The following story has been submitted by the Logan County History Center:
By: Mary E. Mortimer & Beth Marshall
The Glover Collegiate Institute opened in 1894 in West Liberty. Five years later, it became the Mennonite Orphans’ Home, and eventually the name changed to Adriel in 1957.
In 1853, J.M. Glover, a farmer who also owned a mill and dry goods store in West Liberty, built a 14-room brick mansion, which he called “Oak Grove” overlooking the village. The home had balconies, a tower, and ornate chimneys. The interior featured black Italian marble fireplaces, elaborate plaster ceiling moldings, and a winding walnut staircase. Glover had come to the area about 1831, and by 1864 owned 392 acres on the north edge of West Liberty. In 1871, he sold 20 acres to be used as Fair View Cemetery. Glover was on the Board of the Agricultural Society and exhibited cattle in the first Logan Co. Fair. He was also a County Commissioner and had been a Ruling Elder in the West Liberty Presbyterian Church from its organization in 1841. He passed away in March 1880.
In August 1894, the Glover home was sold to Dr. B.B. Leonard, Trustee of the Bellefontaine Presbytery, for $3,500. Work began right away to turn the former home into the Glover Collegiate Institute, a preparatory school operated by the Presbyterian Church. The purpose of the school was “to aid young men and women in making an adequate preparation for college and to give a good practical education to those unable to pursue a scientific or classical course”. This was at a time when most schools ended with the eighth grade, and students didn’t automatically enroll in High School.
At the dedication of the school in September 1894, it was announced that 22 students had enrolled. “Rev. David Blyth and his talented wife were in charge of the Literary Department, and Mrs. A.J. Surface in charge of the Art Department, and Prof. Walter Small of Urbana in charge of the Musical Department.” By 1896, the course of study had been “enlarged to meet the requirements for admission to all western colleges and many of the older ones of the east”. Subjects included Latin, Greek, German, Mathematics, English, History, and Science. A two-year teacher’s course and Summer School were also added, and included professors from DeGraff, Belle Center, and West Liberty schools. Tuition for the summer term of eight weeks was $5.00, or 75 cents per week or fraction of a week.
Arrangements were made for students to board at reasonable rates either at the school or with private families. The graduating class of 1898 had five seniors, all of whom spoke at the commencement exercises: Grace Calland of Springhill, Pearl Doane of DeGraff, Max Leonard of West Liberty, Maud Roland of Ada, and Ethel Surface of West Liberty.
In 1899, a group of Mennonites acquired the building with the intention of using it for a collegiate school. But the next year, the Mennonite Orphans’ Home of Orrville, Ohio, founded in 1896 by David and Ellen Garber, was invited to move its operations to West Liberty. The Mennonite Orphans’ Home was serving at capacity and needed more room. “Oak Grove” became known as Glover Hall, and by 1905, it was reported that the home was serving 122 children, 85 of whom were in foster care.
The name was changed to the Mennonite Children’s Home in 1954. The necessity of working with special needs children was recognized, and a new program was implemented. A board member suggested in 1957 that the name be changed to Adriel, which is Hebrew for “flock of God”. About 1979, the Adriel School board determined they should become more community-focused and based. Over the next 15 years, they constructed five group homes, and a grant was received to renovate Glover Hall. It was said that “Ol’ Glover” was an aged but much-used building on the Adriel campus. It was estimated in 1994 that nearly 4,000 children and families had received care and treatment through the services of the Mennonite Orphans’ Home and Adriel School. In May 2024, the Adriel School property was acquired by the Madison-Champaign Educational Service Center, and Adriel School Inc. moved its support and resource center to Bellefontaine.
Adriel’s website www.adriel.org lists the following mission statement:
“Adriel’s mission has always focused on serving those children who either have no family or whose family environment is not safe or healthy. Children come to Adriel from an unsafe situation, to foster care to success. As the needs of children and families have changed, Adriel has adapted and expanded its services to meet them. Today, Adriel provides foster care, counseling, and independent living services for children, kinship and adoption home study services for families, and family preservation services to help children and families stay together.”
Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County History. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday – Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Admission is free.
