FARMINGDALE SCHOOL

It was so sad to see this old school demolished as it was for the Maple Shade school. The middle of the 20th century marked the demise of maay of these 20th century schools.

1858: TEACHER'S LEDGER FROM FARMINGDALE SCHOOL

Farmingdale School is believed to be among the oldest if not the oldest in Hamilton Township. Of course this would not include the very oldest school which was in today's South Trenton when it was part of Nottingham township.

1898 CHIRSTMAS AT HAMILTON TOWNSHIP'S FARMINGDALE SCHOOL

From my very substantial "CHRONOLOGY" folder, this Farmingdale School item which was transcribed from the original copy to an "RT F" word processor file. The Christmas art work and the photo have been added to provide a necessary embellishment.

1988: FARMINGDALE SCHOOL: IN THE BEGINNING

CAnother great neighborhood school met the wrecker's ball. Farmingdale was among the oldest public schools in Hamilton Township.

1898: CHRISTMAS AT HAMILTON'S FARMINGDALE SCHOOL

HERE IS ANOTHER TRANSCRIBED FILE FROM THE "CHRONOLOGY" FOLDER. THE STUDENTS AND FACULTY AT FARMINGDALE SCHOOL 1898 WOULD BE EXPELLED FROM THE SCHOOL IF THEY DARED TO SING "JESUS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD" IN THIS "ENLIGHTENED" 21st CENTURY.

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FARMINGDALE SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

DECEMBER 25, 1898

Following was the program of Christmas exercises at the Farmingdale School, where Miss J. Chinnick is the teacher:

Song: News on Christmas Morning, by the students

Recitation: Welcome Christmas, by Joseph Reynolds

Recitation: Wish You a Merry Christmas, by Nellie Klockner.

Recitation: A Letter from Santa Claus, by Jennie Griffith

Recitation: A Merry Christmas, by James Riley

Reading: Joy To the World, by the students

Recitation: Christmas Carol, by Harry Orandack, Willie Bradshaw, Willie

Reed, Earl Craig, John O'Reilly.

Reading: A Christmas Surprise, by Jennie Griffith

Recitation: The Christmas Dinner Bell, by Nellie Bickel

Recitation: Hang up the Baby's Stockings, by Howard Klockner

Song: Jesus, the Light of the World, by the students

Recitation: Clap Your Hands for Christmas, by Clara Delonger

Recitation: When I call My Kettie Santa, by Joseph Reynolds

Recitation: Santa's Secret, by Ada Reynolds

Recitation: The Story Ever New, by Mamie Walker

Reading: Peace and Good Will, by the students

Recitation: Christmas Memories, by Grace Stults, Edith Evans, Elsie

Williams, Gladys Pettit, Georgiana Evans, Ida Kurts, Grace

Findler, Eva Findler, and Annie Reed

Recitation: Tommy's Christmas Fancy, by Jennie Griffith

Recitation: A Secret With Santa Claus, by Edith Evans

Recitation: Stretch It a Little, by Nellie Beihl

Recitation: Dance of the Months, by Walter Chinnick

Song: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, by the students

Address: by Mr. A.W. Hartwell.

1898: FARMINGDALE SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

Long before the arrival of the personal computer, in fact, it was the early 1980's when I began to transcribe historical articles from the Trenton area into a huge collection of articles. I was using a very early IBM word processor which utilized 8 inch "floppy drives to store the output. (remember them?) When I got my first PC back in the latter part of the 1980's the articles were transferred and saved in "rtf" format which is the mode to use when you want to be sure that any computer can read the output. You will be reading many of these transcriptions in future posts. This one relates to the Christmas program as presented by the students at the old Farmingdale School on Nottingham Way, just past East State Street. Local old timers may find relatives listed.

NOTE: FUTURE POSTS FROM THESE FILES WILL BE HEADED, "TRANSCRIBED."

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DECEMBER 25, 1898

Following was the program of Christmas exercises at the Farmingdale School, where Miss J. Chinnick is the teacher:
Song: News on Christmas Morning, by the students
Recitation: Welcome Christmas, by Joseph Reynolds
Recitation: Wish You a Merry Christmas, by Nellie Klockner.
Recitation: A Letter from Santa Claus, by Jennie Griffith
Recitation: A Merry Christmas, by James Riley
Reading: Joy To the World, by the students
Recitation: Christmas Carol, by Harry Orandack, Willie Bradshaw, Willie
Reed, Earl Craig, John O'Reiley.
Reading: A Christmas Surprise, by Jennie Griffith
Recitation: The Christmas Dinner Bell, by Nellie Bickel
Recitation: Hang up the Baby's Stockings, by Howard Klockner
Song: Jesus, the Light of the World, by the students
Recitation: Clap Your Hands for Christmas, by Clara Delonger
Recitation: When I call My Kitty Santa, by Joseph Reynolds
Recitation: Santa's Secret, by Ada Reynolds
Recitation: The Story Ever New, by Mamie Walker
Reading: Peace and Good Will, by the students
Recitation: Christmas Memories, by Grace Stults, Edith Evans, Elsie
Williams, Gladys Pettit, Georgiana Evans, Ida Kurts, Grace
Findler, Eva Findler, and Annie Reed
Recitation: Tommy's Christmas Fancy, by Jennie Griffith
Recitation: A Secret With Santa Claus, by Edith Evans
Recitation: Stretch It a Little, by Nellie Beihl
Recitation: Dance of the Months, by Walter Chinnick
Song: Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, by the students
Address: by Mr. A.W. Hartwell.

1943: Circa 1943 FARMINGDALE SCHOOL

I RECEIVED THIS GREAT CLASS PHOTO FROM BOB SHINKLE, A CLASSMATE OF MINE FROM HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF '51. THANKS TO FRANK RICHARDSON FOR CORRECTING ME ON THE ORIGINAL GRAPHIC WHEREIN I IDENTIFIED IT AS GREENWOOD SCHOOL FRANK RECOGNIZED VICTOR AVENUE ROW HOMES IN THE BACKGROUND AND CORRECTED MY ERROR. ONCE AGAIN, THANKS FRANK AND ALSO TO HHS '51 CLASSMATE ALICE SCHMIDT MULLEN FOR FORWARDING THE PHOTO TO FRANK. INPUT FROM VISITORS TO THIS SITE ARE RESPECTFULLY ASKED TO POINT OUT ANY ERRORS I MAKE IN MY POSTS. I AM NOT AFRAID TO ADMIT AN ERROR! AND FRANK RICHARDSON, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE ANY PHOTOS YOU MAY HAVE OR ANY STORIES YOU MIGHT SHARE WITH US ON YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE BROMLEY AREA. SIMILAR TO THAT OF BETTY HENRIE OAKERSON IN A POST I MADE A WEEK OR SO AGO. TO SEE MS OAKERSON'S RETROSPECTIVE, GO TO "SEARCH BLOG) IN THE UPPER LEFT AND TYPE IN THE KEYWORD: OAKERSON.

1858; FARMINGDALE SCHOOL

ONE OF THE VERY RARE ITEMS IN MY COLLECTION OF LOCAL HAMILTON TOWNSHIP HISTORY IS A LEDGER LISTING THE NAMES OF SOME OF HAMILTON'S VERY EARLIEST 19TH CENTURY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS. THIS IS A COPY OF PAGE ONE BEGINNING IN THE YEAR 1858. THE LEDGER LISTS THE SUPPLIES DISPENSED TO THE STUDENT, AND THE COST. IT HAS LISTINGS FROM 1850 TO THE EARLY 1870'S. FARMINGDALE IS BELIEVED TO BE THE OLDEST SCHOOL IN TODAY'S HAMILTON TOWNSHIP.

1939: FARMINGDALE GRAMMAR SCHOOLS

FARMINGDALE IS NO LONGER WITH US. UNFORTUNATELY IT WENT UNDER THE WRECKER'S BALL ALONG WITH THE LATE, LAMENTED MAPLE SHADE AND DECOU SCHOOLS. FARMINGDALE WAS ONE OF HAMILTON'S VERY EARLIEST SCHOOLS.

1935: FARMINGDALE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND

Many visitors to this website will recall the late, great Farmingdale School. Here's a 1935 photo of neighborhood kids playing under the fire plug sprinkler.

1916: Farmingdale School

This graphic speaks for itself! Mr. Bradshaw's bill for painting 4 rooms in the Farmingdale School, and obviously doing some window replacement. 30 dollars per room!

1914: Farmingdale School MInstrel

That wonderful old school from Hamilton Township's past, the late, great Farmingdale School was a true font of learning back in its heyday. There are numerous stories of that old school which will be forthcoming in future posts and perhaps as an article in one of my "Sentimental Journey" Trenton Times articles. Farmingdale was one of the original schools in Hamilton.

1916: Farmingdale School

Today it's a park. The Farmingdale School was one of Hamilton Township's oldest schools, dating back to the early 1800's. In the early years, the school hosted numerous religious gatherings on Sundays. If you are an alumnus of that venerable old school of learning, your memories of your years there will be welcome.