I think the Pittstown School is the most historic place in Franklin Township because it is one of the most unknown schools and it was the only one of the five schools in Franklin Township that burned down. I also picked Pittstown School because is listed in National Registry of Historic Places making it a recognized historic site.

There have been two different teachers at the Pittstown School, first Mrs. Batterman and than Mrs. Barber. Mrs. A. Barber was from Clinton. One teacher taught all eight or nine classes with about ten students in each class from 8:00a.m to 3:00p.m (You will find out about ì8 or 9î later). Students mainly used pencils and straight pens, which the children had to buy. Some students lived too far to go to school so they worked for another family in the evenings, and they went to school in the morning and afternoon.

Everyone had an individual desk. The ceiling was high and the windows were high, like in churches. Most of the time the children went home for lunch, but the children that lived farther away brought lunch. There was a heater in the cellar. On snowy days the children brought in potatoes, and put them next to the heater and they became cooked, making a tasty lunch.

After school one of the chores was clapping the erasers. In the morning children saluted the flag, said a prayer, and then read a verse from the Bible. Children liked to read Psalm 1:13 because it was the shortest verse.

There were electric lights but there was not any indoor running water. Since there was not any indoor running water there was a double outhouse, boys and girls. A story that goes along with the school is that the first children done with there work got to take a milk can, go to the ìOld Stone Castleî and get drinking water, children liked it because it got them out of class. The last children done with their work had to help the younger students with their work. After a couple of years Kindergarten was added.

The school burned down in 1912, and the stone structure was replaced with a wooden structure. In 1935 the school became so big that the eighth grade class had to go to the Quaker Church in Quakertown.

The Pittstown School built and opened in 1902 and closed on August 24, 1936 when the Franklin Township Consolidated School (now called Franklin Township School) opened.

The old Pittstown School is located at 404 Pittstown Road. Before the school became a school it originally was farmland that belonged to Henry Smith. In 1937 the five schools in Franklin Township were auctioned off and John Snyder bought the Pittstown School. Mr. J. Snyder never really lived in the single room, old school house. However, a man named Howard Stout rented the house from John Snyder. Mr. Watson Warman bought the house from John Snyder. Unlike Mr. J. Snyder Watson Warman lived in the house. Fred Raunsuille rented the old school from Mr. W. Warman. Then, the house was sold in 1953 to Albert Barrick who lived there until 1960 when Elmer Hahola bought the land and the Hahola family still lives at the old Pittstown School.

I chose the Pittstown School because it can be found at the end of my driveway and I did not even know it was a school until I did this project. Another reason I picked the Pittstown School is because my family and I are friends with the Haholas.

I got my information from Mr. Donald Dalrympla, Mrs. Betty Lee McPherson, Mr. Artey Barrick, National Registry of Historic Places, Facts and Fantasies of Franklin written by Mr. J. E. Stout, Mr. Edward Stout, Mrs. Eva Tharpe, Mrs. Jane Hahola Mr. Manning Douglas, and Mrs. Irene Barrick.


Resources:

Facts and Fantasies of Franklin, published by the Franklin Township Committee, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, 1995. Compiled and Written by J. E. Stout.

"Pittstown Historic District Proposal Research" packet, prepared by Ursula C. Brecknell, Consultant, Historic House Surveys, Belle Mead, New Jersey, 1989.

Interviews:

Mr. Donald Dalrympla
Mrs. Betty Lee McPherson
Mr. Artey Barrick
Mrs. Eva Tharpe
Mrs. Jane Hahola
Mr. Manning Douglas
Mrs. Irene Barrick