A display designed to celebrate the history of schools located in Caernarvon Township is currently being featured at the Caernarvon Historical Society building. The display features memorabilia from the former Caernarvon Academy, paintings of local schools created by artist Jere Brady of Morgantown, photos of former students and a list of names of teachers who taught at the various schools.

Open houses will be held at the facility on Sundays, March 9 and 23 and April 6 and 27, from noon to 4 p.m. Society members, including president Yvonne Styer, will be on hand to provide guided tours.

"All the schools are featured - the old and the new," said Styer. "We need to get people to see what we have here. I was so excited when we started putting everything out. The more (memorabilia) we put out, the more we found we had. When people come in, they will really be surprised."

One of the exhibits features Brady's paintings and a miniature model of the Caernarvon Academy, formerly located next to the historical society building, which was originally built as a Presbyterian church in 1843. Before the academy was torn down, the building was part of the Caernarvon Elementary School property.

"The Jenkins family created it for a private school, and for several years, it was," said Styer, pointing out that the academy building resembled a church. "Katherine Jenkins had it built. She was a very religious woman. Her husband was Robert Jenkins, who ran Windsor Forge, who built our building and then the school."

Katherine lost her mother and later her father, who was the first minister of the Forks of the Brandywine Presbyterian Church. "He died when she was 11 years old, and she was handed over to all different Presbyterian minsters' families," said Styer, noting that Katherine attended a private school at Pequea Presbyterian Church. "Maybe that's why the design (of the academy) is like this."

She noted that eventually the ELANCO School District acquired the property, using the academy building as its high school. It later constructed the Caernarvon Elementary School. Both the academy and the school were torn down.

A framed graduation certificate from the high school, dated 1909, is housed in the museum. "It is the only diploma we have. The family gave it to us," Styer said, noting that there are also photographs of students and actual items removed from the elementary school before it was torn down. "We have so much stuff from the school, like the bell and the datestone that was given to us and a plaque that hung at the school. We also have a what I call 'the naughty bench' that sat outside the principal's office. Students come in here and say they remember the bench."

Visitors to the museum will notice three quilts that were handmade by students at Caernarvon Elementary School. "Every year, the fifth-grade teacher had students make quilts of different designs. They raised money that way. They had an auction, and people would buy them," Styer explained. "We have pictures of kids that helped make the quilts."

The newest photos on display at the museum are Amish and Mennonite schools in the township, including the Little Red School House. "I have pictures (of the buildings) but no pictures of the children," Styer noted. "All of these are still (in use) right now. I went around recently and took these pictures."

There are also several images of schools that no longer operate as educational facilities that were painted by Brady, as well as a series of notebooks that contain the names of teachers who taught at township schools.

In addition to the school-related displays, the society has archives of information about local churches and properties, including Historic Poole Forge. The museum also has a collection of yearbooks from Garden Spot High School, photos of township veterans and a few of their uniforms.

The Caernarvon Township Historical Society is located at 2148 Main St., Narvon. For more information, visit http://www.caernarvonlancaster.org/community.