Beginning in 1887, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed general laws authorizing the establishment of High Schools. By 1890, there were 180 High Schools in Pennsylvania. Prior to 1890, secondary education in Pennsylvania was carried on largely by academies, which were established throughout the state by groups of local citizens or by religious denominations. The school directors in Whitpain Township determined the need for a larger, modern school building. In 1895, the Whitpain Public School building was built on the corner of Skippack Pike and School Rd. in Blue Bell. The school was designed by Victor H. Baker, and builder was Walter Shaeff of Blue Bell. Local artisans assisted them including Benjamin Franklin Famous and Henry Steinbright, both from Blue Bell. The school was dedicated on November 20, 1895. The master of ceremonies was Mr. William D. Beyer. Ceremonies included addresses from the County Superintendent R. F. Hoffeckers, and a historical sketch of the public schools of Whitpain by Hon Jones Detweiller, Secretary of the School board. The school was described as “rather an artistic modern school building having somewhat of a Moorish appearance”. When erected the building cost $3698.54. The front stone wall and grading cost $231.82. The money for its construction came directly from the teacher’s own salaries; the school board cut salaries from $45 a month to $40 a month for a period of ten years. Mr. William D. Beyer was appointed as the first principal and teacher.
The original use of the Whitpain Public School building was a follows: grades one to eight were housed in the large room on the first floor; grades nine to eleven in the large room on the second floor. Students on the lower end of the Township went to Ambler High School for twelfth grade; those in the upper part of the Township went to Norristown High School. There were 30 to 40 students in the classroom depending on the chores and whether it was planting or harvesting time on the farm. The upper grades, nine to eleven had 18 to 20 students. The principal, William D. Beyer rode his horse and wagon each day to school from E. Norriton. Central heating was provided by a Smead-type system. There were no lighting devices, no electricity, and no plumbing in the building. There were two small outside sheds used as lavatories; one for the boys and girls (torn down). Drinking water was available at a pump located outside of the building. The basement served as a cafeteria.
In 1916, the school board decided to consolidate six neighboring elementary schools, and the Whitpain Township Consolidated School building was erected in 1916. It was constructed adjacent (45 feet) to the Whitpain Public School building. It was a modern two-story brick building containing four classrooms plus ancillary rooms, and was built with electricity, plumbing, and steam-radiator heating. In September, 1917, the new Whitpain Township Consolidated School opened for grades 1 to 8, while the Whitpain Public School building housed the high school grades 9 to 11. After the consolidation in 1917, William D. Beyer became Assistant County Superintendent of Schools under A.M. Kulp. When the Whitpain Township Consolidated School building became overcrowded in 1924, the first floor of the Whitpain Public School was used for 4th and 5 the grade. In 1929, a back section was added to the rear of the 1916 building. It had additional classrooms on three floors, an auditorium and a cafeteria in the basement. The new combined building took over operations for elementary and high school grades, and the Whitpain Public School building was used only for auxiliary purposes at this point. This ended the period of significance for the Whitpain Public School building.
Following the period of significance, the Whitpain Public School building was used intermittently as a public school over the years as follows. In 1947, because of increased enrollment in the Whitpain School District, the 1895 Whitpain Public School building was reopened for the fifth and sixth grades. In 1957, as the population increased and Whitpain Township became more developed, the new schools of Blue Bell Elementary School (Symphony Lane), Shady Grove Junior High School (Skippack Pike at Lewis Lane), and Stony Creek School (Yost Road) were built. The Whitpain Public School became the Township Administration Building and Police Station from the period 1957 through 1967. For a short period in the early 1960’s, the Wissahickon School district held kindergarten classes and special education classes on the first floor. The last kindergarten class was held for part of the school year in 1963. From 1967 through the 1981 it housed the Whitpain Branch of the Wissahickon Library. On July 27, 1981, Whitpain Township purchased the property from the Wissahickon School district for $500.