Olney Friends School founded in the Appalachian hills of Ohio

Background. The school was founded in 1837 by the Ohio Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. As early as 1814, newly settled Ohio Quakers began plans for a boarding school for boys and girls, modeled on Quaker boarding schools in Philadelphia. This early school, known as the Friends Boarding School, was initially located at Mount Pleasant, Ohio, northeast of its current location.

Construction and Opening. Building of the school commenced in 1835, and it was opened for students two years later. The early Friends Boarding School stood at Mount Pleasant, Ohio, northeast of the school's current location. Today the school is located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Barnesville, Ohio, a village incorporated in 1835.

Institutional Identity. Olney Friends School is a small, co-educational boarding and day school affiliated with the Religious Society of Friends. It maintains a deep-rooted connection to Quaker values and educational practices. The school challenges students to grow, celebrates intellectual vigor, and nurtures skills for living in community.