1895 AND 1935: VILLA PARK'S MOSES SCHOOL

I remember the Moses School which I passed many times on my trips to Tony Amato's barbershop on Park Avenue. Here is a delightful news photo of the children returning to class after a long summer vacation. Short pants were the order of the day for boys, or perhaps those corduroy knickers that "swich-swish" with every step we took....and let's not forget those ultra ugly knee high stockings we wore when we were decked out in knickers! The graphic below is an engraving of the original school as it looked back in the 19th century. Note that the children are entering a wooden clapboard building, while the architectural drawing below describes it as red brick. Perhaps a change was made between the time the engraving was published and the school was built.

1937: FRANKLIN, ROEBLING, MCCLELLAN, MOTT, AND MOSES SCHOOL

Here is another post from the Trenton Evening Times' 1937 series of articles on the schools in the city of Trenton. I have consolidated two of them into one graphic; more to come.

Mack said...

Franklin O Franklin we love thy famous name Our pride above all others no school could be the same....:)

Monday, August 08, 2011

1934: MOSES SCHOOL STUDENTS PRESENT A CIRCUS

By the 1930's, the newspaper industry had perfected the art of offset photography, as can be seen in the graphic above.

1940: JAMES MOSES SCHOOL, VILLA PARK

The Kindergarten class, or as we Hamiltonians called it, "Reception Grade" is illustrated in the photo above. I see little Paul Ashmore, Hamilton High Class of 1952 in there, and is that former Senator Gerald Stockman?

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rayfromvillapark said...

Tom, When we moved to Villa Park in 1945, the old Moses school sat diagonally behind our house on the other side of the alley.
The school had been abandoned and was boarded up with some debris strewn about the property. I do remember, however, that we were able to play baseball on the property.
A few years later the school was knocked down and 3 or 4 houses were built on the property.
Does anyone know when the school opened and when it closed? Also, is there any documentation when the building was torn down? I think it was the early 1950s? Rayfromvillapark

RAY:
IF YOU GO TO THE "SEARCH BLOG" LINK IN THE UPPER LEFT OF THIS BLOG YOU WILL FIND THE GENESIS OF THE JAMES MOSES SCHOOL. Type in Moses School and you will find many entries, along with an 1890's architect's rendering of the school.

1936: JAMES MOSES SCHOOL CHILDREN VISIT TRENTON'S ENGINE 7

Engine 7 referenced above was the same as today's Engine 7 at Hamilton Avenue and Anderson Street in Trenton.

1931: James Moses School, Villa Park

Once upon a time, Villa Park area school children went to the James Moses School on Park Avenue near the intersection of Hamilton. In fact, and if memory serves me, it was located just a bit opposite the intersection of New Jersey and Park Avenues. I'm sure a visitor from the area can either confirm or deny the accuracy of my memory.

1896: VILLA PARK JAMES MOSES SCHOOL

I REMEMBER THIS OLD SCHOOL WHEN I WAS A BOY. IT WAS ON PARK AVENUE, NOT TOO FAR FROM MY BARBER AT THE TIME, TONY (AND CARL) AMATO. IT WAS REALLY A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF SCHOOL ARCHITECTURE.

1935: JAMES MOSES SCHOOL - VILLA PARK

What a great photo of a young group of Moses classmates entering an old school with clapboard siding! I only remember the Moses School as being made of brick. Does any old timer from the Villa Park - Park Avenue are know anything about the school building shown in the graphic?

1940: The Closing of Moses School

1938: Wilbur's Moses School PTA

The old James Moses School on Park Avenue section near Hamilton in the Wilbur was the grammar school of many area residents.