There have been seven early schoolhouses in the land acreage today named Tabernacle. An additional schoolhouse has been “adopted” to make a total of eight buildings for early student education. Since the last of these was built in 1936, two more modern buildings have been constructed. They will be mentioned only briefly.
The Schools:
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1815 Schoolhouse (School Number 90)
Little is known of this property. What we do know comes to us from an 1876 County Superintendents report by Edgar Haas. Here is what he had to say: “Tabernacle, Dist. No. 90. In the year 1815 an acre of land was given for the purpose thereon a building to be used as a church… Read more
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1846 Schoolhouse (School Number 93) (Union School)
Union School was located near today’s border with Shamong Township. It was slightly north of the intersection of Tuckerton and Old Indian Mills Roads. The section called Union was also a very small collection of local residences, without a church, store or any commercial enterprises. Read more
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1856 Schoolhouse (School Number 90)
Tabernacle School #90. Tabernacle School #90, built in 1856, was once located in the center of the Village of Tabernacle, near the intersection of Carranza Road and Medford Lakes – Tabernacle Road, across from the cemetery. It functioned for many years until eventually portions of it were moved and incorporated into the schoolhouse still standing… Read more
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1875 Friendship Bogs (Adopted Schoolhouse)
he school was built around 1875, possibly earlier, and was in Washington Township. First teacher remembered was William Reynolds who was crippled in both legs, and walked with the aid of crutches. Many times he chopped firewood after school on his knees. There was also a teacher by the name of Helen Reed (or Read).… Read more
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1885 Friendship Sawmill Mill
In 1885, the Friendship School was built on Powell Place Road to serve the children who had to travel too far to go to the other schoolhouses. Read more
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1909 Two Room School House – at Town Hall Site
Today this view of the Town Hall would be the current front door and entrance. In 1909 the main door for the building was on Medford Lakes Road. In he far-right background the Knight-Pepper House is visible. Today (2022), this building is “encased” within the old former primary school, just a short drive down Carranza… Read more
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1936 Renovated 1909 School House on Carranza Road
In 1936 the two room school house was moved from the Town hall site to a new four acre location a short distance away on Carranza Road. We have no pictures of the actual move but have been told that a team of horses was used to pull it down Carranza Road. Read more
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1964 Primary School
In 1964 the Primary School was opened. It was later added to several times to meet the need for a dramatic upsurge in enrollment. The first phase construction consisted of a building with eight classrooms, an administrators’ office, all-purpose room, kitchen and teachers room. By 1965 stage two planning led to the next phase. In Read more
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1981 Middle School
The Middle school was built at a cost of $5.2M and was opened in September of 1981. On a 30 acre lot, the new building included 28 classrooms. In June of 1981, before summer break, some students were allowed to carry their books and supplies across the street from the Primary school to their new Read more
Class Pictures
(Click on a photo to enlarge)
Newspaper Tidbits Timeline
1900 October 9th
Mount Holly News: “Miss Irene Harris, of Mt. Holly, assumed charge of the public school at Tabernacle yesterday.”
1905 April 11th
Mt. Holly News: An entertainment for the benefit of the Union School, at Tabernacle, will be given in the Mechanics Hall, at that place on Thursday evening. The programme will consist of singing, humorous dialogues, tableau and pantomime.”
1909 July 29th
Allentown Messenger: “The Board of education has decided to erect a new school house at Tabernacle.”
1910 April 19th
Mt. Holly News: A large forest fire at Four Mile destroys a large area of pines. Among the damage is “a school house in Tabernacle Township.”
1923
The PTA was founded by the parents of the children at the two-room schoolhouse. Their main issue was to keep the kids warm. The students’ fathers would chop, cut and deliver wood for the wood burning stove. Mothers provided home-made soup and cocoa which was given to the children at lunchtime. At one point an oyster supper was held in the school to raise funds for cocoa and soup.
Over the years the PTA held many fundraisers. Included in this list were bake sales, white elephant sales, fashion shows, county fairs and book fairs. Funds raised were used to buy stage curtains, playground equipment, library furniture and books.
1934 September 14th
Mt. Holly Herald: “The public school has opened, with Elizabeth Hitchings, of Maine, as principal, and Miss Bessie Wilkins, of Medford, as teacher of the primary grade. The seventh and eighth grades attend Vincentown School, which opened last week. Arthur Pepper is the driver of the local bus and Harvey Rogers is driver of the Mount Holly High School bus for this term.”
1936 May 14th
Tabernacle school contracts awarded. George Shaner and Sons – General Contractor, $11637; A Fort – plumbing, $694; and Harry Kriecht, Co. heating and ventilating $1794. Minor contracts were also let for brick veneer ($767) and the oil burner ($240).
Tabernacle Historical Society 