History
Chapin School was founded in Princeton in 1931 by Frances Jordan Chapin. Mrs. Chapin believed that self-esteem is essential to a student's learning, and she created an environment to foster each child's sense of self-worth. Over the next twenty years, the school grew to encompass a faculty of six and a student body of forty, all housed in Mrs. Chapin's cramped apartment in "downtown" Princeton.
(Fig 1. The Home of Mrs. Frances Chapin and the location of the school from 1938 to 1951 at 13 Chambers Street)
Fellow educator Mary Mason recalled the classroom atmosphere at Mrs. Chapin’s school: "They broke practically all the rules of education, but they had a dedication and feel for children which went far beyond anything one can describe in words." When Frances Chapin died in March of 1951, the parents of her students committed themselves to continuing her educational vision by establishing a corporation to operate the school.
(Fig. 2. One of the earliest photos of a class at Chapin, ca. 1931)
The first decade of the "new" Chapin, incorporated in April of 1951, saw a growing student body, administrative stability, and the acquisition of a permanent site for the school. Following Mrs. Chapin's death, classes were held for three years in a rented house at 11 Mercer Street. In 1954, the school moved to "Snowden," which it leased from Bernard Kilgore, publisher of The Wall Street Journal and The Princeton Packet. In 1958, Chapin moved to its present location in northern Lawrence Township, having purchased the five-acre Edgar S. Smith estate. The farmhouse, dating from c. 1750, was built by Henry Phillips, the grandfather of Alexander Hamilton Phillips, who went on to be a professor of Mineralogy at Princeton University and the Mayor of Princeton.
(Fig. 3. 11 Mercer Street, Chapin's temporary housing from 1951-1954)
By the school's 30th anniversary in 1961, with an enrollment of more than 100, Chapin was sufficiently well-established to complete a capital campaign that resulted in the addition to the original farmhouse of two classrooms, an office, a kitchen, and a multi-purpose auditorium/gymnasium. Subsequent property acquisitions and facilities improvements expanded the campus to its present 14.5 acres, comprising three buildings and three playing fields. As the school "grew up," the curriculum and the institution matured in wonderful ways.
(Fig. 4. Chapin moved to its current location in the pre-Revolutionary War Henry D. Philips House in 1958)
Chapin is still going strong. Around 200 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade are engaged in educational programs that are comprehensive, age-appropriate, and rigorous. We upgrade our facilities regularly, recently spending $13.2 million to renovate existing spaces and add new classrooms. We maintain proud traditions of community and charity-focused events, some in their 5oth year. Our teachers are highly qualified and committed to Chapin's philosophy. Our graduates are imbued with our school virtues and well prepared for secondary school and beyond. Our students continue to excel in academics, athletics, and the arts, while, even more importantly, practising perseverance, respect, kindness, honesty, and responsibility each day.
(Fig. 5. Chapin students celebrate winning Ice Cream Bingo, our annual fundraiser for a local area food pantry)
* On the occasion of the school's 50th anniversary, an institutional history was written by E. Parker Hayden, Jr., P'74,'76,'77, and Herbert O. Hagens '60. Much of this article is adapted from this book, Chapin School: An Idea In Search of an Image 1931 - 1981