Marklesville Academy

In the spring of 1855 Reverend Adam R. Height started an academy at Bosserman's Mills (Markelsville) where he was the principal. It was held in the same schoolhouse that was first begun in 1828 as the Washington Seminary. This seminary would in later years be known as the Schoolhouse on the Hill when it would be used for public education. The Washington Seminary might have been originally a female seminary or a normal school for training teachers. At the time of its establishment it was probably the only institution of its kind in the country. The duration of the school must have been very short. There is no early history of the school or records of who might have taught there. During the tenure of Adam Height he served also as the first Superintendent of Schools in Perry County beginning in 1854 to 1857, and was the Ministr of the Bloomfield Lutheran Charge in 1854. The school in the 1850s became known as the Buffalo Creek High School, and then as the Buffalo Creek High School and Perry County Normal Institute. The following describes some of the circumstances of the school as written by Reverend A. R. Height in 1856:

"Owing to our other duties as County Superintendent this school was discontinued during the winter. The public is hereby informed that the Buffalo Creek High School will again be opened at the same place, on the first day of April net when the district school will be closed. Mr. George Markle, that energetic friend of education is making preparations to accommodate a large number of students and his lind lady will spare no pains in administering to the wants of young ladies and gentlemen. They do not aim to make money. Lodging and board is $1.50 a week. Bosserman's Mills is a location for such a school. Frequent lectures will be delivered by persons from a distance. We recommend this school to young people of both sexes and think it will be greatly to their advantage, if they give it their preference. Persons wishing to attend this school will please address Mr. George Markle Jr. at Bosserman's Mills at as early a date as possible, or the subscriber in Bloomfield."

In 1857 the academy was moved out of the Schoolhouse on the Hill and into  a new building as shown by the following accounts:  "Mr. George Markle Jr. is now erecting a commodious building for the double purpose of a schoolroom and boarding house, with direct stage route from Newport to Ickesburg." It was also stated that, "There was no temptation to immorality and no liquor sold for miles around." The name of the school was changed at this time to the Normal Institute of Marklesville and then afterwars became known as just the Marklesville Institute. Another advertisement for the school stated: "Normal Institute of Marklesville, formerly known as Buffalo Creek High School is in the new building. Tri-weekly stage, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Newport on the Central Railroad." [At this time there was railroad service between Harrisburg and Lewistown. One could take the railroad to Newport, then the stage from Newprt to Marklesville].

In 1857 George S. Rea became the principal. (He would later own the Bloomfield Academy in the early 1860s) The new building was located somewhat east of the Schoolhouse on the Hill on the opposite or north side of the road (Route 849). This building was a three-and-a-half story frame structure with stuccoed exterior and fifteen rooms for students. The basement was on the ground level in the back and used for classrooms. The second floor had five rooms and the third had ten rooms. The building could have accommodated as many as fifty pupils, who boarded at the school, with others taking room and board at neighboring houses. 

In 1859 the Superintendent of Schools reported that the Markleville Academy furnished about fifteen or twenty teachers every year. In 1860 the school was attended by 112 boarding and day students. By the end of 1864, however, there was a substantial drop in enrollment resulting from the Civil War. George W. Lesher was principal at this time with a salary of $250 for the term, with an additional instructor. The enrollment had diminished to forty-nine pupils whose avergae age was seven-teen. Twenty-nine pupils were males and twenty females. Twenty-two were preparing to teach; twenty-three were boarding students and twenty-six were day students.  The library contained fifty volumes, and the avergae amount expended for books by the students was ten dollars a year. The cost of tuition was eighteen dollars for the term, and room and board $1.80 per week. Revenue from tutition was $25-; expenditure for servants, fuel and printing six dollars. Valuation of the building and grounds amounted to $1800.

The year 1864 saw the death of George Markle and it was not known if the school could continue as it had before. Professor C. W. Super attempted to revive the school in 1866 when he was principal for a term. Alexander Stephens and Adam Zellers followd him before the school finally closed in 1872.

The principals of the Marklesville Institute were as follows: Reverend A. R. Height, 1845 to 1857; Professor George S. Rea, 1857 to 1861; Professor George W. Lesher, 1862 to 1865; Professor C. W. Super, 1866; Professor ALexander Stephens, 1867 and Professor Adam Zellers, 1868 to 1872. The building erected for the Marklesville Academy or Marklesville Institute in 1857 is now a private dwelling.

Alumni :

Rev. J.M. Carvell, He was a native of this state, having been born in Snyder County, March 3, 1843, later lived with his parents near Thompsontown, Juniata County, across the line between Juniata and Perry. He spent his boyhood days in the manual labor, attending the common schools of Snyder and Perry counties in the winter and acquiring the rudiments of an English education. In addition to his common school education, he had attended, in 1861-2, the Millerstown academy, and after his second term of enlistment had expired completed his studies in the academy at Markelville. During this time, while attending religious services at a point not far from Millerstown, Perry county, then under the pastoral care of Rev. T.M. Still, deceased, of the Church of God, he made a public proffesion of religion.

FOOSE, Lemuel Oliver, superintendent of city schools, Harrisburg, Pa., was born in Juniata county, Pa., January 16, 1838. He is a son of James and Catherine (Boyer) Foose. He primary education was received in the Markleville Academy, Perry county, Pa.