New Jersey Public Education was adopted. The first fully free public school in Medford was founded when a private boarding school (19 Branch St.) owned by Joseph Jones and Milton Allen was taken over by the State. The school continued in this building for a year and a half. The school became too small and classes were moved to the old Grange Hall on Bank Street while they built the new school on Filbert Street.

The Filbert Street School, designed by Milton Allen, was built and dedicated on July 4, 1876. It was an important part of Medford's Celebration of America's first Centennial. The new school was 2 stories high with two large classrooms on the first floor. Milton Allenwas the school's first principal, janitor, and umpire at ball games. It was an Elementary School.