History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 77

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148

USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth county, New Jersey > Part 77

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In 1853 a large additional building was erected, eighty feet in length and thirty-six feet THE FREEHOLD ACADEMY, which, in the days of its highest success, was attended by many of those who are now ranked among the most prominent and influential people of the town and vicinity, had its beginning in 1831, in which wide, for school and reeitation-rooms, which were most liberally equipped with every de- seription of apparatus and all the requirements for conducting the business of education. It wa- heated by a combination of steam and hot year, on the 1st of Jannary, William H. Ben-

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THE TOWN OF FREEHOLD.

nett conveyed to William J. Bowne and others, ers wish to engage a well-qualified teacher to trustees of School District No. 7, a lot of land take charge of the Freehold Academy ; also a competent person to assist him in the English

which is a part of the oldl academy lot, at the corner of Main Street and the street leading Department." The immediate result of this ac- from it northwardly past the gas-works. The , tion does not appear, but on the 4th of May, land was conveyed by Mr. Bennett to the trus- tees, to be used for educational purposes and none other,-consequently to revert to the grantor or his heirs when it ceased to be used for those purposes. The district, however, afterwards

1836, it was announced that " The trustees have scenred the services of Mr. Fay, of Massachu- setts, a graduate of Williams College, to take charge of the academy, with Mr. Hallowell as assistant." The gentleman here referred to was made absolute purchase of some adjoining land. Julius 1. Fay, who is still well remembered by thus enlarging the lot to its present size.1

No account has been found of the erection of the first academy building or the opening of the school in it. The earliest principal of the school concerning whom any information has been gained was a man named James MeBurney, who

many citizens of Frechold who were his pupils fifty years ago.

In July, 1836, the trustees announced that the academy building was found to be inade- quate to the requirements of the school, and that a new and larger building was necessary. . 1 taught it in 1831. The Rev. Samuel Edwin publie meeting was called to be held August 22d, Arnold took charge of it in the latter part of in the court-house, to take measures "to con- sider the erection of an academy building." At 1833, or early in 1834, he being also at that time rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church. that meeting (of which J. F. T. Forman was Reference to him was made by Bishop Doane, secretary) it was resolved to build, and John B. who, having visited Freehold July 1, 1833, and again in 1834, said, in his remarks as to the con- dition of the parish : " Since my former visit the opinion which I expressed in my last address . . . has been acted on. The Rev. Samuel Ed- win Arnold, late of the diocese of New York, having been elected principal of the academy, has taken pastoral charge of St. Peter's Church. His services as an instructor, I am informed, give great satisfaction."

Mr. Arnold, however, remained in charge of the academy but a short time. In 1835 he re- moved to Bordentown to take charge of a " boarding and day-school" which had been es- tablished at that place by or through the influ- ence of Bishop Doane. In view of his proposed removal, the school trustees-J. K. Lippincott, John Bowne, Daniel B. Ryall, Daniel H. Ellis and Joseph F. Randolph-published (January 29. 1835) this advertisement,-" The subscrib-

1 After more than forty years' occupation by the academy school he property was abandoned for school purposes. upon the opening of the new graded school building, and then the land conveyed by Mr. Bennett in 1831 reverted to his heirs, who sold it to the Gas-Light Company, who now own the entire lot and the building, having pur- chased from the district the land which was bought to enlarge the original lot deeded by Mr. Bennett.

Throckmorton, J. E. Lippincott, Joseph Mur- phy, J. F. T. Forman and Daniel H. Ellis were appointed a committee to select a site. The old site, however, was decided on, the lot being increased in size by the purchase of some addi- tional land, as before mentioned, forming the " Academy Lot " as now known. On the 7th of January, 1837, a meeting was held to choose trustees, adopt a corporate name and take meas- ures to procure an incorporation. In April of that year it was announced that the trustees had seenred the services of Mr. A. W. Hobart as principal.

On the 4th of February, 1842, an "exhibi- tion" of the Academy School was heldl "at the Brick Church," on which occasion the pupils showed a proficiency which was very highly prai-ed. In April, 1845, the announcement was made that the trustees had engaged William W. Woodhull "to superintend the academy," though Mr. Woodhull had himself opened the " Monmouth School" in the previous year. James Shields (afterwards a major-general in the United States service) was at one time prin- cipal of the Freehold Academy, but the date and duration of his engagement here have not been ascertained.

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Prior to 1848 a Mr. Sears had charge of the school-a spacious and comfortable building, a Academy School as principal. On the 20th of co-operative publie and good teachers-all were lacking. April in that year he resigned, and was suc- ceeded by Mr. Thomas Souther. In the sum - This state of affairs continned until the new mer of 1854 the principal was Isaac J. St. John, school law of New Jersey went into effect. This with Miss Elizabeth P. Hanford as preceptress. made provision for the appointment of a county In April, 1855, R. V. Lawrence was engaged superintendent, to exercise a supervisory power as principal. In November, 1856, the Mon- over all the schools of the county. The new super- mouth Inquirer said: "We understand that in intendent, Professor Samuel Lockwood, was suc-

consequence of the liberal provision made for schools at the annual town-meeting of this

cessful in bringing about a healthful change of sentiment in relation to the importance of pub-

township, we have for the first time a free school lie education throughout Monmouth County. in Frechold. This school is taught at the Town of only the size of Freehold began erect- Academy, under the superintendenee of R. V. Lawrence." In 1859, Mr. Enoch L. Cowart, superintendent of schools for Freehold, said, in a communication printed in the Monmouth

ing costly graded school buildings. This gen- eral agitation of public education awakened an interest in the question of the condition of school buildings in Freehold and the work Democrat, on the 24th of February: "The performed within them. The county superin- district of Freehold numbers about three hun- ' tendent came to live in Freehold in 1871, and he dred children, being much larger than any immediately set about to remedy the evils exi-t- other in the township, and consequently draw- ing in the schools. Besides the academy, there ing much more of the school fund. The was, in the suburbs of the town, another school, teacher charges two dollars and fifty cents per known as the Orchard Street School. This scholar for all within the distriet who attend was under the management of a separate board school, for which he draws out of the fund; of trustees, but subsequently was united to the and those children who come from over the Academy District. The trustees exercised con- bounds of the district he has extra pay for, siderable care in the selection of teachers and the from their parents. The income annually to general conduct of the schools ; and, though the the teacher, therefore, is little short of one school was more unfavorably located, yet it was in better repute as a school than the old academy. thousand dollars." The teacher at that time was Stephen Morris, and the Academy District was No. 2, of Freehold township.

In the summer of 1871 an enthusiastic

At the time above referred to, the days of the young Normal School teacher was engaged to academy's great efficiency and fame were past. take this Orchard Street School. This teacher worked hard, and soon his reputation as a skill- It had come to be little more than a common district school, and its later progress was in a ful teacher extended beyond the limits of his direction opposite to that of improvement. For district, and brought from the academy side twelve or fifteen years prior to the establish- many applicants for admission. This soon brought about a crowded school-room, which necessitated large accommodations. A room was rented in a neighboring dwelling to provide for the overplusage of pupils. This fact served to bring, more prominently than ever before. the condition of the schools before the public. Com- munications from interested citizens appeared in the local papers advocating the building of a new school-house and the establishment of a graded school, and the editors threw their weight

ment of the graded school in Freehold the academy was anything else than what its name would imply in the matter of educational facili- ties. The structure itself was old and dilapi- dated, and the teacher- employed were of that itinerant class who wander about from place to place, evading the vigilance of the boards of examiners and serving their ends in earning enough money, by so-called teaching, to aid them to other and more remunerative eallings. The three well-known requisites of a well-ordered in its favor. The editor of the Monmouth

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TIIE TOWN OF FREEHOLD.

Democrat was notably zealous in his advocacy formally dedicated to public use. Addresses were of better school accommodations. Much oppo- made by Professor Samnel Lock wood, county sition was manifested from sources that had superintendent, and others. The attendance at become interested in the private school enter- , these exercises was notably small. The enter- prises of the town. A popular vote in favor of prise of a graded school was as yet tentative, and a new buikling, it was thought, could not be obtained.

many withheld their support and even sym- pathy.

In the winter of 1873 the first effort was THE FREEHOLD GRADED SCHOOL was opened made to obtain from the State Legislature the February 4, 1874. John Enright, who had been very successful as teacher in the Orchard Street

pas-age of a bill that would allow the people of Freehold to secure a new school building. The School, aud who was a member of the board of passage of the bill was secured; but, owing to the lack of a provision in it giving power to dispose of the old school property and other minor points, it was found to be practically inoperative, and the subject was dropped until the following winter, when a bill passed both Houses of the Legislature ' and became a law. giving full power to the board of trustees of the town of Freehold, acting in conjunction with three other persons chosen by the people by ballot, to build a new and commodious building and dispose of all the old school property. They were further impowered to issue bonds of the school district to the extent of sixteen thou- sand dollars.

In pursuance of this law, in the spring of 1874 a public meeting was called, at which Elihu B. Bedle, John W. Bartleson and George W. Patterson were elected to act with the school trustees, who were George W. Vanderveer, William Cooper and William E. Conover. These gentlemen immediately set to work to carry out the object of the legislative enactment. An excellent site was secured on Hudson Street, and a large and commodious brick structure was erected upon it. The building committee em- bodied in the new school-house the substantial and healthful, rather than the ornamental. The whole cost of the property, when completed, was about nineteen thousand dollars. The commit- tee worked harmoniously throughout, and served to the entire satisfaction of the community. I the month of January, 1874, the building was

1 .. An act to enable the Trustees of Freeholl School Dis- triet, Number Seven, to sell the present school property and to buy other property and erect a School-House thereon. and to issue Bonds in payment therefor." Approved April 4. 18;3

examiner> of teachers for Monmouth County, was appointed principal, with Lizzie Havens, Emma Mulford and Sarah Parker as assistants. The school opened with but feeble support from the best citizen-, but it soon sprang into popular favor, and at the close of the school year the number of children had increased so that another teacher wa- engaged for the coming year. Dur- ing the next year (1875) the school grew more and more in favor, and it became necessary to furnish another room. This was done and au additional assistant was employed. During this period the school population remained sta- tionary or nearly so, yet school attendance in- creased surprisingly fast. Before the graded school-house was built three teachers did the work ; in two years after its opening it required six teachers. The reputation of the school was now established. The best citizens of the town had become its patrons, and applications from pupils outside the limits of the school district came pouring in, and notwithstanding the fact that the tuition was made reasonably high, vet applicants had to be turned away for want of room. This demand for admission into the school has been kept up and increased from year to year.

The course of study comprises all the English branches. Thoroughness in the fundamental branches is a marked feature of the school. Upon the completion of the course of -tudy a handsomely executed diploma is presented to each student. The first regular ciass was graduated in the year 1879. before a large an- dience of friends and citizens generally. Cla -- have been graduated annually since that time. The interest in these exercises and the school ha- increased from year to year. and the graded

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

school commencements have now become a resources. An incident then occurring seemed marked feature of the events of importance in the year. In all, fifty-six students have com- pleted the course of study aud graduated from

almost prophetie. For some childish service rendered to a gentleman he received a present of an old-fashioned shilling. At that time a the school, and many of them are filling im- custom much. in vogue with the few booksellers portant and responsible positions in the profes- sions and other walks of life. Many of the undergraduates, as well as graduates, are occu- pying positions as teachers in the schools of Monmouth County.

Mr. John Enright, who is still the principal of the school, labors hard and unostentatiously for the advancement of public education, and deserves well of the public whom he has faith- fully served. Much of the success of the school is due to the district clerk, Mr. Gilbert fare. He gives to the advancement of the school much of his time, and has the gratitude of the best citizens of the community.

Combs, who has taken great interest in its wel- 'the elders called him an elegant reader, and this

SAMUEL LOCKWOOD, PH.D.,1 was bred in the city of New York, except his professional course, ; always kept some book at hand for the spare

his entire education having been received there. His father was a well-to-do person, somewhat prominent as a politician, but who succumbed to reverses. Tradition has it that the paternal ancestor, in the days of the merry-men all " of

Nottinghamshire, was a doughty personage, who Library. The boy's idea of a library was a entered the lists and did featly achievements place or vehicle of knowledge, or intellectual with the long-bow." He was an "archer of improvement ; hence, when he noticed that almost renown." In the maternal line were two brothers, who were of a Moravian family, which had left Germany in exile for conscience' sake. Each one became the head-master of an endowed school in England. One of these brothers, the grandfather of our sketch, was a man of taste and refinement, anartist and an amateur engraver on copper. His youngest daughter, our sub- jeet's mother, was a lady of deep religious sensi- bility, with a profound love of the religious part of classical English poetry. She would often eite long passages from Milton and Young. all the readers called for some work of fiction, usually a novel, he was surprised. Walter Scott was succeeded by a troupe of weaker novelists, who, as being newer, were the favor- ites. When the librarian took down his name for the first time, and inquired what book he desired, he seemed surprised and asked again. The boy wanted " Adams on Electricity,"-an old book that had never been loaned before. The truth was the borrower had had his appetite in that direction whetted by reading the "Life of Benjamin Franklin." The work borrowed

But the child lost his mother so early in life was in two ponderous volumes, and quite anti- that his only knowledge of her appearance is ' quated even then. However, they were plodded

from a miniature on ivory. He first saw the light January 20, 1819. A frail-bodied boy, reading. he was while very young thrown upon his own

of the city was to make an ostentatious display of their limited stock in the store-windows. The boy book-worm could tell the window stock of titles of every book-store in the city. In one of them he saw a small book, price one shilling, " The Voyages of Jean François de Galoup, Count de La Perouse." This was the great French navigator, the rival of Captain Cook. With that shilling he bought the book, and La Perouse was literally devonred. How the boy ever learned to read he never knew. But

fact did for him more than it deserved, as it got him a reputation for a better education thau he then possessed. For his callow years he was well read. He had his living to earn, but

moments. An old gentleman once caught him in this way poring over an old grammar, which he carried in his pocket. That book he had 'committed thoroughly to memory. The old man obtained for him a ticket to the Apprentices'

through, and many notes taken during the

A course of lectures on natural philosophy was given in the institution, which young Lock- wood enjoyed highly. At the elose of one of

1 By John Enright.

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THE TOWN OF FREEHOLD.

these lectures an old gentleman, one of the di- . next matriculated at the New York University, rectors, said he had a pleasant fact to communi- from which institution he was in due time grad- eate to the young men. He had a letter in his nated as A.B., and three years afterward took the degree of A.M. He helped make both ends meet up to his junior year by taking chargeafter- noons of the higher mathematics in a ladies' sem- inary,-a really exacting matter, as they did not use the same text-books to which he had been accustomed. At this time he received a note from the old schoolmaster, whom he had for- hand written by one of their number, although it was anonymous, that it expressed grateful- ness for these lectures, and hoped for another course, giving some wise suggestions, that the letter had been read in council, and probably a course as laid out by the writer would be given next season. Then the good old gentleman ex- pressed his delight that any boy should write merly assisted. It inclosed an advertisement

such a letter. He wished they could know his ; eut from the Sun, and the old gentleman urged name, and he went on to predict an intellectual ; him to apply. The advertisement read,- and useful career for the author. Then the | "Wanted, a person competent to undertake the revision of a manuscript book soon to be given to the press. Address, by letter, 'Author,' Sun Office." buzz went round " Who wrote it ?" The real author, half frightened, hurried away, for it seemed to him that they would make him out.

Some years of hard study had gone by, and we find our subject engaged as teacher in a city academy, and in the winter months also teaching night school, then, again, conducting a school of a select character over his own name. He

The proposition seemed to him presumptuous. True, he had written a preface to an arithmetic, of which the old schoolmaster was the author, but nothing more than this had he achieved in the literary line. However, he wrote a note to

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTHI COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

" Anthor," and received a reply requesting an in- terview at the Sun office. There, to his astonish- ment, he found himself closeted with Moses Y. Beech, the proprietor of the Sun. The book in ques- tion was "The Wealth and Wealthy Citizens of New York City." It included all who were worth fifty thousand dollars and upwards. But the book was a mere bait. Mr. Beech questioned the young man in a way that brought out more than he himself knew to be in. Said the shrewd old man, " The work is not yet ready ; but you may go home and write me some articles for my paper ou such topies as are timely, and I will pay you for those that are used." A war with Mexico was imminent, and that very day a city lawyer had destroyed himself. So he wrote two artieles, one "The Mexican War," the other "The Moral of Suicide," and sent them to the office. To his surprise the suicide article ap- peared next morning as the "leader." He had the additional excitement of hearing it com- mented upon by the boarders, who, of course, were ignorant of the author. As "The Mexican War" would keep, it appeared later, but the same day came a note by penny-post requesting the writer to call on Mr. Beech, when the posi- tion of assistant editor was offered and accepted. The work cach day began in the afternoon, running late into the night. This, with his eol- lege work, was a severe strain on the student.

Mr. Lockwood's mind was set toward the ministry of the Reformed Dutch Church, and upon graduating at the university he left the Sun and entered the Theological Seminary at New Brunswick, N. J. He soon found himself' on the verge of giving up, for he had become penniless, and the prospect was bad. He took a bold step to raise the sinews of success ; for he went to an old citizen of the town, who was noted for his careful finance, and asked a loan of fifty dollars on his note for thirty days. To his surprise, the old gentleman advanced the money without hesitation. It afterwards appeared that the old citizen was pretty well informed on some points of the young man's character and history. However, he had never before taken a student's note ; but Providence smiled, and the note was promptly settled when due. It was the young man's first note, and he has told the writer of

this sketch that until it was paid he felt as if he were carrying the debt of some corporation.

Again the clouds gathered blackness, and the student was in a strait whether to go on or stop. In this juneture an advertisement caught his eye in a city journal, offering a premium of one hun- dred dollars for the best local story. Smaller prizes were offered for those of lesser merit. A friend urged him to compete, which he did, producing "The Treasure Hunters " as the result of a two weeks' holiday. The manuscript was intrusted to an acquaintance to deliver; but by a stupid blunder, it was put into the hands of an unscrupu- lons rival, by whom it was kept concealed. The fact came out barely in time to enabletheauthor to obtain it upon demand, and soget it beforethe proper committee. It won the first prize. That one hundred dollars carried him through his theological course. He was ordained in the church at Courtlandtown, N. Y., in 1850. Thence he went to the church at Gilboa, N. Y., in 1852, and in 1854 he took the pastorate of the Reformed Church at Keyport, N. J.

Mr. Loekwood from early years has been a devoted student of nature. When a pastor in Schoharie County, N. Y .. he made a study of the local geology, which resulted in a discovery that established the grandeur of the aerogen flora of the Devonian period. On this subject Hugh Miller's "Old Red Sandstone," of Seot- land, had aroused great interest, but his idea of the vegetation of the Devonian age scarcely went beyond plants whose stems were about as thick as a pencil. In working out the fossil flora of that part of New York, Mr. Lockwood diseoy- ered that the acrogens of that age were gigantic, and he deposited in the cabinet of Rutgers Col- lege a section of one of his fossil plants, of thirty-six inches diameter, which was named by Dr. Dawson, Psauronius textilis. He was pre- paring notes and drawings of these fossils to send to Hugh Miller when the tidings came of his sad death.

On settling in Monmouth County he found that he had left an interesting fossil flora for a region containing relies of an equally interesting fossil fauna, and it was a curious coincidence that as he had discovered a gigantic eryptogam, he should now unearth from the Cretaceous elay

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THE TOWN OF FREEHOLD.

a relie of the hugest reptile then known to stone implements. In 1856-57, Dr. Lockwood science, and the first one that showed the close relation of these ancient monsters in their oste- ology to the moderu ostrich. Hence, Mr. Lock- wood's famous reptile received from Professor Cope the name Ornithotarsus immunis. In 1866 he demonstrated the strange fact of that singular fish, the sea-horse, that the male bears on his abdomen a pouch or sack, into which is received the spawn of the female ; there it is hatched, and thence the young fishes are emitted into the water. The paper was published the next year in the American Naturalist, and at- tracted the close attention of scientific men. A.s the work of an alumnus, the chancellor of the Uni- versity directed to it the attention of the council, who ordered the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to be conferred on the author. At the request of the Lyceum of Natural History, of the city | in report of 1864, in which he says: "Here of New York (now the Academy of Sciences), ; Dr. Lockwood was induced to study the life history of Limulus, the horse-foot, or King Crab. The result, among other things, was the startling fact that this crab is a higher form of the trilobite, that fossil which has been so per- plexing to scientific men. The paper was read to the society in 1869, and published in the American Naturalist in 1870. It was trans-

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History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 77

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co. Number of Pages: 1148

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148