In 1697, William Penn sold a 700-acre tract of land to Rowland Ellis, a Welsh Quaker. Ellis built a replica of his home in Wales and named it Bryn Mawr. Years later, Ellis sold his home to Richard Harrison who had married a local woman named Hannah Norris. Some of the land holdings of her family were known as Norriton. Thus the combination of the names of Harrison and Norris became known as Harriton.
The daughter of Richard and Hannah Harrison married Charles Thomson, a most important and influential person of the time. Mr. Thomson was Secretary of the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1779. Later, he was the moving spirit on the committee that decided the final design of the Great Seal of the United States. There is a plaque outside the main office in honor of Thomson. His home is located on Harriton Road, and it is maintained by "The Friends of the Harriton Plantation".
In 1957, a new "campus-style" school was designed by renowned architect Vincent Kling. It was built by the Lower Merion School District and situated on a portion of the grounds belonging to Charles Thomson, which gave Harriton High School its name. Harriton High School opened its doors for the first time in 1958, with dedication ceremonies held on Tuesday, October 14. At the time, Harriton was built to meet the educational needs of 1,000-1,200 students in grades 10-12. Dr. Wilfred B. Wolcott, Jr. was the first principal from 1958-1965.
The school colors are red and white, and the school mascot is the Ram. Although not recently used, the Scotch Highlander is the school symbol, representing the Harriton students. Harriton High School has twice been recognized for its excellence as a "Blue Ribbon School" by the state of Pennsylvania and the United States Department of Education. The students have made their marks in the world in science, math, literature, music, and art. The Harriton Science Olympiad Team has been Pennsylvania State Champions for nine consecutive years and has competed nationally since 1991.
In June 1959, Harriton High School celebrated the first graduation of its students, the start of Harriton's honored place in the hundred-plus years of excellence in education in the Lower Merion Township schools. |
