ˈæbɪŋtən fɹˈɛndz skˈuːl wʌz fˈaʊndᵻd ɪn mˈɑːɹtʃ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɛvən, wˌɛn dʒˈɑːn bˈɑːɹnz, ɐ wˈɛlθi tˈeɪlɚ hˌuː bᵻlˈɔŋd tə ðɪ ˈæbɪŋtən mˈʌnθli mˈiːɾɪŋ ʌvðə ɹᵻlˈɪdʒəs səsˈaɪəɾi ʌv fɹˈɛndz, doʊnˈeɪɾᵻd ʌv hɪz ᵻstˈeɪt "fɔːɹ ænd təwˈɔːɹdz ɪɹˈɛktɪŋ ɐ mˈiːɾɪŋhˌaʊs fɔːɹ fɹˈɛndz ænd təwˈɔːɹd ðə mˈeɪntənəns əvə skˈuːl ˌʌndɚ ðə dᵻɹˈɛkʃən ʌv fɹˈɛndz."
Abington Friends School was founded in March 1697, when John Barnes, a wealthy tailor who belonged to the Abington Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, donated  of his estate "for and towards erecting a meetinghouse for Friends and toward the maintenance of a school under the direction of Friends."