Egg Harbor Township has a long tradition of providing good schools for our children. During the late nineteenth century most of our communities had their own neighborhood schools. Each were centrally located in the community so that the children could walk from their homes every day. Each school had a bell tower with a large bell that would toll a few minutes before the children were due to enter. Parents nearby could also hear the bell and would hurry any late children out the door and send them on their way.
The Scullville School, called the Scullville High School, was built about 1860 and was located on the Somers Point - Mays Landing Road, adjacent to the existing, but now closed, Scullville School building. This high school should not be considered a high school as we now know them. During the late 1800s through the early 1900's many schools were called high schools - meaning a school of higher learning.
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Scullville High School c1860 |
This school had a large central classroom that accommodated all classes from first through eighth and beyond to the advanced classes, grades nine through twelve, that we now call high school. Many times the older students would assist the teacher by teaching the younger ones. Reading, writing and arithmetic were the primary lessons, but literature and history were also taught. Each classroom had a picture of our first president, George Washington, hanging on the wall, as if watching all the children.
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The Scullville Kirsch Cardinals Baseball Team |
Sports were often played between township schools. This photo is believed to been taken on the front porch of the Scullville School. The baseball team may have been known as the Kirsch Cardinals.
The teacher is looking out of the doorway.
The Scullville School has had several lives. After the new Scullville School was built in 1915, this building was sold and converted into an apartment house. Later in the 1960's the building was sold to "Uncle Dick" Collins who moved it across a large field into a group of buildings he accumulated for the purpose of becoming a local museum. After several years the museum was closed and the property was sold to the Greentree Church. The earlier Scullville school still stands behind Greentree's large church and appears to be in good condition.
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This is the Scullville School, built in 1915, as it looks today |
The earlier Scullville school was located about 300-feet to the left of this newer one, built in 1915. You can find this school at the corner of School House and Somers Point-Mays Landing roads. At this writing it is currently for sale.
Click here to read the 1907-1908 school register.
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