386 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 



Till within a few years past, the town of Darby presented but 

 few features of recent improvements. The construction of a 

 plank road, and subsequently a passenger railroad connecting it 

 with the city, has infused new life into the venerable hamlet, 

 and has surrounded it with many superb country residences of 

 wealthy Philadelphians. Still a few old dwellings remain in the 

 low part of the town, that would probably date back nearly a 

 century and a half. 



Sharon Boarding School for young ladies, near Darby, estab- 

 lished by the late John Jackson, is a large building, well located, 

 and is provided with every comfort and convenience proper for 

 such an establishment. 



"The Burd Orphan Asylum of St, Stephen's Church," now 

 being built, when completed, will be the most costly edifice in 

 Delaware County. It is located on the West Chester road, in 

 Upper Darby. This institution will be established in pursuance 

 of the last will and testament of Eliza Howard Burd, the widow 

 of Edward Shippen Burd, in honor of whom it was named. The 

 testatrix gives to the institution two-tenths of the residuary 

 estate left to her by her husband, and makes it the sole residuary 

 legatee of her own. The endowment is munificent, and it is 

 understood to be ample for all the contemplated objects of the 

 institution. As pointed out in the will of Mrs. Burd, " the ob- 

 jects of the said Asylum shall be, to maintain, educate, and at a 

 suitable age and time, (to be judged of and determined by those 

 to whose management I have entrusted the Asylum,) to place 

 out to be instructed in proper employments, first, the white 

 female orphan children of legitimate birth, of the age of not 

 less than four years and not more than eight years, who shall 

 have been baptized in the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the 

 city of Philadelphia ; secondly, the same class of children, bap- 

 tized in the same Church, in the State of Pennsylvania ; and 

 thirdly, all other white female orphan children of legitimate 

 birth, not less than four years of age and not more than eight 

 years, without respect to any other description or qualification 

 whatever, except that at all times, and in every case, the orphan 

 children of clergymen of the Protestant Church shall have the 

 preference. * * *" Mrs. Burd further directs " that in the 

 building erected for the Asylum, there shall be an apartment 

 prepared and set apart as a Chapel, to be kept sacred for the 

 worship of Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in con- 

 formity with the rites and ceremonies of the Protestant Epis- 

 copal Church," and she positively enjoins, "that all children 

 received into the Asylum shall be faithfully instructed, as a 

 part of their education, in the principles of the precious Gospel 

 of her God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, as they are held and 



