hall. Archived from the original on April 6, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
- ^ "Explore PA History.com". Retrieved 20 December 2012.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission". Retrieved 20 December 2012.
- ^ "Venture Lititz". Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
- ^ Handler, Bonnie (1996). Linden Hall: Enduring Values, Changing Times. Library of Congress: Sutter House Publishers. p. 34.
- ^ a b c d e "Linden Hall History". Linden Hall. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ a b c A century and three-quarters of life and service: Linden Hall Seminary, Lititz, Pennsylvania, 1746-1921. Lancaster, Pa.: The Conestoga Publishing Company. 1921.
- ^ a b "Interesting Historical Facts about Linden Hall Seminary" (PDF). Linden Hall Echo. Lititz, Pennsylvania: Linden Hall. October 1909.. Note: Article content attributed to the Bethlehem (Pennsylvania) Times, 23 August 1909.
- ^ Haller, Mabel (1953). "Early Moravian Education in Pennsylvania". Transactions of the Moravian Historical Society. 15: i–409. JSTOR 41179327.
- ^ "Linden Hall Parent/Student Handbook, 2019-20" (PDF). Linden Hall. Retrieved 19 January 2020. Pages 42 and 62
- ^ "Course of Study". Linden Hall. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ "Athletics & Riding". Linden Hall. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ "Linden Hall". Private School Review. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
