Monument Honors Former Washington School In Raritan

RARITAN, NJ — A monument on the former Washington School property on First Avenue was dedicated by the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders on Monday.

The 17-foot monument was created using bricks, a cornerstone and ornamental windows from the former school building that was demolished in October 2017. The site cleanup and restoration was completed in December.

The monument was designed by Richard Close of the Somerset County Engineering Division and was constructed as part of the building demolition project. The contractor was Konkus Corp. of Branchburg.

Somerset County is selling the property to the Borough of Raritan for $1. The transfer of the property was formalized on Monday as well.

“Washington School served generations of students and later was home to a county senior center and a number of county offices,” said Freeholder Director Scaglione. “Although the building is gone, we’re pleased to turn over the property to the Borough of Raritan for eventual re-purposing.”

Washington School was opened in 1936 as the Junior High School. It served as a school in the Bridgewater-Raritan School District until 1979. It was the first Raritan school that had a gymnasium; the gym was used frequently for evening sports for the next 70 years.

From 1980 to 2017, the school building was used for Somerset County satellite offices – mainly Human Services, but also Emergency Management, the Tax Board and the county Superintendent of Schools. The county’s Raritan Senior Center was located here also until it relocated in 2016 to the new Senior Wellness Center at Bridgewater next to the ballpark.

Among those attending the event were Freeholder Director Patrick Scaglione and Freeholder Patricia Walsh, and Raritan Mayor Chuck McMullin and the borough’s Historic & Cultural Committee, represented by Jim Fidacaro. Also in attendance were former Principal Wilson Bethard and Ann Navatto, a member of the school’s first graduating class; they were joined by a number of former teachers and other former students.

(Image via Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders: Freeholder Director Patrick Scaglione and Raritan Mayor Chuck McMullin are joined by Freeholder Patricia Walsh in cutting the ribbon to dedicate the Washington School monument on First Avenue in Raritan. Former teachers, former students and former Principal Wilson Bethard also were part of the ceremony.)

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