Haines Street
Old Methodist Meeting House and Infant School
Thomas H. Shoemaker Collection, folio 21
Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Included are John Richards' wash and ink drawing, a caption and manuscript text:

Caption:
"The Old Methodist Meeting House & Infant School. On Methodist Lane, Now E Haines St, Lower Side."

Manuscript text, dated 1889:

"The Old Methodist Church and Germantown Infant School"

"This building is situated on the lower side of Haines St, or Methodist Lane, a short distance from the Main St and was built by the Methodists and used by them for many years as their meeting house. This was probably about 1800. The cornerstone was laid by Mrs. Dorothy Reger who also made a prayer at the service.

"Samuel Harvey (see his picture & that of his house in this collection) was one of the earliest and most active members of the church, being a local preacher of considerable note.

"When the congregation outgrew this building and erected the more spacious edifice further back the lane in 1829, it was secured and the 'Germantown Infant School' founded. The originators were John Snowden, Henry and Reuben Haines, with a board of ladies to assist. A small fee was charged them who could afford to pay (10 cts per week) while the very poor came free. Two or three years ago it was given up, as the Kindergartens and Public Schools seemed to render it unnecessary....

"In olden times the children were provided with bread and molasses for dinner and there was a bed ready for any little one who dropped asleep. The girls were taught to sew and to spin flax.

"The necessary funds to run the school were obtained from the inhabitants of the town in small subscriptions, the fee charged amounting to very little."

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