Swain Facilities

The story of Swain’s campus is really a history of our school.

In 1929, D. Esther Swain had just moved to Allentown where her husband had joined the faculty of Muhlenberg College. The neighborhood women soon found out that Mrs. Swain had been a teacher, and prevailed upon her to open a kindergarten.

The women secured books and supplies and an upstairs bedroom to rent, along with the $100 per month that Mrs. Swain had requested as salary. In October 1929 the little school opened with 'eight likeable boys and girls,' although that first year was cut short by a whooping cough epidemic.

The next fall the school re-opened in rented rooms at the Masonic Temple, a large, imposing building that was across the street from a lush city park. After several years the growing school was asked to relocate, and a neighbor traded homes with the Swain family, giving the school a larger space.

By 1950 the little school had outgrown its quarters again. It was at this point that Miss Marjorie Allison, a friend of Mrs. Swain’s, drove her to a 22-acre alfalfa field in the southern part of Allentown. "Will this do for your new school?" she asked. Ground was soon broken for the original part of our campus, which over the years has been expanded upon numerous times, giving us the beautiful facility we now enjoy.

Our building itself has numerous cheerful classrooms, a state-of-the-art technology lab, an auxiliary tech lab, well-stocked library and special reading room, full-size gym/performing arts center, science lab, and dedicated classrooms for visual arts, vocal music, instrumental music, drama, and science, a commons and a community room, with a gallery for visiting visual artists.

The most recent additions to our campus include our beautiful, award-winning organic garden, built in 2008 as a result of our Swain Fertile Grounds initiative. It provides students with the opportunity to plant, tend, harvest and eat organically-grown fruits, vegetables and herbs. In January 2009 we were honored with one of five "Keeping Pennsylvania Growing" awards, presented by the state's Department of Agriculture. And the Class of 2009 presented a beautiful gazebo to the school, which can be used as an outdoor learning space.

The foresight of many generous contributors to The Swain School has provided a cheerful, invigorating environment that contributes positively to all who use it.