About the Exhibit:
“The Doylestown Historical Society and Delaware Valley University: 125 Years of Experiential Learning and Doylestown Agriculture, 1896 to 2021”
Doylestown has a rich history as an agricultural center. In 1867, Doylestown Agricultural Works was constructed to produce farm machinery and ironwork and was the area’s largest employer for many years. In 1896, Rabbi Joseph Krauskopf, leader of the reform congregation Keneseth Israel in Philadelphia, founded the country’s first farm school, The National Farm School (NFS). He founded NFS with the mission of educating poor boys, who were living in urban slums, to become farmers so they could live a better life. He had a very innovative educational philosophy that he called, “science with practice.” These students would be educated in the science of farming with courses in plant science and animal science, but they would also be taught math, history, and English. And most importantly, they would learn in the cla