The Reading Schoolhouse
The Reading Schoolhouse was one of several one room schoolhouses in historic Delaware Township. Students attended school here from 1861 until 1949, when the Delaware Township Consolidated School #1 was established. A thorough history of the school can be read at the Reading School page of the excellent website Goodspeed Histories. The schoolhouse is a contributing resource of the Rosemont Rural Agricultural District, which is listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places. It is also located within the Wescott Preserve, a beautiful, historic tract of land protected as conserved land in the State of New Jersey. In 2017, the Hunterdon County Board of Chosen Freeholders transferred ownership of the school and the surrounding three acres to Delaware Township. The Delaware Township Historical Society has been granted stewardship of the school and property, and has embarked on a project to restore the schoolhouse. Follow along here as we bring the Reading Schoolhouse back to life. We invite you to JOIN US! Whether you have construction skills, or don't know a ball peen from a claw hammer, we can find something for you to do! (But if you do know the difference, we can really use your help!)
The Reading Schoolhouse was one of several one room schoolhouses in historic Delaware Township. Students attended school here from 1861 until 1949, when the Delaware Township Consolidated School #1 was established. A thorough history of the school can be read at the Reading School page of the excellent website Goodspeed Histories. The schoolhouse is a contributing resource of the Rosemont Rural Agricultural District, which is listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places. It is also located within the Wescott Preserve, a beautiful, historic tract of land protected as conserved land in the State of New Jersey. In 2017, the Hunterdon County Board of Chosen Freeholders transferred ownership of the school and the surrounding three acres to Delaware Township. The Delaware Township Historical Society has been granted stewardship of the school and property, and has embarked on a project to restore the schoolhouse. Follow along here as we bring the Reading Schoolhouse back to life. We invite you to JOIN US! Whether you have construction skills, or don't know a ball peen from a claw hammer, we can find something for you to do! (But if you do know the difference, we can really use your help!)
Contact us at thereadingschoolhouse@gmail.com
Contact us at thereadingschoolhouse@gmail.com
See how the trail from the Reading School down to the creek is progressing! Eagle Scout project volunteers have cleared much of the trail and removed a LOT of stumps and logs. One can easily (carefully) walk nearly to the creek. It is a beautiful locale, but think of the pupils who had to fetch the water each school day! That's a long way to haul a bucket of water!
See how the trail from the Reading School down to the creek is progressing! Eagle Scout project volunteers have cleared much of the trail and removed a LOT of stumps and logs. One can easily (carefully) walk nearly to the creek. It is a beautiful locale, but think of the pupils who had to fetch the water each school day! That's a long way to haul a bucket of water!