The Aimwell School was founded in 1796 by Anne Parrish (1760-1800) and was run originally out of Parrish's own home on North 2nd Street in Philadelphia as an educational opportunity for poor girls. The school's mission was to provide a "proper" education to young girls while charging no more than a small regular fee for the usage of books. No tuition was charged and the school ran entirely on donations. Parrish and her coworkers worked towards the same mission, forming together as the Society for the Free Instruction of Female Children, under the management of the Society of Friends. In 1859, the Society for the Free Instruction of Female Children was incorporated and the name was then changed to the Aimwell School Association. The school was open until 1923; the corporation dissolved in 1935. The funds were transferred to a Friends fiduciary group.
The Aimwell School Records (1796-1935) consist primarily of minute book records and various documents related to the operation and administration of the Aimwell School.