The Upland story is one that begins with four moms and their vision for a school in Southern Chester County that would encourage children to think independently and to live and work well with others. They envisioned a conveniently located, small school that would nurture each child and embrace the country culture they loved. At the time, the closest independent schools were in Wilmington, which was simply too far away. Southern Chester County was horse country and the children had horses to tend to before school and their mothers had foxhunting to get to on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Therefore, Mrs. Kerr, Mrs. Lofting, Mrs. Cocks and Mrs. Newhall decided to take on the challenge of creating a new type of school in their area. Mrs. Nancy Hannum provided the school’s first home--a house on Upland Road. Many people in the community donated furniture and their time to complete the renovations. The ladies then acquired a license from Harrisburg, filled all of the toy chests, and on September 13, 1948, 22 students arrived ready to learn at Upland Country Day School.

In its earliest years, Upland was an elementary school housing nursery school through third grade, and the four faculty members all taught on a volunteer basis. Each child was allowed to learn and grow at his/her own pace, and the teachers emphasized exploration and creativity.

By 1952 the school had outgrown its small house, so Mrs. Hannum did not hesitate to offer Upland a bigger house just across the street from the first one. Then in 1961 Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Dixon Stroud gave the school a very generous gift, a 23 acre farm on Route 926 complete with a house, a barn and a small cobbler’s shop. Finally, Upland had found its permanent home. Classes began in the farmhouse in the fall of 1962.

Over the years Upland has grown academically and physically. In 1963 Mrs. Helen Groves provided funds to build the Kleberg Building in memory of her mother, Mrs. Robert Kleberg. This was the original academic building and now is home to the science and studio art programs. The barn on the farm was used in its original state (stalls and all!) for gym classes for two years and was renovated in 1964 into a real gym with a basketball court, locker rooms and an auditorium. The Barn’s most recent renovation was in 2001, which added an entrance gallery and a new music and drama wing. By 1968 the cobbler’s shop was ready to undergo renovations to become the primary building, which is now the Math & Technology Center. In 1970 Headmaster Jack Cleveland saw his dream of an ice rink on campus become a reality. The rink is now called The John M. Cleveland Ice Rink and is home to Upland’s teams and to the Chester County Skating Club. At the same time the rink was going up, plans for a new academic building were in the works. The design of the Academic Center was inspired by a dairy barn and added to the cozy, country atmosphere on campus. And in 1998 Upland’s Primary students broke ground for their new Primary Building with sand shovels.
 
Upland has expanded in all directions since 1948. Instead of 22 students, Upland now has over 200. Over the years grades four, five, six, seven, eight and nine were added and the academic, art and athletic programs have changed and grown with the times. But while Upland’s exterior has undergone many changes, its values and goals have remained true to the vision of its founding mothers. Students are still encouraged to explore the world around them, and the avenues for creative expression on campus are endless. Children here learn to be good citizens and how to continue learning long after they’ve passed through Upland’s doors.