Chestnut Hill Academy

Story

From 1861 to 1952 Chestnut Hill Academy was an all-male Pre-K through 8th grade independent college preparatory school located in Northwest Philadelphia. The 9th though 12th grades were added, one per year, beginning in the Fall of 1952 with the first High School graduating class in the Spring of 1956. In 2011, CHA merged with its academic partner and neighbor, the all-girls school Springside School. The two schools together are now known as Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.HistoryThe school's main building at 500 West Willow Grove Avenue was formerly known as the Wissahickon Inn. Designed by G.W. & W.D. Hewitt and built by Henry H. Houston, the Inn opened for business in 1884. Houston also built the Philadelphia Cricket Club across the street, and additional land across the street played host to the Philadelphia Horse Show (now the Devon Horse Show). These were popular attractions for Houston's 3000acre real estate development, and brought much business to the Inn.In 1897, the Inn's business began to decline when the Philadelphia Horse Show moved, and improved transportation caused guests to seek more distant travel spots. In 1898, Chestnut Hill Academy moved to the Wissahickon Inn from its previous residence on 8030 Germantown Avenue. The school and the Inn functioned simultaneously, the school making use of the inn's facilities during its off season, and the Inn doing business when students had gone home for the summer. The Wissahickon Inn closed in 1901, and Chestnut Hill Academy took permanent possession of the property.