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Log College Monument and Historical Marker The Log College that is mentioned in writings as beginning in 1727, had not yet been given that name. The Reverend William Tennent began teaching even before that date. He had begun teaching with his sons, starting with his oldest, Gilbert. At that time, no seminary was available in the colonies and it was necessary to go to Europe for instruction. His teaching of other students may have begun in his home in Northampton Township, at the “Forks of the Neshaminy”, in 1727. At that time, he was regularly supplying, as a pastor, congregations in Bensalem and Warwick, Bucks County. In 1730, he gave up supplying the Bristol congregation due to his age and the distance that he had to travel. He had also, on occasion, supplied the congregations in Newtown and Deep Run. There is evidence that, in 1730, the Tennent family moved to a plantation in Warminster, near the Warwick congregation and its church. The plantation owner had moved to New York. The Reverend Tennent and his sons then built a structure for his school on the northeast corner of the plantation and across the York Road from the home where they now lived. Again, the students in his school included his sons. The school was operated until the Reverend’s death in 1746. During that time, it was referred to derisively by the local community as “Tennent’s Log College”. He and his sons had built the structure of logs, and the majority of structures in the area, including his home, were of other more lasting materials. When the school was built, Tennent had not yet purchased the plantation. The college is arguably the fourth to begin in the colonies, the first to begin in the colony of Pennsylvania, and it can be considered the first seminary. It is known to be the first where a needy student was given a scholarship to attend. Abandoned as a school in 1746, the Log College structure is believed to have become a farm building until it deteriorated in the early nineteenth century and was demolished. In 1889, President Harrison and about twelve thousand citizens traveled to the Log College site to commemorate it. At that time, he extracted a promise, from local citizens, that a monument would be placed on the site. It was in 1916 when the small piece of property where the monument would stand was purchased from the Stackhouse family. In 1927, the monument was dedicated. It is adorned with four bronze plaques. The center plaque on the primary side commemorates Reverend William Tennent and his legacy. The two side plaques list the 63 colleges and universities that were then considered direct descendants of the Log College. The plaque on the rear covers the placement of the monument. There are writings of other schools across this country that name their schools as “The Second Log College”, “Our Log College” and such. These writers and commemorators seem to see the value of that early school in Warminster. Besides the monument that stands on York Road in Warminster, we find also in Warminster Township, Log College Drive, Log College Middle School, Log College Apartments, and the Log College neighborhood. The Centennial School District High School that services Warminster Township is named for William Tennent. It is hard to understand why the site and its monument have never been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The monument has been repaired and restored, and will be perpetually cared for by The Millbrook Society. We conducted an archaeology project at the site in 2007, with the permission of the site owner, The Bucks County Historical Society. We also conducted research and surveys on the site. The results of our survey give a preliminary indication of the base dimensions of the college as well as the location of the doorway and the size and material of the fireplace and its hearth. During the archaeology, daubing (or chinking) was found that is believed to be from the original log structure. The Millbrook Society sponsored the installation of a state historical marker at the College site, in October 2008. The Neshaminy-Warwick Presbyterian Church provided matching funds to the state grant which funded the project. |
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Weekly meetings are held Wednesday nights from 7:30 - 9:30 PM. Please come and join us.
For additional information, please contact: The Millbrook Society 32 North York Road P.O. Box 506, Hatboro, PA 19040 (215)957-1877
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