Greenleaf Q & A | Upcoming Events

Moorestown Friends School E-News - October 22, 2008

MFS Purchases Former Greenleaf Retirement Facility
Historic Property is Contiguous to Current Campus

Moorestown Friends School (MFS), with a history that dates back to 1785, is pleased to announce that it has purchased a property that has been home to another Moorestown, Quaker, non-profit institution for more than 100 years: the former Greenleaf Retirement Community.

The Greenleaf Main Building

The school purchased the property on East Main Street on October 15.  This purchase addresses the school’s need for additional classroom and laboratory space.  The lot is a four-acre property abutting the MFS campus near the school’s tennis courts and Field House.  It includes the buildings 28, 32, 36 and 38 East Main Street, as well as (in the rear) 41 Prospect Street.

“We are very pleased to purchase this attractive and contiguous property,” said Head of School Larry Van Meter. “There has been a lengthy process of information gathering and negotiation, and our Board of Trustees believes that this property best addresses our immediate need for additional classroom space.”

The Greenleaf South Annex

Moorestown Township officials were instrumental in helping to bring MFS and the Greenleaf together. “We are very appreciative of the efforts of township officials who helped to facilitate this transaction,” said Van Meter.

The Greenleaf closed its doors on June 30. The Quaker-run retirement community served as a boarding home for elderly and retired Friends since 1896. One special connection that Moorestown Friends and the Greenleaf have shared, even before this historic purchase, is that Moorestown Friends School 1901 alumna Alice Paul (1885-1977), famed leader of the women’s suffrage movement, who helped secure the passage of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing for women the right to vote, spent her final years at the Greenleaf.

The school now plans to seek a commercial tenant to lease the former Acme supermarket at 123 Chester Ave., which MFS purchased in December 2006. “We are very optimistic that we will be able to find a suitable lessee for the 123 Chester Avenue property,” said the Head of School.

“It is good to see continued investment in our downtown by Moorestown Friends School,” said Moorestown Mayor Kevin Aberant. “The school has a long-standing commitment to the community and brings many people to our downtown.”

Aberant is pleased to see the former Acme property available for potential commercial use. “There were many residents interested in having some type of commercial establishment at the Acme prior to the school's purchase of the property,” he said. “I think this clearly opens the door for renewed opportunities for the site.”

The former Greenleaf property is home to five buildings:

• The Main Building, a large, historic building that is clearly visible from Main Street. The rear part of this building has been renovated considerably over the years. It was built in 1820 by Charles French. It was purchased from Edward Harris, Jr. in 1896 to become a residence for retired Friends.
• The South Annex, a two-floor building with 11,000 square feet of space that MFS officials hope to quickly convert to classroom space.
• A split-level house on the back of the property.
• Two historic houses on E. Main St. to the left of the entrance/exit driveway.

In 2004, a school Master Plan developed by Hillier Architects of Princeton identified the need for additional classroom space. The two primary Greenleaf buildings, the Main Building and South Annex, will eventually help to address this need.

The school will begin working with architects to modify the structures to serve the school’s needs. The first phase will involve the renovation of the South Annex to provide classrooms for Middle School and Upper School students. A footpath is envisioned that would connect the current campus to the Greenleaf site.

There are no plans to expand enrollment at MFS. “This acquisition is not due to an expansion of the student body,” said Van Meter. “We are at full capacity (725 students from preschool – grade 12). In recent years, we have greatly expanded our curriculum. This purchase provides the classroom and laboratory space necessary for our rigorous academic program.” Recent additions to the curriculum include implementing a new Honors Program, increasing the number of AP courses to 14, and establishing a Chinese language and culture program.

The school will host its first Admissions Open House of the year on Sunday, October 26, at 2 p.m. during which prospective parents and students can visit the school to tour the campus and meet faculty, current students and parents.

The Greenleaf: Q & A

• Where is the Greenleaf Property?
• What structures are on the Greenleaf property?
• Why did the Greenleaf close?
• Why has MFS purchased the Greenleaf?
• How will the purchase be funded?
• How will the Greenleaf property be used?
• Does this mean enrollment will be expanding?
• How will MFS students move back and forth from the current campus to the Greenleaf property?
• What does this mean for the former Acme supermarket at 123 Chester Avenue which the school acquired in December 2006?
• Does this mean that the Early Childhood Education Center planned for the former Acme will move to the Greenleaf?

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