Category Archives: Diary

New Jersey CHS Archives Visit

Today I drove into New Jersey. It was grey and rainy, as usual.

Montrose SchoolMy first stop was Montrose School, where I took a few pictures. The place is a shambles, it’s criminal. The grass is grown over, the front facade is in disrepair. One of the lanterns is hanging by a single bolt. There are no original leaded windows left. It looks like a haunted house. Apparently it’s now a school for “special needs” students. They don’t deserve a pretty school?

My next stop was the South Orange Library, where they were holding the book “The Evolution of Public Education in a New Jersey School District”, by Henry W. Foster. The inside title is a bit different, “The Evolution of the School District of South Orange and Maplewood new Jersey 1814-1927”. They had two copies. Foster was head of the BOE back in the 20s-30s (I dont recall the exact years, but a plaque honoring him is in Columbia’s front hall).

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