This institution is located in the town of Dayton, a village containing about four hundred inhabitants, and occupying a beautiful site in the extreme north-east part of the county of Armstrong. The town is in the midst of a thrifty agricultural community, and the people of both town and county are noted for their morality, intelligence, and devotion to the cause of education.

When it was first known, in the summer of 1866, that an orphan school was needed somewhere in this or the adjoining counties, it was very generally conceded that Dayton was the proper place for its establishment. Her citizens, having been apprised of this fact, promptly took the subject under consideration, and after holding one or two meetings, and determining to engage in the enterprise, deputed Rev. D. K. Duff to confer, in reference to the matter, with Hon. Thomas H. Burrowes, then Superintendent of Soldiers' Orphans Dr. Burrowes, having been advised of the movement here, visited the place, and, after making a verbal agreement with some of the leading men for the opening of a school, selected the site on which the buildings now stand. A company was then formed with a capital of $15,000, and was composed of twenty-two members; namely, Revs. D. K. Duff and T. M. Elder, Drs. William Hosack and J. R. Crouch, and Messrs. Robert Marshall, Wesley Pontius, William R. Hamilton, William Marshall, T. P. Ormond, Thomas H. Marshall, Smith Neal, William Morrow, W. J. Burns, J. W. Marshall, Samuel Good, J. H. Rupp, William Hindman, John Beck, Jacob Beck, John Craig, David Lawson, and David Byers.

Buildings were rented until more suitable accommodations could be procured. During the fall of 1866 the company bought thirty-five acres of land, and immediately proceeded to the erection of buildings. Three two-story houses were built, as may be seen by reference to the engraving preceding this sketch. The first house, 72x24 feet in size, was ready for use in the early part of the spring of 1867; the second, 72x36 feet, was built during the summer and fall of the same year; and the third, 86x40 feet, was ready to be occupied by the 1st of September, 1868. These houses were all substantial frame structures, well suited to their purpose, and, together, capable of accommodating about two hundred and twenty-five children. In December, 1873, two of these houses, the first and the last built, and nearly all their contents, were destroyed by fire; but were replaced within six months by two others, one of which--the smaller--was eight feet wider than the one it replaced; while both were better and more convenient than the former ones.

Rev. T. M. Elder was chosen Principal, and conducted the school from its commencement till his resignation, which took effect on the first day of September, 1871. The school opened, November 1, 1866, with sixty scholars, forty of whom were transfers from Phillipsburg and North Sewickley State Orphan Schools. Up to the date of Rev. Elder's resignation, the whole number of children admitted into the school was three hundred and three. Of these, two had died; one had been transferred to another school; seven had been discharged by order of the Superintendent; ninety had been discharged by reason of age; and two hundred and three were still members of the school, but six of them had been absent for some time. The average number of children in attendance for this period of time was one hundred and fifty-seven. The health of the children was remarkably good, there being very few serious cases of sickness, and no diseases except those incident to childhood, --such as measles, whooping-cough, etc. The measles went through the school in the spring of 1868, and directly or indirectly caused the two deaths above referred to.

Rev. J. E. Dodds was chosen Principal, and entered upon the duties of his position, September 1, 1871. By the next October, the number of orphans had increased to two hundred and forty-seven,--a greater number than could be properly taken care of with the accommodations then provided; but Mr. Dodds was in no way blamable for this over-crowding of the school, the orders having been issued, and the arrangements made for the admission of the additional number of children, before he took charge. Nor is the former Principal responsible; it was an oversight consequent on the change of Principals. Through discharges, transfers, or otherwise, the number gradually decreased, till, on the fifth day of January, 1872, there were but one hundred and ninety scholars present. At this date Rev. Dodds resigned, and Professor Hugh McCandless, the present Principal, was chosen to take his place. From this time to the present the health of the school has been good, there having been but one death, and very little sickness of any kind, considering the large number in attendance. The average number of pupils during the last four years was two hundred and six. The whole number of orphans received into the school from its commencement to the present time was four hundred and ninety-nine. Of these, three died; twenty-four were transferred to other schools; thirty-eight were discharged by order of the Superintendent; two hundred and twenty-nine were discharged by reason of age--leaving now two hundred and five still in school. From the opening of the school to the present it has prospered far beyond the expectation of its supporters, and has been steadily increasing in efficiency and in favor with the people. None now openly oppose the system, and all have encouraged and heartily supported the present Principal in his management of the school. The children who have gone out from the school show, by their course in society, that the training received here is at least as good a preparation for the duties of life as that obtained elsewhere.

Pennsylvania's Soldier's Orphan School by James Laughery Paul, Chief Clerk of the Department of Soldiers' Orphan Schools, 1876.