Mount Pleasant School Timeline

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The photo above is what the old schoolhouse looks like today. When William DuPont Jr. remodeled Woolton Hall, now called the Bellevue Mansion, he also changed the exterior of the schoolhouse from stone to its present Colonial Revival style.



1830 A law was passed in Delaware to establish the first public school system. One of the first schools built was Mount Pleasant, located on an acre of land which is now part of Bellevue State Park. Joseph Orr sells a lot on September 22, 1830 to the School Committee of School District #2 (note: School District #1 was Naamans Creek, now the Claymont Stone School). A small stone school is erected on this lot (see photos above).

Entrance of Bellevue State Park on Carr Road still has the 1855 post marker to mark the entrance of the Hanson Robinson Estate.

1855 Hanson Robinson purchases the remainder of the Joseph Orr lot and the adjoining Joseph Grubb lot in order to build his Gothic style mansion.

1863 Hanson Robinson acquires the School District #2 lot in exchange for a new two-story school in a lot on the south side of Philadelphia Toll Pike opposite the Mount Pleasant Methodist Church.

The 1865 Mount Pleasant School still stands at 1010 Philadelphia Pike. Only the first floor stone construction remains in this now private residence.

1865 - The new one-room schoolhouse (see picture above), built from stone, was constructed on the Philadelphia Toll Pike opposite the Mount Pleasant Methodist Church. Click HERE to view the transfer deed. The Mount Pleasant Methodist Church, built 1838, is now part of Bellevue State Park and called the Mount Pleasant Meeting House. Click HERE to see additional pictures of the 1865 school property.

Mount Pleasant Meeting House (formerly Mt. Pleasant Methodist Church)

1910 - The Mount Pleasant School housed primary and intermediate grades with some classes being held in the barn of Mr. William Jordan. Miss Mary J. Robinson, a teacher of the Intermediate grades, formed an Audubon Society; members of the group wore badges with a green and white ribbon. This may have been the origin of the present school colors.

Mount Pleasant School built 1932

1932 - The present Mount Pleasant Elementary School on Duncan Road was constructed (see picture above). It housed grades 1 through 9 and had an enrollment of 400 pupils.

1944 - Parents petitioned the State Board of Education to expand the educational program in the district to grades 1 through high school.

1945 - The State Board of Education recognized the Mount Pleasant Special School District as a special district, enabling the educational program to be supervised by a Board of Education and a superintendent.
The first Board of Education included:
Mr. C. Edward Duffy, President Mrs. Lillian L. Paschall, Vice President Dr. Crayton K. Black Mrs. Elizabeth C. Rinehard Dr. Ross L. Neagley, First Superintendent

1947 - Grades through the twelfth were added. Ray Schwinger became the first principal.

1948 - Two new elementary schools, housing grades 1 through 6 were added. These were Silverside and Edge Moor.

1949 - Mr. John F. Heiney became Superintendent. The elementary schools had full time principals in charge.

1950 - Mount Pleasant graduated its first class. The Class of 1950 was composed of 31 boys and 31 girls. Mount Pleasant became a full-fledged high school accredited by the Middle Atlantic States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The total enrollment for the district was now 1,472 pupils, 543 in the Junior-Senior High School (see Alumni 1950).

1954 - River Road Elementary School and the new gym on the High School were built.

1956 - Carrcroft Elementary School was completed. The enrollment was now 3,250 pupils, 1,950 of them in grades 1 through 6 and 1,300 in grades 7 through 12. Principals of the Elementary schools were Mr. Thomas D. Childrey, Carrcroft; Mr. Joseph Connelly, Edge Moor; Mr. Lawrence M. Furbish, Jr., River Road; and Mr. Jack G. Rockwell, Silverside.

1958 Cornerstone	Mount Pleasant Senior High School

1958 - Mount Pleasant Senior High School was occupied for the first time. Kenneth E. Michael became principal (see Alumni 1959).

1962 - Charles Bomboy, who had formerly been a Biology teacher, was named principal to succeed Mr. Michael.

1966 - Another Biology teacher, John Michalcewiz succeeded the late Mr. Bomboy as principal of the high school.

1969 - WMPH began broadcasting at 91.7 FM from Mt. Pleasant High School and became the State's first high school radio station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.

1973 - Mr. David K. Fauser assumed the office of Superintendent of Schools.

1975 - School auditorium was destroyed by a fire and was later renovated.

1978 - The school district of Mount Pleasant becomes the New Castle County School District. Quinton Sterling becomes the first African-American principal of the high school (see State of Delaware timeline).

1981 - The New Castle County School District found it difficult to function as a large district which resulted in the formation of four separate school districts (Brandywine, Christina, Colonial and Red Clay Consolidated). Dr. Frank J. Furgele becomes the superintendent of the newly formed Brandywine School District.

1990 - Dr. Carl W. Smith becomes superintendent of the Brandywine School District.

1991 - Thomas Lapinski, another former Biology teacher of the school, becomes principal of Mount Pleasant Senior High School.

1993 - JROTC program is established at the school.

1995 - Dr. Joseph P. DeJohn becomes the superintendent of the Brandywine School District. The entire Mount Pleasant High School building is renovated during the course of the 1995 - 1996 school year. During this time, all faculty and students occupy the former Claymont High School building on Green Street in Claymont as the temporary home of Mount Pleasant High School (see Alumni 1996).

2000 - Thomas Lapinski retires as principal of Mount Pleasant High School. He runs for the School Board, wins and serves a full term as a Brandywine School Board member.

2001 - Dr. Bruce Harter becomes the new superintendent of the Brandywine School District. Dr. Dennis Runyan becomes the new principal at Mount Pleasant High School.

2003 - Gregg P. Robinson is appointed principal of Mount Pleasant High School. During the summer, the building was completely renovated with new exterior windows.

2004 - Mount Pleasant High School was authorized as the first public school in Delaware to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

2005 - Mount Pleasant High School celebrates 175th anniversary with special events and installation of the school Hall of Fame.

2006 - Mike Pullig becomes Acting Principal. Dr. Jim Scanlon becomes the new superintendent of the Brandywine School District. The Mount Pleasant High School building undergoes summer wiring renovations to install a new security system with video surveillance and ID card door access.

Mount Pleasant School historical marker dedication on May 18, 2007

2007 - The State of Delaware honors the original Mount Pleasant schoolhouse with a historical marker. The dedication ceremony was held on May 18. Mike Pullig is officially appointed Principal by the school board on June 25.

2008 - Jim Simmons becomes the first Mount Pleasant alumnus to be appointed Principal. The high school celebrates the 50th anniversary of the building location.

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