Building for negro school requested about 1771
The Negro School, established 1770, was first housed in a building rented for that use,[282] in which it continued for nearly a year. The plans for a permanent school made a building for that purpose desirable, and in 1771 the committee on education of the Negroes requested that a house be built on the lot where the alms-houses were situated, which was granted.[283] This house was occupied by the school until charge of it was assumed by Anthony Benezet (1782), who held the school in his own house.[284]
Restatement of points considered
In the foregoing pages we have mentioned some of the facts of the establishment and development of the school in Philadelphia, with reference to (1) founding, (2) support, (3) masters, (4) properties, buildings and grounds. It is deemed advisable to omit from this chapter any presentation of curriculum, excepting as that has been mentioned at a few places, reserving such presentation to a chapter comprising all the schools established in Pennsylvania. As a fitting close to the previous discussion of the century’s development, we present, almost entire, one of the reports returned by the committee of the meeting, which in a fair way will tell the reader more about the growth up to, and the status of the system in 1784, than will any discussion. Portions of the report are discussed in other chapters.
The report to the monthly meeting (1784) indicates status of schools on that date
The schools under their direction and care within the limits of this meeting, are:
(1) One under the tuition of Robert Proud, by whom about 30 boys are instructed in the Latin and Greek languages and some branches of the mathematics; his salary is fixed at £250 per annum, having an usher who is allowed £80 per annum, at the expense of the estate under the care of the overseers. The present £6 per annum for each scholar for which he accounts to the said overseers and has for one year past received one Guinea entrance to his own use and charges 5/ for fuel. We had some conversation with him on the case necessary to guard against the use of such books, whose contents have a tendency to prepossess the youthful minds with sentiments unfavorable to the Christian faith and the true spirit of the gospel; which appears had his attention, having observed a care therein agreeable to what the occasion requires. In this school are read Barclay’s Apology in Latin and the Testament in Latin and Greek. The overseers have enjoined the attendance of the scholars who are chiefly members of our own religious society, at our meeting on the fifth day of the week, but it had not been sufficiently observed.
(2) One under the care of John Todd, in which are taught reading, writing, the English Grammar, Arithmetic and some other branches of the mathematics. It consists of 88 boys on this list, for 83 of whom he has 20/ per quarter, 2/6 for pen and ink, 5/ for fuel; on the entrance of each 15/ except where the parents or guardians are not of ability to afford it, the other 5 being put to him by the school corporation, he teaches for 10/ per quarter. He remarked there are each day about 70 together. The master appears careful to observe good order in his school and frequently attends our meeting on the 5th day with his scholars. He also kept a night school in the winter season consisting of 82 scholars.
(3) One by Isaac Weaver consisting of about 28 boys, being limited to 10/ per quarter, 2/6 for pen and ink and 5/ a year for fuel, he takes no entrance fee and teaches reading, writing, and arithmetic, and is careful to keep good order in the school, also frequently brings his scholars to the meeting fifth day.