Spring Garden College—founded in 1851 as the Spring Garden Institute—was a private technical college in the Spring Garden section of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Its building at 523-25 North Broad Street (demolished) was designed by architect

Stephen Decatur Button Stephen Decatur Button (June 15, 1813, in Preston, Connecticut – January 7, 1897, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an American architect and a pioneer in the use of metal-frame construction for masonry buildings. He designed commercial buildin ...

. The Broad Street building housed the institute until 1969. The school relocated to 102 East Mermaid Lane at the former Yarnall-Waring Company Machine Works and was renamed "Spring Garden College" with bachelor's degree programs being offered for the first time. In 1985 the college moved to 7500 Germantown Avenue in nearby Mt. Airy.Spring Garden College History
accessed January 2, 2013. Declining enrollment and financial problems forced its closure in 1992. Prior to its closing, Spring Garden was regionally accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Additionally, the Baccalaureate Degree programs in Computer Engineering Technology,

Electronics engineering technology Electrical/Electronics engineering technology (EET) is an engineering technology field that implements and applies the principles of electrical engineering. Like electrical engineering, EET deals with the "design, application, installation, manuf ...

, and Mechanical Engineering Technology were accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Notable alumni

Harrison Albright Harrison Albright (May 17, 1866 – January 3, 1932) was an American architect best known for his design of the West Baden Springs Hotel in Orange County, Indiana. Biography Born in the Ogontz neighborhood of North Philadelphia, Pennsylvan ...

, architect *

Charles Grafly Charles Allan Grafly, Jr. (December 3, 1862May 5, 1929) was an American sculptor, and teacher. Instructor of Sculpture at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for 37 years, his students included Paul Manship, Albin Polasek, and Walker Hanc ...

, sculptor *

Hannah Tempest Jenkins Hannah Tempest Jenkins (1855–1927) was an American painter and educator. She taught at Pomona College and founded ''The Rembrandt Club of Pomona College and Claremont'', an art appreciation society that still exists. Biography Jenkins (née Tem ...

, painter *

Eldridge R. Johnson Eldridge Reeves Johnson (February 6, 1867 in Wilmington, Delaware – November 14, 1945 in Moorestown, New Jersey) was an American businessman and engineer who founded the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1901 and built it into the leading A ...

, inventor, founder of Victor Talking Machine Company *

John B. Kelly Sr. John Brendan Kelly Sr. (October 4, 1889 – June 20, 1960) was an American triple Olympic champion, the first in the sport of rowing. The Philadelphia-based Kelly also was a multimillionaire in the bricklaying and construction industry. He also ...

, building contractor (father of actress

Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Kelly ...

) *

Albert Laessle Albert Laessle (March 28, 1877 – September 4, 1954) was an American sculptor and educator. He taught at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for more than twenty years and is best remembered as an animalier. He won the 1918 Widener Gold ...

, sculptor *

Samuel Maclure Samuel Maclure (11 April 1860 – 8 August 1929) was a Canadian architect in British Columbia, Canada, from 1890 to 1920. He was born on 11 April 1860 in Sapperton, New Westminster, British Columbia, to John and Martha Maclure. He studied paintin ...

, architect *

Everett Shinn Everett Shinn (November 6, 1876 – May 1, 1953) was an American painter and member of the urban realist Ashcan School. Shinn started as a newspaper illustrator in Philadelphia, demonstrating a rare facility for depicting animated movement, a ...

, painter *

John Sloan John French Sloan (August 2, 1871 – September 7, 1951) was an American painter and etcher. He is considered to be one of the founders of the Ashcan school of American art. He was also a member of the group known as The Eight. He is best known ...

, painter * William South, photographer & inventor *

George Hand Wright George Hand Wright (1872–1951) was an American painter, illustrator and printmaker. Life Born in the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of a blacksmith, he attended the Spring Garden Institute, a local technical school, a ...

, painter * Ken Wright, racecar driver & mechanic *

August Zeller August Zeller (7 March 1863, Bordentown, New Jersey – 11 January 1918, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) was an American sculptor and teacher. An exceptional carver, he studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) under Thomas Eakins. He ...

, sculptor

References

External links

History of Spring Garden College

Spring Garden College informational site

{{coord, 39.9626, -75.1611, type:edu_globe:earth_region:US-PA, display=title Defunct universities and colleges in Philadelphia Defunct private universities and colleges in Pennsylvania Educational institutions established in 1851 1851 establishments in Pennsylvania 1992 disestablishments in Pennsylvania