Manlius Pebble Hill School

The Manlius Pebble Hill School (MPH) is a non-sectarian, coeducational, independent, pre-K through 12 school in DeWitt, New York. The school is the result of a merger in 1970 between The Manlius School, founded in 1869; and the Pebble Hill School, established in 1926. MPH marked its 150th anniversary in 2019. MPH is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools, of which it is a founding member; and is a member also of the National Association of Independent Schools. History The Manlius School The Manlius School was founded in Manlius, New York, in 1869, as St. John's Academy, a nonsectarian school, by the Episcopal Bishop of New York, in the former Manlius Academy (started in 1835) buildings. However, by 1880 attendance had fallen to the point where the school became insolvent. In 1881, the school added some military training, which was added to the program in 1881. By 1887 the reorganized St. John's again found itself with enrollment and financial problems, and the trustees looked for someone who could not only turn the school around, but also assume all financial risks. The school was renamed in 1888 to The Manlius School, while the Episcopal Bishop remained as chairman of the board of trustees. This person was Colonel William Verbeck who served as school president until his appointment as New York State Adjutant General on June 1, 1910. Starting with 18 returning students, he raised enrollment to 120 within five years. Effectively by 1914, the school was split into two internal school units, St. John's, the high school and Verbeck Hall, ages 10 to 14. By the time of Verbeck's death in 1930, The Manlius School had become one of the top military schools in the United States. His son, Guido Fridolin Verbeck, succeeded him as commandant of the school. By 1969, rumors had indicated that the school was in financial troubles. Pebble Hill School The Pebble Hill School was founded in 1927 as a non-sectarian country day school for boys. A piece of property in the Pebble Hill area of Orville (now part of the Town of DeWitt) was purchased , and the school opened on September 20, 1927, with an enrollment of 49 students.