History of Education in Freehold Township (cont.)

The Georgia Schoolhouse is one of two still standing today. It is located on the corner of Georgia Road. and Jackson Mill Road and is owned by Freehold Township and maintained by the Freehold Township Historic Preservation Commission. The Georgia Schoolhouse was originally located on 40 acres of land. The land was a grant from King George III of England to the Board of Proprietors of East New Jersey for education purposes. This area of Freehold Township was known as ‘Georgia’ at that time. According to the late Andrew J. Conover, Esq., a teacher for Freehold Township, the land was then deeded by the Board of Proprietors of East New Jersey to James Parker on April 17, 1795, for the erection of a school for the inhabitants of Georgia. There were two other school buildings that preceded the present structure. The first school was erected about 1808, the second in 1842 the third in 1862 after a fire destroyed the structure. This building was last used in 1935 as a full time school. Laura Southern Barkalow Donovan taught special classes here until the 1950’s. Mrs. Donovan was a student at the school starting in 1901. She finished her eighth grade education here and advanced to Normal School to receive her teaching certificate. She then returned to the school and remained it’s teacher until 1935 when the school districts of Freehold Township were consolidated and all teaching was done from the new West Freehold School on Route 537.

The East Freehold School was built in 1843 on Denise’s Corner on Dutch Lane Road. We now know this area as the East Freehold and Dutch Lane Road intersection. The original schoolhouse was moved across the street in 1843 and a second floor was added. It is now privately owned. It accommodated 70 pupils. A second school was built and was formerly known as the Dutch Lane school, it became known as the East Freehold School in 1878. It served the population of the eastern end of the Township. Most students that graduated from this school went into teaching. The school had 50 different teachers and was closed in 1936.

The Paradise Grove School was built in 1825. It was sometimes called the school at Clayton’s Corner. It is now owned by the Township and houses the headquarters for Municipal Alliance. It was located on the Strickland Farm at the intersection of Elton-Adelphia and Jackson Mill Road (Clayton’s Corner).

Another school now vacated was The Out Lot on the Hendrickson farm. The farm was located on the road leading from Stillwells Corner to West Freehold. The year was 1850 and many inhabitants of Freehold and their descendants were educated here.

In the same area of the Township was the Thompson’s Grove School, which was located on the Burlington Path. Built in 1847 some of its students were Miss Lydia Parker, Edmund Parker, Elizabeth and James A. Parker. Mrs. Leslie McClurg, Mrs. Henry Hance, Mrs. William Lykes, Viola Ely and Mrs. Edward McChesney. Teachers included William Mount, Julia Nevius and a Mr. Carpenter.

The only other schoolhouse that still stands today is The West Freehold School. Erected in 1847, it is located on Wemrock Road. The acre of land on which it stands was originally part of the 143-acre Walker-Combs Hartshorne farm. Ownership of the farm and land can be dates as par back as 1686. In 1832 the chain of title came to Rulif R. Schanck. It is written that Mr. Schanck conveyed one acre of his land for the school to the Trustees, Samuel Conover, John H. Mount, and William N. Thompson for a fee of $25.00. The original name of the school was The West Freehold Seminary and Collegiate Institute. It was also called the Old Schanck School. The current and lasting name was The West Freehold School. It was in continuous use from 1847 to 1936, when it was closed for the consolidation of the school districts of Freehold Township.