1934: MERCERVILLE SCHOOL 8th GRADE GRADS

There are a number of familiar local names in the class shown above. I am slowly building a database of class photos from the newspaper of the pre-1940 era; this is one of many.

1949: 1st GRADE, MERCERVILLE SCHOOL

Thanks to my friend Alan Wildblood for this very nice photo of the first grade at Mercerville School in 1949. Alan has tagged each student for those who can relate to this photo.

2011: MERCERVILLE SCHOOL CENTENNIAL

Even though Sandtown's (Mercerville's) "School No. 27" dates back to the 19th century when the Mercerville School House was located on Quaker Bridge Road, the year 2011 marks the centennial celebration of that legendary old Hamilton Township school on Regina Avenue in Sandtown....uh, make that Mercerville. On Saturday, September 24th from 11 A.M. to 3 P.M., the school yard at Mercerville School will be filled with teachers, alumni, local area residents, and perhaps some local dignitaries as the school celebrates this centennial milestone. I will be there with some of the local history that reposes in the Hamilton Township Public Library's Local History Collection. I hope to see you there!

1911: MERCERVILLE SCHOOL ADDS 4 ROOMS

The committee preparing for the centennial celebration of the Mercerville School on Regina Avenue have requested information for their September centennial event. Accordingly I felt it would be much more convenient to post bits and pieces relating to that great old edifice in Mercerville which will allow the committee to right click and save these graphics for their use. At the same time, they are being posted here for posterity.

1893: MERCERVILLE SCHOOL STUDENTS VISIT THE CITY OF TRENTON

Up to this point, I have found nothing in my extensive research on the one room schools in Hamilton Township. I do know that our schools were numbered, and that Farmingdale was among the oldest. The above article was printed when Mercerville School was located on Quaker Bridge Road, but after it was known as "School No. 27."

1948: MERCERVILLE SCHOOL'S CLASS OF '48

In September, Hamilton Township's Mercerville School will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the construction of that beautiful building on Regina Avenue in Mercerville. The original Mercerville School was designated as "School No. 27" back in the 19th century. It was located on Quaker Bridge Road in the area of today's Quakerbridge Commons. I will be working with the area organizers of the celebration, posting additional material on the school in future posts. These posts can be be saved to the computers of those who are working on the 100th anniversary project. Mercerville is another of Hamilton's neighborhood schools that evolved from the classic one room school house to the two story schools which were popular in the early to mid 20th century.

1948: MERCERVILLE SCHOOL CLASS OF '48

Many thanks to Ms. Lois Marriott Lawrence, Mercerville class of 1948 for this pristine photo of her class. It is always nice when the students are identified.

From Tom: Apologies if I mis-spelled any names, as I superimposed the class names at the bottom of the photo. And to you Lois Marriott Lawrence, many thanks for this welcome addition to the Hamilton history website!

2009: THANK YOU, JERRY WELSH FOR AN INTERESTING EMAIL

I received this very interesting and insightful email from Jerry Welsh, who has fond memories of his grammar school years at Klockner and Mercerville grammar schools. Jerry referred to my Kuser School Centennial column which appeared in Saturday's Trenton Times. (See the side bar to the right for a link to that column). Jerry also remembers the graduation song they sang at the graduation ceremony in 1948. I will most certainly use that "Crusing Down the River"
melody in future presentations. Thanks so much for an interesting email, Jerry.

=================================================================

From: Jerry W

To: thomglo@verizon.net

Sent: Saturday, May 30, 2009 5:16 PM

Subject: re:School Days

Dear Tom,

I really enjoyed your column in the TIMES today,with the storyof the Kuser School's Opening 100 years ago.

That was a beautiful poem you wrote for the 75th Anniversary!

It got me thinking about my Grammar School Graduation from Klockner School.

I had been attending Mercerville School since kindergarten,and was in seventh grade as Winfred Applegate and I attended the Mercerville School Graduation,in June of 1948.

That fall,we would become 8th graders. We looked forward to being in Mrs.Bainbridge's Class,having Gym Class,the School Patrol activities, going to a big-league game in Philadelphia with the Patrol,getting "8th Grade Jackets,"making the Mercerville School Baseball team,etc!

But none of that was to be! That Summer,we were told we would be attending KLOCKNER School ! There would no longer be an 8th Grade at Mercerville. Children and Parents were irate! But,nothing could be done. Along with boys and girls from Maple Shade,and from Kuser,I believe,we became the Klockner Class of 1949,with 104 pupils.

It wasn't the same! I really didn't apply myself well to Klockner School! But,I "passed", got in the choir and had a part in a Musical we did,and in Graduation.

I remember our Graduation Song-to the tune of "Cruising Down The River"-

Leaving dear old Klockner

is a time that will not fade,

The scenes we know,just where to go,

friends that we have made.

The time worn bell's a-ringing

a message to our ears,

memories of Klockner

as we travel through the years.

as on we pass,from class to class,

new laurels to attain,

hardships may fall,but after all

we've everything to gain,

So we will all be singing,

a song of happi-ness

leaving dear old Klockner

on our way to HHS.

I don't know who wrote it,but you know,that Graduation was held 60 years ago next week! Wow!

Regards, Jerry Welsh

1939: Mercerville School

What a great photo! This is how the school looked when I was a boy in the 1930'a and 40's. Being way out in the "sticks" in my Hartley Avenue home, I never got to see Mercerville School until I was old enough to drive. Mercerville is another of those neighborhood shools which are still alive and well in Hamilton. I hope they all have a long, long life and are spared destruction by the wrecker's ball.

1923: MERCERVILLE SCHOOL FIRE CODE

Before there were strict environmental issues, lead based paint was routinely used in homes and schools all over the country. I have to wonder why those of us who endured walls and furniture painted with lead based paint still survive. Asbestos-wrapped pipes were all part of my grammar and high school environment. Here we have a graphic showing that Mercerville School was "gigged" for numerous fire code violations.

1931: HISTORY OF MERCERVILLE PTA

THIS INTERESTING ARTICLE WITH LITTLE KNOWN HISTORY OF THE MERCERVILLE SCHOOL PTA AND TANTALIZING INFO ON MERCERVILLE SCHOOL'S EARLY YEARS HAS BEEN STORED DEEP WITHIN MILLIONS OF TRENTON NEWSPAPERS. AS MY CALLING CARD SAYS, IM "DIGITIZING LOCAL HISTORY ONE PAGE AT A TIME."

1947: MERCERVILLE SCHOOL

HERE'S THE CLASSES AT MERCERVILLE IN 1947.

1944:MERCERVILLE GRAMMAR SCHOOL

THESE LITTLE BITS OF SCHOLASTIC NEWS ARE NO LONGER CONSIDERED AS NEWS IN TODAY'S BUSY WORLD. PERHAPS THEY SHOULD BE. IT MIGHT REFLECT SOME POSITIVE SLANTS ON THE YOUTH OF TODAY. THE SIXTH GRADE ENTRY IN THIS ARTICLE IS OF INTEREST TO ME, AS SOME OF THE STUDENTS WENT ON TO BE CLASSMATES IN THE CLASS OF 1951 AT HAMILTON HIGH. I SEE SYLVIA ARENA, PEGGY BACON, BILL JACKSON, KIETH KAUFFMAN, AND RAY JONES.VERY INTERESTING!

EVELYN ELIZABETH BURD MERCERVILLE SCHOOL TEACHER OBIT

FROM JACK LACY VIA DAVE BRYAN, HAMILTON HIGH CLASS OF '56 COMES THIS NOTICE OF THE PASSING OF EVELYN BURD, MERCERVILLE GRAMMAR SCHOOL:
===============================================================
Hi All...
I'm informed that this lady was a teacher of some of our class mates when they toiled away in the fourth or fifth grade at Mercerville School. I was given this"heads up" by one of her favorite students, our HHS56 class mate "Davey" Bryan.

Jack Lacy, HHS '56

==================================================================
From Dave Bryan, HHS '56:

Evelyn Elizabeth Burd

Evelyn Elizabeth Burd HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP - Evelyn Elizabeth Burd died Thursday at the University Medical Center, Princeton. Born in Dutch Neck in 1920, she had been a resident of Hopewell Township for over 55 years. She was an active member of the Pennington United Methodist Church. Evelyn was a graduate of Princeton High School and Trenton State College. She taught in local schools for 28 years. She loved teaching, music, the outdoors, working in her flower gardens and caring for her pets. Daughter of the late Lawrence and Elizabeth E. Blackwell and sister of the late Arthur Blackwell, she is survived by her beloved husband of 60 years, Henry P. Burd. She is also survived by many brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Pennington United Methodist Church, 60 S. Main St., with the Rev. Myungim Kim, pastor, officiating. Interment will be in Harbourton Cemetery. Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday at the Blackwell Memorial Home, 21 N. Main St., Pennington. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Memorial Fund of the Pennington United Methodist Church.

SIGN THE GUEST BOOK AT HTTP://OBITS.NJ.COM/TRENTON/OBITUARIES.ASP

Mercerville School Class of '39

Unless my math is faulty, and it often is, many of these students would have gone on to become part of the class of 1939, Hamilton High School.

1986: Mayor Jack Rafferty at Mercerville School 75th Birthday

Here's a photo from the MERCERVILLE SCHOOL folder in the Hamilton Library's Local History Collection. That would make Mercerville School 95 years old in this year of 2006.

1935: Mercerville "Glee Club"

You're over 50 if you remember when we who loved to sing belonged to a "Glee Club." What fond memories I have of being a soloist, and siging a duet with classmate and "girlfriend" Shirley Whitebread in Miss Ruth Margerum's Kuser School Glee Club. Here from the Local History 'MERCERVILLE SCHOOL" files at the Hamilton Library, we have a neat photo of the singers.

1915 Mercerville School

Would you believe that this, and many other historic documents were destined to be recycled? Thankfully, there are some enlightened citizens who are not "historically challenged," and saw that there was a redeeming value for "trash" of this type. All will agree that by today's standards, the Mercerville School got their money's worth from Mr. Hull's labors. Thirty cents per hour for varnishing desks! Where is his union steward?