One Step At A…. TIMES
October 18, 2010
Our Journey Begins at FCS
Happy 20th Anniversary By Gavin Sultan and Tori Lane Photos by Jonah Wexler and Nina Saligman Did you know this is the 20th anniversary of the Lower School moving to this campus? Before we moved here the Lower School was where the Middle School is now, on the other campus. “I think it’s terrific. We moved here exactly 20 years ago in 1990,” said Mr. Ludwig. “The reason we moved was that the school grew and we didn’t have enough space. It was really too small.” At first they were going to build a new Lower School on the girl’s Mr. Ludwig has an old map in his office from 1913. It shows our campus when it was a home to the athletic field at the other campus. Hopper Family, called Pennhurst Estate. After that “Then all of a sudden, just at the right it became a school called The Montgomery Day time, this space became available and School. We bought it in 1990. Mr. Ludwig is standing next to a plaque outside Now it is near the flagpole that commemorates the celebra- we were the first to find out,” said Mr. FRIENDS’ CENTRAL LOWER SCHOOL! tion of the Lower School’s move to this campus. Ludwig. The Montgomery Day School was here on Old Gulph Road. Dr. Tom Wood, the previous headmaster, and the Board of Trustees found out that the property was available. They made the decision to buy it and move to this campus. The Montgomery Day School was very expensive. It cost between two and three million dollars. We renovated and added on a new building using money that the school had saved and some money that they borHere is a close-up of the plaque near the flagpole. rowed. They built the new part where See if you can find it the next time you are outside. PreK, Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd It is a dedication to our new home on October 13th, grade, 3rd grade and 4A are now. The Notice the document right outside of the cafeteria. 1990, exactly 20 years ago. old building was built 115 years ago in It is signed by everyone who witnessed our celebration 20 years ago. 1895. It was a home called the Can you find people that you know? Pennhurst Estate. We have 18 acres of land and if Friends’ Central hadn’t moved here, this land would have probably been used for building houses. “By being a school here, we saved this area and kept it green, which I think is great,” said Mr. Ludwig, Mr. Ludwig says he likes being principal because he loves watching the kids grow up and helping them in school. He also said, “I love the fact that we are one Friends’ Central with two campuses.”