Sleighton Farm School - 1826 to 2001
A school that housed generations of boys and girls in Glen Mills, PA.

At the Very Beginning...

In the 1600s, Henry Sleighton, a Quaker from Pennsylvania, was given a nearly 100 acre grant of land from William Penn. Throughout the lifespan of this land, many owners would build cottages, barns, and other buildings until the school was finally named after Sleighton in 1931 and left to be reclaimed by nature.

Philadelphia House of Refuge

The first organization with roots to the Sleighton Farm School, known as the Philadelphia House of Refuge, was founded on February 7th, 1826. At first having trouble gathering funds, the original coordinators of the House of Refuge project were able to gather around $10,000 from the state legislator and $5,000 annually for five years from the Philadelphia County Commissioners. With just enough money to purchase land and construct buildings, the House was formed.

The House of Refuge served as housing and a school for juvenile boys and girls who were to be treated differently than adult criminals. On the grounds, the children worked farm jobs and learned until they reached the age of 18. 

In 1889, after around 63 years of being together, the boy's department and the girl's department were split after the Glen Mills School for Boys was founded. When the boys moved out, the girls stayed in the House of Refuge.

In 1906, because of the harshness of the House, Martha Platt Falconer, the superintendent of the school at the time, was unsatisfied and wanted to reform in order to maintain a "family setting." This is when the Sleighton Farm School legacy starts.

Glen Mills School Girls Department

In 1906, the House of Refuge bought the 100 acres of land that was converted into a mill during the Civil War by Isaac Evans from the Evans family. At the time, old barn ruins and a farmhouse built by John Worrall in 1833 sat on the plot of land and were incorporated by the school.

In 1908, the Cope and Stewardson Architectural firm was commissioned to design and plan for the construction of dormitories and other buildings to be used at the school. By 1910, nine Colonial-styled dormitories were built, a Greek-styled administrative building, a small stone cottage, and a powerhouse were built, along with a circular drive roadway system. Trees were planted throughout the property, including lining for all of the roads, and the school was ready for opening.

In 1911, operated by Glen Mills Schools and known as the Glen Mills School Girls Department, the school opened up to troubled youth. Girls worked on the farm and followed a similar but less harsh schedule to the House one. 

Eventually, by 1931, the school broke away from Glen Mills Schools and took the name Sleighton after Henry Sleighton, the original owner of the land the school was built on. 

Sleighton Farm School

By 1931, the Sleighton Farm School offered tons of opportunities to students living there, ranging from Drivers Education to Photography among regular core subjects. With "top-notch" administration and faculty, the school had a thriving community, even including its newspaper, "The Village Street Beat." Sleighton's basketball team, the Sleighton Hawks, also thrived. 

In 1960, Sleighton was no longer classified as a "farm" school, so the school was renamed Sleighton. Eventually, in 1965, the chapel was built, and in the 80's the gym was built. 

In 1975, the school was converted into a CO-ED facility, later being populated by more boys than girls. 

The Downfall of Sleighton

In 1996, Sleighton started to see a decline in students. By 1998, their student count went down from 400 to 220, they had lost all of their contracts because of poor conditions, and there were more employees than students.

Sleighton's government funds were not enough to support the school without third-party funding, so Elwyn paid off their debts and invested another $1 million in renovations, totaling around $4 million invested in Sleighton. As a last-minute effort, Sleighton Inc. was formed by Elwyn, and they tried hosting new mental health programs. They ultimately could not attract enough students from the courts to break even. 

Eventually, in early 2001, the decision was made to sell the property for as much as possible. Soon after, in September 2001, Sleighton was closed and the property was left abandoned.

Sleighton's Fate...

Since 2001, there have been numerous talks about restoring or repurposing Sleighton. Although some deep consideration has been put into the abandoned Sleighton property, nothing has happened other than ownership transformation. As of 2014, Sleighton Inc. is looking to rezone the property for future development.

Right now, Sleighton sits, rotting under the wrath of vandals and neglect. Nature has started to reclaim the area, but nothing can stop people from trespassing and destroying the once-beautiful abandoned dormitories. Consider visiting the Campus Tour for a better look at the campus before and after its abandonment. 

Across the Street From Sleighton

Across the street, several houses dating back to the 1800s housed civilians and other people related to Sleighton.

The houses across the street from Sleighton were either acquired by or donated to Sleighton over the years, making up roughly another 250 acres. One of the properties was the George Baker property, which contains the original home and carriage house. The Bakers were well-known carpenters. The home, built in 1803, was referred to as the “Little House.” The carriage house, later converted into a home, was referred to as the “Mary B. Lucky House.” This property was owned by Margaret C. Freeborn in 1913. Another property across the street was owned by Alfred Darlington in 1875, which included a home, barn, and tenant house. All three of these were built in the 1800s. The home was referred to as “Stokes Cottage,” and the barn was referred to as “Stokes Barn.” The tenant home was referred to as the “Clubhouse.” This property was also owned by Margaret C. Freeborn in 1913.

To this day, all but one house has been demolished.