Caldwell Okays Land Purchase for School on This Day in 1873

One hundred-forty years ago on April 4, 1873 despite economic panic sweeping the nation, local leaders had the courage, foresight and wisdom to make a long-term investment in education. 

On this day, they gave the go-ahead to purchase land and start building Central School, the borough’s first graded, first district school.

Central School was located at the corner of Prospect Street and Academy Road. Does anybody have any stories about it to share? 

The decision to form a district school was a controversial one back then:

From the manuscript:  Caldwell History From Pioneer Days:

“As time passed and the districts grew in population the need of better public school facilities was recognized and some of the wise men of Caldwell saw the way to  provide what was needed.  It was considered that one teacher could do little with forty or more pupils of one or two grades and do this work well as it was difficult to provide facilities for grade work.  The problem was solved by combining three school districts, those of Caldwell, Franklin and Westville, into one district. Not only did graded work become possible but high school work also. 

This consolidation was made in 1872 after much agitation aroused by the proposition to unite the district schools of the Caldwells and there were many who expected to see nothing but failure in the project of union. It was held that the building of a suitable structure for the proper care and teaching of the youth of the three districts would involve an expenditure whereby taxation would be ruinously increased and the villagers would be necessarily handicapped and existing prosperity would at once fail.

This pessimistic attitude was shown to be wrong as improvements developed. The citizens thought so much of education in spite of the business panic occurring in President Grant’s administration in 1873 from which the country  did not recover for five or six years, that the legislature passed a special act establishing the school district of Caldwell. The subdivision that took place required other changes for state laws now required that school district lines must coincide with municipal lines. It was permissible for two or more municipalities to join together as one district."

...“The school opened in the fall of 1874 with an attendance of two hundred and ten children. The school quickly grew into a combination of primary, grammar and high school. The teachers were Addison Ely, principal, academic department; Miss M.J. Sly, junior department; Miss L.H. Armstrong, intermediate department; Miss Ella Pike, primary department.”