Adelphian Academy was established on September 22, 1904 by the East Michigan Conference. A farm near Holly was Professor and Mrs. J.G. Lamson, who were also the founders of Cedar Lake Academy, were the first teachers. The farm was the main industry until 1927 when woodworking was introduced. The school and farm (and later workshop) operated as a form of cooperative education where students were able to defray the cost of their tuition by working on the farm or in the workshop. The administration building not only housed dormitory rooms but also offices of the East Michigan Conference. As of May 1998 the former campus was listed in the Oakland County register of "closed landfills and dumpsites". The name lives on in Adelphian Junior Academy, which is still located in Holly but on a new campus.