Letter from the Northeast
Autistic Endeavors Learning Center was unable to come up with enough cash to complete the planned July purchase of the historic Lower Dublin Academy in Holmesburg. Situated at Academy and Willits Roads (Academy Road takes its name from the building), the Lower Dublin Academy is one of the most historic buildings in the Northeast. A fire gutted the structure in 2006, leaving it a burned-out, endangered hulk. Autistic Endeavors has plans to renovate the building and, appropriately enough, use it for the original purpose for which it was constructed in 1798: education.
Now, with acquisition delayed, the non-profit school turns to two fundraising events in October.
Lower Dublin Academy
The Lower Dublin Academy traces its history to money designated for the education of local youth in the 1695 will of Holmesburg resident Thomas Holme (1625-1695), Pennsylvania’s first Surveyor General and the man who laid out the City of Philadelphia. The area at that time was part of Lower Dublin Township in the County of Philadelphia. Holme’s bequest was not actually carried out until 1723, when his estate in Lower Dublin was divided following the death of his daughter. An acre and a half of the estate was set aside at that time for construction of a log schoolhouse. By the late eighteenth century the schoolhouse had become deteriorated and the Trustees of the Lower Dublin Academy were incorporated in 1794 to manage the school and administer its funds. They built the present Academy building on the site in 1798. Among the school’s early alumni were naval war hero Stephen Decatur (1779-1820) and educator and clergyman Thomas Hill (1818-1891), President of Harvard University from 1862 to 1868.
Lower Dublin Academy, photo by Fred Moore
In the mid nineteenth century the Academy building was leased to the Controllers of the Public Schools of the First School District of Pennsylvania and renamed the Thomas Holme School. In 1901 it was sold to the City of Philadelphia and served as a city public school until it was closed in 1925. After that, the building was a private residence for a time and then became vacant. It was being renovated for law offices when the fire, which was determined to be arson, struck in 2006.
The fate of the Academy has been a major concern ever since. In 2008 local historian Bruce Conner formed the Friends of Lower Dublin Academy to work toward preserving the building. Through Bruce’s efforts the Academy was placed on Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia’s 2009 Endangered Properties List and various strategies were being explored for preserving it. Now those efforts may be unnecessary. Autistic Endeavors’ Founder and President/CEO David Butkiewicz has indicated that he is committed to preserving the building and celebrating its history.
Although they no longer have any connection to the building, the Trustees of the Lower Dublin Academy still exist as a charitable organization, awarding grants for local educational purposes. The Friends of Lower Dublin Academy, a separate organization, is focused primarily on preserving the building. Sadly, its founder Bruce Conner died in March of this year as a result of injuries sustained in an auto accident and will not be around to see what happens to the building he worked so hard to preserve.
Excellent coverage by Jack McCarthy.
Lower Dublin Acadmey is indeed an historic hidden treasure, the awareness of which only recently surfaced (in the last five years) as a result of the Northeast Philadelphia History Network’s efforts to find and preserve the history of the Northeast. For most of the 20th century LDA’s importance to the 19th century was ignored and forgotten. A lesson too often learned. Our obsession with moving forward as quickly as possible leaves the past rapidly vanishing in the rear view mirror. We need to slow down.
Fred Moore
nephillyhistory.com
HI Fred well said!
as a resident of the Northeast ,i’d like to thank you for the work you do Fred
AGENDA
COMMITTEE ON HISTORIC DESIGNATION
PHILADELPHIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION
14 SEPTEMBER 2016, 9:30 A.M.
1515 ARCH STREET, ROOM 18-029
EMILY COOPERMAN, CHAIR
http://www.phila.gov/historical/Documents/3322-Willits-Rd-final.pdf
ADDRESS: 3322 WILLITS RD
Name of Resource: Lower Dublin Academy
Proposed Action: Designation
Property Owner: Richard and Linda Gutman
Nominator: Joseph Menkevich
Staff Contact: Kim Broadbent, kim.broadbent@phila.gov, 215-686-7660
September 2016 update to this 2011 article:
Autistic Endeavors Learning Center was never able to purchase the Lower Dublin Academy building and is no longer involved with it. The building is still owned by the lawyers who were renovating it when it was struck by fire in 2006. It remains very much as described in the 2011 article: a burned-out deteriorating hulk whose fate is uncertain.
Local historian Joe Menkevich has nominated the building for historic designation by the Philadelphia Historical Commission. As outlined in his comment above, a hearing before the Commission’s Committee on Historic Designation is scheduled for 9/14/16.
Friends of Lower Dublin Academy no longer exists, having re-formed in 2014 as Friends of Northeast Philadelphia with a broader mission of preserving and presenting the history of all of Northeast Philadelphia.
Jack McCarthy
Maybe we should get in touch with some of those property renovators that are on HGTV or Magnolia Network.
On 14th September 2016, the proposal to nominate the Lower Dublin Academy was approved by the Historical Committee of the PHC.
There will be a hearing in October for final approval by the Philadelphia Historical Commission.
J.M.
Dear Mr. Menkevich:
I am very interested in the preservation of this building. Please let me know what I can do.
Thank you,
Kind regards,
Dauri Kretsch
3920 Dartmouth Place
Philadelphia, PA 19136
267-515-4002
Dear Mr. Menkevich:
Thank you for contacting me today. I look forward to looking ar the pictures and maps. I hope this building can be preserved. Thank you for all you have done. Please let me know what happens!
Thank you and have a great day!
Could you please tell me the link to review your proposal.
Kind regards,
Dauri Kretsch
Well, it’s been over seven months. Did they vote to save it, did they hit it with the wrecking ball regardless of what they voted for & destroyed this institution? Or have they done nothing & left it still sitting there!?
Any updates? I just drove by the building and it’s still sad looking 🙁 would love to see it brought back to life!
1st August 2018, Northeast Times:
“The oldest standing school building in the state was purchased with the intent of revitalizing it as a school and community center.”
https://northeasttimes.com/building-a-connection-6e7c276a7e69
I lived in academy gardens most of my life and i went to THomas Holme elementary amd we learned the history.THe building also was the resident of alot of the neighbors doctor. Mr rodell. He loved that house and its history.MAybe too much. I really hate seeing this historical building rotting away and the state does nothing. I feel the northeady is ignored slot when they need help. Please save this building.
Maybe I could buy it and restore it. I am actually a many times granddaughter of Thomas Holme. My husband and I have been talking about buying and restoring some old homes and buildings. Does anyone know if it is still for sale? It would totally mesh with my love of ancestry and interior design.
Sounds Awesome Jen. Good Luck to you
Sadly, a well known Doctor murdered his daughter with a shotgun at this property (Dr. Rydell) I believe this happened in 1990 or 1991.
He was an alcoholic father but well respected Dr. who owned this property as their home.
Dr. Rodell was his name, he actually killed his daughter in front of the house..apparently many long-time residents are unaware of this but I was a child when this happen. His daughter was a innocent, young nurse..The building is apparently being taken over by an Albanian-Culture Society.