Girard College

Housed in a magnificent Greek Revival landmark, the Founder’s Hall Museum offers a glimpse into the complex life of America’s first multi-millionaire and illuminates the legacy of a school that has fascinated visitors since the 19th century, became the focus of a key Northern civil rights case in the 20th century, and ... continues to educate youth today. Stephen Girard – merchant, banker, and landowner – was the wealthiest man in America when he died in 1831. In an unprecedented act of philanthropy, he left his fortune to establish Girard College, originally endowed to educate “poor, white male orphans.”