Union School
Why it's listed
Built in 1773 as a fieldstone schoolhouse in Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery County, the Union School was funded through the will of Samuel Morris, a local justice of the peace and overseer of the Plymouth Friends Meeting who died in 1770. His brother Joshua Morris carried out the bequest and completed the building. The will allowed children living within a 1½-mile radius of Morris's home, Hope Lodge, to attend free of charge. The school is described as one of the earliest public schools in Pennsylvania and the first successful one that admitted pupils regardless of social position or religious affiliation. Children, parents and grandparents attended over the years. A schoolmaster's house was added to the north end in the early 1800s, and the roof was raised to meet its roofline. The school was used until 1936, except for a period in the 1870s when it served as a lyceum. A trust created in 1773 still supports education in Whitemarsh, Whitpain and Upper Dublin townships.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes the Union School as one of the earliest public schools in Pennsylvania and the first successful school open to students regardless of social position or religious preference. It was founded through the will of Samuel Morris, whose bequest funded the building and a teacher's salary, and it was used as a school until 1936.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80003576, listed August 11, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 516--518 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | August 11, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003576 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1773 |
| Architect / builder | Joshua Morris (builder) |
| Areas of significance | Education |
| Level of significance | National |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 40.12868, -75.21793 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80003576.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7886006
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.