Parrish-Roach-Rouse: A Family Affair
James Ware Parrish was born on April 16, 1815, in Garrard County. While still a young man, he moved with his parents, Jonathan Parrish and Sarah Baty (also spelt Beatty), and siblings to Woodford County. In 1835, he married Martha Ann Price, and they moved to her family farm on Lexington Pike just east of the town of Midway. In 1840 Dr. Pinkerton became the pastor at the New Union Church on Old Frankfort Pike, which was attended by the recently widowed James Ware Parrish and his sister Mary Parrish. They were moved to confess their faith and be baptized into the Christian Church. Thus began the close relationship between Dr. Pinkerton and Mr. Parrish.
It was in 1842 that Dr. Pinkerton conceived the idea of a female orphan school while attending a service at the Old Round Top Church in Madison County after glimpsing a poor young blind girl. His thoughts moved from compassion to action, formulating the principles of the school. In 1845 he raised the subject with Midway Church Elder James Ware Parrish who enthusiastically offered his assistance in bringing the project to fruition. Immediately, Mr. Parrish and John T. Johnson set about raising funds for the project. Parrish, a prominent landowner and farmer, focused on the local area due to his ill health while Johnson moved farther afield. Within a year, Parrish raised the funds used to purchase the land and to construct the first school building, almost entirely from sources within Woodford County while Johnson concentrated on raising the funds for the endowment which would be needed to meet the requirements of the school charter.
On February 23, 1847, the Kentucky legislature cast its final vote in approval of the proposed Kentucky Female Orphan School (KFOS) charter. The Rev. Dr. Lewis Letig Pinkerton envisioned, along with James Ware Parrish, a school where disadvantaged girls could be trained toward an honorable position in life. Public education, particularly for girls, was rare at the time. Their work led to the establishment of the school in Midway, Kentucky. The charter lists the founding trustees who shared this vision of education for girls: James Ware Parrish, James W. Redd, BP Smith, WF Patterson, Lewis Crutcher, John Curd, John T. Johnson, John G. Allen, and LL Pinkerton. Dr. Pinkerton listed James Ware Parrish first reflecting his great admiration and appreciation for his participation from the start on the project.
Dr Pinkerton served as pastor at the Midway Christian Church from 1844 to 1860. He introduced the melodeon to the church in 1859 or 1860 (sources differ) in part to improve the quality of the singing. It is thought to be the first instrument used in a service in any congregation associated with the Campbell-Stone Reform Movement. Members practiced in someone’s home and found the melodeon helped them stay on pitch; indeed, find pitch. The melodeon was first played at the service by Thompson Marcus Parrish, son of KFOS co-founder, James Ware Parrish. The ensuing friction amongst congregants led church elder and KFOS Trustee, Adam S. Hibler, to remove it from the church late one night with the assistance of his slave, Reuben. Subsequently, another instrument was brought in and continued in use by the church. Thompson Parrish served as a KFOS trustee from 1867 to 1902.
The original melodeon’s whereabouts remained a mystery for many years until discovered by Midway historian John Rogers in 1932 at the home of Misses Mary and Elizabeth Nugent, at Nugent’s Crossroads. They inherited the old instrument from their father James Nugent who was a friend of Adam Hibler. James Ware Parrish II, son of Thompson Parrish who first played it in the church, purchased the instrument, and donated it to the school. James Parrish’s wife, Lily M. Stone, worked as a teacher at KFOS from 1887 to 1891. Two of his siblings served as trustees, Dr. Benjamin Franklin Parrish from 1916 to 1934 and Isaac Williams Parrish from 1936 to1943. It was Dr. Benjamin Parrish who convinced the Louisville businessman, Mr. John P. Starks to join the board thereby setting the stage for the next transformation in the school’s history.
James Ware Parrish’s other son, Philemon Price Parrish, served as trustee from 1874 to 1916. Philemon Parrish’s son Charles Ware Parrish served from 1914 to 1922 and Charles’s daughter, Margaret Ware Parrish went to work at KFOS in June 1942; latterly, she served in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) during World War II. Miss Parrish returned after the war to Midway and rejoined the staff of the school where she served as coach, physical education teacher, and athletic director until her retirement in 1979.
Isaac W. Parrish’s daughter, Honeywood Parrish, worked at KFOS and introduced the physical education program in 1921. She resigned after one year to marry Julius Howard Rouse. Her daughter-in-law, Jean Coleman Rouse served as trustee and her son, Robert Rouse worked in Public Relations at Midway College.
Thompson Marcus Parrish’s grandson, Thompson M. Roach served more than three decades as trustee then trustee emeritus starting in 1945. His son, Dr. Benjamin Franklin Roach, joined the board in 1972 and was replaced by his wife, Ruth Slack Roach, who served for many years and after whom the Ruth Slack Roach Leadership-Scholarship Program is named. Their son, Dr. James Parrish Roach (James Ware Parrish’s great-great-great grandson) has served on the board since 2001.
Dr. Benjamin Franklin Parrish’s (James Ware Parrish’s grandson) son-in-law, William Julian Walden served as trustee and trustee emeritus from 1939 to 1976. His son, Benjamin Parrish Walden, served in the 1970s and 1980s. His wife, Susan McKean Walden began her service to the institution in 2009 and continues to this day.
James Ware Parrish passed his love for the work of the institution on to his heirs; many of them continued to serve over the years in various capacities. They have served as trustees and faculty members, giving of their time, professional expertise, and resources to this day. Their contributions are considerable, and it is proper that James Ware Parrish’s vital role in launching the school be acknowledged. The trustees named a building after the man and his family that did so much to make the dream a reality. The buildings were officially named in 1914. The ‘old building’ became Pinkerton Hall and ‘the new building’ became Parrish Hall.