Once-Segregated School Building Returned To Freehold Borough Ownership

FREEHOLD, NJ – The Court Street School building in the borough has a storied past. It was once a segregated school, then a World War II air raid shelter, then an integrated borough school, and finally the beloved home of a community outreach center.

And now, in the latest fine point of its history, it is officially owned by the borough that has played such a central part in the lives of its students for more than 100 years.

Ownership of the school building was transferred from Monmouth County by the Board of County Commissioners to Freehold Borough at an Aug. 11 commissioner's meeting .

Once a segregated primary school, the brick building on a low hill, which now serves as a center for education and community outreach, towers in historical significance for the area.

The commissioners marked the title transfer by presenting Freehold Mayor Kevin A. Kane, Court Street School Foundation Board members and its President Emeritus Lillie Ham Hendry with a ceremonial key to the Court Street School.

The school building has operated for many years as the home to the Court Street School Education Community Center. But since its founding in 1915 as a segregated school in the borough, it has seen many transformations.

“The Court Street School was a source of great pride to the students who went there, and it was through the efforts of its devoted alumni, especially Miss Lillie Hendry, that it was so lovingly preserved," said Freehold Mayor Kevin A. Kane.

“It was built for all the wrong reasons, a segregated school meant to keep people apart, but restored now, and in its second life, it makes up for that by serving for all the right reasons - to bring people together as a community,” Kane said.

“We expect that the Court Street School and the good work being done by the Education Community Center members will continue to serve as our ‘never again’ reminder as we seek together, to build a more just and equitable society,” said Kane.

Kane said the history of how the county acquired the title to the school is still unclear. But it is back now with the borough for "a nominal fee," Kane said.

Kane said this means the town can take over the care of the building and grounds so the board of the center can focus on its programs, such as summer camps and other educational and community outreach, and, of course, on continuing to preserve the history and legacy of the school.

Kane said the borough fully supports the Court Street School Education Community Center and its mission to serve the community.

"We look forward to collaborating with the board and other community groups and leaders to realize the full potential of this historic and valuable community asset," Kane said.

Here is some of the history of the school from the website of the Court Street School Education Community Center:

"The Court Street School is one of the principal structures associated with the segregated history of early 20th-century education for African Americans in Freehold," the site says. It remains one of just a handful of segregated school buildings still standing in the Northeast.

The original school was "organized in 1915 exclusively for the education of African American children by the Freehold Board of Education." It was a one-room wooden building located just west of the present site.

"The existing school was constructed in two phases, in 1920 and 1926. All African-American children in Freehold were educated at Court Street School from kindergarten through eighth grade until World War II, when the school was used as an air raid shelter and a ration station.

"Under pressure from war veterans, a court order integrated the school and it reopened for kindergarten through third grade in 1949," the website recounts.

The school was closed in 1974. In 1990, the Court Street School Education Community Center, Inc. was formed as a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, to restore the school for use as an Education Community Center and to preserve it as an African-American historic landmark.

The group received a $344,698 matching grant in 1993 from the New Jersey Historic Trust and the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders to restore the facility. In 1995, the building became an official historic site in the state of New Jersey, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites.

The New Jersey Historic Preservation Bond Program described the school building this way: "The Colonial Revival style brick schoolhouse was designed by locally prominent architect Warren H. Conover. The Court Street School is associated with the history of early 20th-century education in Freehold, and has long been a major focal point of its African-American community."

The site "has incredible historical significance and the Board of Commissioners is honored to transfer ownership to Freehold Borough at no cost,” said Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone, referring to action at the Aug. 11 commissioners' meeting.

“We look forward to seeing the Court Street School grow through their educational programming, community awareness campaigns, and youth engagement to connect with the community in positive ways,” he added.