Skip to content
Search this website:

CHS New Danville Honors Legacy of Learning Begun by Lancaster Mennonite in Pequea Township

For more than 80 years, the New Danville school community has served families in Lancaster County, evolving from a one-room schoolhouse to its current home at 393 Long Lane in Pequea Township.

That legacy continues today as Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning (CHS) prepares to open CHS New Danville in the former home of Lancaster Mennonite School’s New Danville campus this summer, the first CHS location in Lancaster County.

During CHS New Danville’s recent convocation – a kick-off of the pre-launch, fully paid professional development programming for teachers and staff – former Lancaster Mennonite (LM) New Danville Campus Principal Lindsay Carson, now LM’s Elementary Principal, shared the rich history of the campus and reflected on its lasting impact on generations of children and families.

CHS New Danville Center Director Jessica Bailey and Lancaster Mennonite Elementary Principal Lindsay Carson hold a blanket showing the history of the New Danville campus.

The event served as a meaningful bridge between the site’s past and its future.

A Story Rooted in Community

Carson recalled how the school’s story began in 1940, when Mennonite families opened a one-room schoolhouse in a former tinsmith shop in Willow Street to provide education for local children. With 23 students across eight grades and one teacher, Emily Kraybill, the school laid the foundation for what would become a beloved community mainstay.

As enrollment grew, the school moved to a two-room building on nearby Sprecher Road in the 1940s before relocating to its current home on Long Lane in 1978. Over the decades, the campus evolved into the New Danville Campus of Lancaster Mennonite School, serving many children and families throughout the years.

“For generations, this building has been a place of welcome, learning, and care,” Carson said. “It has truly been a home for so many.”

Gratitude for a Shared Vision

When Lancaster Mennonite unified its campuses in 2022, leaders carefully considered the future of the New Danville property. Carson said community members were grateful when CHS recognized the site’s importance and commitment to continuing its educational mission.

“I speak on behalf of many families and former staff when I say how thankful we are that this place will continue to serve children,” Carson said during her remarks at CHS New Danville’s convocation. “Seeing it filled with life and purpose again brings so much joy.”

Lancaster Mennonite Elementary Principal Lindsay Carson speaking at the CHS New Danville convocation.

More than 35 former Lancaster Mennonite New Danville Campus staff members recently toured the reimagined CHS New Danville, celebrating its transformation into a modern early learning center while honoring its historic roots.

Launching the Next Chapter

The January convocation launched CHS’s fourth professional development cohort, with staff beginning their employment and training ahead of the Center’s expected opening in summer 2026.

Along with Carson, the event included remarks from CHS Interim Executive Director Brittany Tomaso, CHS New Danville Center Director Jessica Bailey, and keynote speaker Kedren Crosby, founder of Lancaster-based Work Wisdom.

 “This Center is special because of its history and the people who will continue its mission,” Bailey said.

As Carson concluded in her remarks, she welcomed CHS staff into a joy-filled, century-long legacy of learning and encouraged them to carry it forward.

“May we continue to serve this community with peace, joy, and abundant love,” she said.

CHS New Danville Center Director Jessica Bailey speaking at convocation.

With CHS New Danville preparing to open its doors, the building stands ready to shape the lives of future generations, thoughtfully reimagined to deliver high-quality early childhood education while preserving its role as a trusted community partner.

The Center will serve 100 children from six weeks to age 5, with all costs covered for qualifying families, and will prioritize families in the local Solanco, Lampeter-Strasburg, and Penn Manor school districts.

Enrollment applications are now being accepted, as CHS New Danville prepares to welcome its first students and families during the 2026-27 school year. Interested families can apply here.

CHS New Danville is also continuing to grow its team and is currently hiring for a variety of positions. Community members interested in joining a mission-driven organization dedicated to serving children and families are encouraged to explore career opportunities here.

Catherine Hershey Schools

Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning are subsidiaries of Milton Hershey School and will be staffed and operated independently of the Milton Hershey School core model.

Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

© 2025 Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning