Bensalem High School's 100-Year Anniversary Saturday

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA —The 556 seniors at Bensalem High School this year are a special graduating class. They're the 100th.

The Bensalem Township School District is marking the centennial of the high school's first graduating class with a ceremony from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Bensalem High School. A welcome ceremony begins at noon.

The 100th Anniversary Kick-Off celebration will feature music, food trucks, student performances, building tours, and more.

According to history records, the first one-room Cornwells School at 2400 Bristol Pike, Cornwells Heights, was torn down in favor of a two-room school building in 1893.

A third room was added in 1918, and a fourth room in 1923.

The four-room building housed the first Bensalem Township High School and two elementary groups. The first graduating class, the Class of 1925, consisted of five students.

The records also show that in July 1923, Samuel K. Faust was invited to take charge of the district for the purpose of organizing a high school.

Previously, high school-age students who lived in the Cornwells Heights area were sent to other high schools in towns nearby, such as Bristol, Langhorne, Jenkintown, and Frankford.

Faust served as supervising principal of the township's schools and as the first schools superintendent from 1923 until his death in 1940.

In 1954, Bensalem Township High School was re-established at its new building and
location at 2201 Street Rd.

In September 1969, the new Bensalem High School, located at 4319 Hulmeville Rd., opened its doors.

A flag-raising ceremony was held on Sept. 10, 1969, the cornerstone was laid on May 13, 1970, a formal dedication of the building was held on May 15, 1970, and an open-house program for the community was held on May 17, 1970.