USA > New Jersey > Bergen County > Ridgewood > Ridgewood, Bergen County, New Jersey, past and present > Part 9
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The High School on this hill, where the building will be easily visible from a considerable distance, and the Athletic Field facing it, forming a natural amphitheatre, will together provide a site unsur- passed in the State and will, no doubt, stimulate emulation among school authorities in other communities.
This property cost the town $28,500. Five thousand dollars has been expended since to raise the Athletic Field to a higher level. Earth from the Station Improvement was used for this purpose. The street passing through the property and marking the line between the school site and the Athletic Field has been gratuitously decded by Mrs. Martha Edwards to the Board of Education.
By 1914 the High School required and occupied the entire Becch Street edifice. It made use of every available nook and corner in the building. Two attic rooms were finished off to serve as cooking and sewing rooms. Three cellar rooms were put into use as a Manual Train- ing room and laboratories for Physics and Chemistry. Meanwhile the over-crowded conditions of the classes in the Beach-Union Primary and Grammar Schools caused the arranging of four of these classes on part time, despite the accommodations afforded temporarily by the three portable one-room buildings.
In 1915 a four-room school building to cost $17,500 was authorized to replace the portable structure on the Upper Ridgewood School site. This building, since completed, has been in use since school opened in October, 1916. The design is of the mission type. It is one story in height, and contains four regulation size classrooms and teachers' room. It is furnished with the most modern of plumbing, heating and ven- tilating equipment. This school is the only example of its type any- where in the vicinity and, besides offering every advantage in lighting, good ventilation, and practicability from an administrative viewpoint, it is in proper harmony with the group of artistic homes surrounding it in that locality, and is as pleasing to the eye as one could desire. The building is constructed so that other similar units may be added as occasion may require. It is designed to provide for a full eighth grade and kindergarten grammar school, with a large assembly hall accessible from all corridors. Besides being in daily use for school purposes, the building has become the community centre for all forms of civic and social gatherings and has proved a most valuable adjunct to the community it serves.
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During the same year (1915), a proposition to issue bonds to the extent of $150,000 for the purpose of erecting a unit, at least, of a new High School building was vetoed by the citizens, the time being considered as most inopportune for the expenditure of such a sum. After several months of agitation and efforts to edneate the people in school requirements, an appropriation of $225,000 was voted, in Jan- uary, 1916, to build a modern High School building. The firm of Traey & Swartwout, of New York City, was selected to design the new group, and contracts have been signed and work already started upon what bids fair to be the most beautiful as well as the most practicable series of buildings for educational purposes in the public school system of this or any neighboring State.
The plans provide for a group arrangement of buildings. The ad- vantages of increased light and air and the unusual opportunities afforded by the natural contour of the site, make such a design prac- tieal, pleasing to the eye, and economieal in construction. The aim to conserve the beautiful grove of trees was another determining factor in the arrangement of this architectural ensemble. According to the proper artistic standards a group of low buildings with exterior lines broken up and steep pitched roofs were essential to give the requisite picturesqueness. The lay-out of the buildings was so carefully planned that except for the removal of one useless hickory and a few apple trees, the stately elms, pines, birch, and other beautiful trees were preserved entire. Few publie school sites offer such wonderful natural advantages.
The finished structure provides for a capacity of one thousand pupils. The unit now under construction will accommodate between six and seven hundred. Expensive material will not be employed to produce the desired artistie effect. Construction will be fire-proof throughout; the exterior walls will be of reddish-colored brick trimmed with cast stone, while the roofs are to be of slate.
The main building will contain nineteen elass and recitation rooms together with complete laboratory equipment for the seiences; ample space is provided for the manual training and domestie science de- partments, as well as for those of art, stenography, and bookkeeping; there are to be, in addition, a hospital and administrative room, while provision is also made for a lunch-room, and for storage facilities. In the basement will be placed the boiler plant, toilets, etc.
The Auditorium, which is to be a separate building, will have seat- ing accommodation for one thousand persons. It will be connected with the main building and will serve also as an assembly room and study-hall. The interior of the Auditorium will be done in briek and plaster with an ornamental vaulted ceiling.
The Gymnasium, located near the Athletie Field, will be provided with thoroughly modern equipment. The shower, locker rooms, etc., will occupy the basement. Later, it is intended that this building shall eonneet directly with the main building. The unit at present contraeted for, it is hoped, will be ready early in 1918. Our school plant now consists of the following buildings and grounds :
1. Beech Street School, known as the High School, on plot of land
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at corner of Beech Street and Franklin Avenue, containing fifteen rooms and assembly hall. Three of these rooms are used for admin- istration purposes.
2. Harrison Avenue School, located at Harrison Avenue and Fair- view Place, containing seventeen rooms and assembly.
3. Kenilworth School, on Kenilworth Place between Ridgewood and Spring Avenues, containing twelve rooms and assembly.
4. Union Street School, containing ten rooms.
5. Monroe Street School, on Monroe Street between Franklin and Godwin Avenues, containing twelve rooms and assembly.
6. Upper Ridgewood School, a new and modern one-story struct- ure, containing four classrooms. The design of this school represents quite a radical departure from the other school buildings in this vicinity.
7. Four one-room portable buildings, upon the Beech Street plot. These were erected for the purpose of relieving congestion in the High School and to provide proper laboratory accommodations.
The estimated value of land, buildings, and equipment of the above schools, together with the cost of the new High School site and present buildings thereon, amounts to $309,100. With the completion of the High School, the total will approximate $550,000.
With the completion of the Athletic Field, an added stimulus will undoubtedly be given to the development of our high school athletics. This is a feature already well known, and not without reason is it considered as rating high in the neighboring communities. For a long time baseball, football, track athletics, and general physical training have been given a full share of attention in our school activities. The new facilities will add further opportunities for the physical better- ment of our youth; and there is every reason to believe that our boys and girls will grasp the advantages of laying a healthful and strong physical foundation upon which to build the mental super-structure.
The educational features have been notably progressive and fit in with the latest ideas of pedagogy. Yet with all the advanced methods of the present time, who shall say that the training of the child in the little country schoolhouses of one hundred or of fifty years ago was not as adequate to the needs of those times as of our own day? We must not forget that the men whose shrewdness and keen business judgment laid the foundation of Ridgewood-and laid it well-were indebted to those same little schoolhouses for the early impulses which made possible their subsequent development and successes. Indeed, volumes could be written of the later achievements in the world of letters, business, and the professions of the children of our early rural schools.
RIDGEWOOD-that is, the Ridgewood of to-day as we know it- made its educational début in the little two-room Union Street School where, under the guidance of Mr. B. C. Wooster, now County Super- intendent of Bergen County, and those faithful workers who labored with him, the fame of Ridgewood's superiority and progressiveness early began to attract attention. From that humble beginning to the present Ridgewood has continued, under the able management of Dr. W. T. Whitney and then Mr. I. W. Travell, our present Superinten-
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dent, to forge steadily ahead until now the school system is proclaimed an achievement second to none in our State for thoroughness and efficiency. Our schools stand as a monument to the high character and generosity of the citizenship of our town. In its gift to its youth the latter quality has been expressed freely-almost lavishly-time after time.
So important has been considered the preparation of the youth of Ridgewood for their ultimate entrance as men and women in the affairs of the world, it would appear to hold a pre-eminent thought in the minds of our citizens. A desire for such worthy associations has, no doubt, attracted many persons to settle in Ridgewood.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
A history of education in Ridgewood which contains no referenee to the private schools would be assuredly incomplete. In fact, our village would compare unfavorably with the best suburban life, if it had no private school system to record since the choicest suburban communities, generally, have well-established and well-authorized pri- vate schools.
Private schools had their beginning in Ridgewood, in 1868, when Mr. Frederic Kidder opened the large house on North Van Dien Avenue, built by him the year before, as a boarding and day school. This house is now owned and occupied by Mr. M. T. Richardson.
It is likely that the disappointment which may have attended the failure to secure a single boarding pupil was somewhat mitigated by the presence of a Mr. Jolly as principal of the few day pupils. For about three years, until the school closed, Principal Jolly, assisted by a Miss Smith, took care of the boys and girls in attendance.
It is of interest to add that Judge Zabriskie, Mr. Edward Chapman, and his brother, Mr. Charles Chapman, were among those who attended the Kidder Academy, as it was called.
In 1868, the well-known authoress, Amelia E. Barr, upon her arrival in New York City from Texas, after the death of her husband, came to Ridgewood as tutor to the three sons of William Libby, Esq., father of Professor William Libby of Princeton University.
In the early part of 1869, the tutorial work developed into a school for boys and girls located in a house on North Van Dien Avenue, opposite Linwood Avenue. There were six pupils in the beginning and the number varied, at times reaching ten or twelve. The school lasted for about a year and a half and was discontinued when Mr. Libby's sons became students at Princeton.
It is interesting to know that while condueting this short-lived school, Mrs. Barr was engaged in writing a novel, and that it was at Mr. Libby's suggestion that she entered upon her literary work. Mrs. Barr's verbal description of incidents connected with her life in Texas had so impressed Mr. Libby that when she faced the problem of her future existenee, after the diseontinuanee of her sehool, he indueed her to write a deseription of one of the incidents, which he placed in the hands of a New York publishing house. The story was accepted and shortly afterward Mrs. Barr removed to New York City to continue
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what was to be her life work. Before leaving Ridgewood she began her novel "Margaret Sinclaire's Silent Money".
From the time Mrs. Barr's school closed until 1879, there seems to have been no private school in Ridgewood. Then Miss Rebecca W. Hawes of 36 Corsa Terrace came to the relief and added to her very busy life as the village music teacher, the equally arduous work of condueting a school for young children. This school assembled in a room over the furniture store of Theodore V. Terhune, at the corner of Ridgewood Avenue and South Oak Street. Beginning in March, 1871, and for about twenty years thereafter, Miss Hawes was the only music teacher in the district extending from Allendale to Hawthorne. She was engaged in this work for twenty-three years and during that time took part in the first public concert ever given in Ridgewood, as well as furnished the music for the first kindergarten class and the first dancing class.
It is extremely interesting to hear Miss Hawes tell of her work in connection with the school held in that upper room. Often this busy, music-loving teacher, enlivened the routine of the school room by sing- ing, or reading aloud, or, on beautiful days by recess periods under the oak and hickory trees in the fields through which Oak Street was afterwards opened.
Among those who were first taught to read and write and sew at Miss Hawes' school were John Hawes, Howard Maltbie, Edgar Wat- lington, Howard, Robert, and Willie Walton, Jos. Jefferson. Jr., Mary Dobbs, Elizabeth Hawes, Carrie Buck, and Louise Maltbie, all of whom were then less than ten years old. Two older boys who received special instruction, were George Totten, now a noted architect of Washington, D. C., and John Terhune ( Harry Rouclere).
Two years after the establishment of her school, Miss Hawes dis- posed of her good will to Mrs. John A. Marinus, who continued the school for several years at her home on East Ridgewood Avenue. During this period Mrs. Buck also opened a boarding and day school for children, on the property of B. F. Robinson, on Cottage Place. A small building was placed in the rear of the residence and used for the class work. Here were held the first kindergarten and the first dane- ing classes of the Village. Mrs. Buck was succeeded in the manage- ment of the school by her daughters-Miss Helen D. Buck and Miss Caroline Buck.
Other educational ventures, of unquestionable worth to the com- munity but of short duration, were made by Miss Josephine Rowland about 1893, in a room in the rear of Tice's drug store, then on the corner opposite its present location ; by Miss Florence de Z. Patton in 1893 and 1895, at the corner of Spring and Maple Avenues; by Miss Ives, near the office of Dr. Vroom, Ridgewood Avenue; and by Miss Martha E. Smith in 1897 on Franklin Avenue.
A larger school, which included both primary and college prepara- tory courses, was established by Mr. James B. Parsons in 1902, on the large property on Ridgewood Avenue, familiarly known as Elmhurst. Mr. Parsons was encouraged to enter upon a project of this scope by
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the patronage and influence of such men as E. LeB. Gardner, Charles H. Eddy, Duncan D. Chaplin, George E. Borcham, Charles A. De Shon and others who wished private school advantages for their children. As the years passed the venture prospered and former pupils of the Ridgewood Preparatory School can now be found among the graduates of various colleges and occupying responsible and useful positions in business and society. In 1912 it was decided to divide the property occupied by the school into building lots, Mr. Parsons, believing an elevated site in a quiet and beautiful residential section to be the best place for the development of boys and girls, secured property on Heights Road where a thoroughly modern school was built. With well-furnished rooms and library, with all conveniences and modern sanitation, it is doubtful if another suburban town has a private day school equal to that of Ridgewood.
In this connection it may be said that Ridgewood's private school system represents the highest development of this type of education. It is a system by no means rivaling that of the State, but rather deserving the reputation of being a faithful ally of the public school. The latter is unquestionably best fitted for children of some types, but its failure with others is due to what may be described as mechanical methods which permit of but slight discrimination on account of per- sonal temperament. Doubtless this is necessary in the handling of large numbers of pupils, but it is in this particular point that the chief merit of the private school lies. It provides a flexible system which is adapted to the individual boy or girl, helping them to find them- selves. Individual supervision in a co-operative environment is the key-note. The school, in short, must be fitted to the pupil, as well as the pupil to the school.
The Victoria School for little children, opened October 5, 1916, is the latest addition to the educational institutions of Ridgewood and is named after the authoress, Metta Victoria Victor. Remembrance of her many years' association with the early historical and social development of Ridgewood was the incentive which prompted her daughter, Vivia Vietor, its Principal, to name this school after her.
The purpose of the Victoria School is the laying of a solid founda- tion for the child's advancing experience in life; the right environment, individual instruction along the best educational lines, and recognition of the special needs of little children. Centrally and very pleasantly located on West Ridgewood Avenue, this school expects to fill a need of the parents of Ridgewood and to exert an ever-increasing influence on the future development of the Village.
The first sewing school in this vicinity was opened with five pupils in the Hawes homestead, Ho-Ho-Kus. After the establishment of an Episcopal Mission Sunday School in the first public school of Ho-Ho- Kus, the classes were held in that schoolroom on Saturday afternoons. There was always a large attendance, some of the pupils coming from Ridgewood. After the present Waldwiek Public School was completed the meetings were held alternately in the two places, and still later a Saturday morning class was started where the older girls were taught
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to cut and make their own dresses and children's garments. Direc- tions for work and a book of "Sewing Songs" were obtained from New York and the classes continued for more than three years, the number of workers increasing to fifty. Two New Year's trees and one Christmas tree, filled with gifts, were given by Ho-Ho-Kus friends and at the close of the work an exhibit of the handicraft was held in the Parish House of Waldwick Methodist Church, the older girls wearing dresses made by themselves. The teachers during this time were Mrs. and Miss R. W. Hawes and Miss Lucy Hawes.
It was this work which later interested the citizens of Ho-Ho-Kus, Waldwick and Ridgewood in the petition for full school suffrage for women and brought a letter from the County Superintendent of Edu- cation thanking them for the "valuable work" they had done in the public schools in many ways.
PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Village Improvement Association was organized in 1897, and among its projects for promoting the best interests of Ridgewood was the establishment of a public library.
Many of the residents of Ridgewood will remember the old Zabriskie Building, now remodelled and ocenpied as the real estate office of Messrs. Stevens and Tetor.
The rent of this building was given for three years, and a "Book Shower" was held. The books received were of all kinds and condi- tions, but the committee of twenty selected a sufficient number to place on the shelves for circulation and subscribed for ten periodicals to be used in the reading room. Among the first books received-some of which are still in use-were a number which had been accumulated hy the members of the "Tuesday Book Club", an organization of women of the Village established a number of years before. At the end of three years, the room became too small for its purpose, and in 1900 the library was established in its present quarters over the First National Bank.
To meet the increased expense, the room was sublet to various organizations and according to the law regarding libraries and free reading rooms, the Village trustees in 1903 appropriated $300.00.
There are now on the shelves 4,800 volumes and 33 periodicals are to be found in the reading room. In the year ending October, 1916, there was a circulation of 20,000 books.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Although announced after the date of the publication of this book and during the carly part of 1917, the gift by will of Mrs. Gertrude Pease Anderson of the sum of $100,000 for the creation of a free library in Ridgewood. and also the sum of $50,000 both in trust for its maintenance, in loving memory of her father, George L. Pease, to be called the "George L. Pease Memorial Library." assures the continuation of a public work established by the women of our com- munity and it is peculiarly filling that one of their members should make its future life so splendidly possible.
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CHAPTER V RELIGIOUS INTERESTS
W HILE the church life of Ridgewood dates back two centuries to a period when the American Indian was still roaming over hill and dale of the beautiful Paramus, it is the purpose of this article to sketch briefly the history of the several religious organ- izations that were in existence or came to life during the last fifty years. The early colonists came here to secure fuller opportunities than were to be had across the sea. They brought with them their religion and their love of liberty.
REFORMED CHURCH OF PARAMUS
The story of the last fifty years of our churches may consistently begin with references to the oldest church organization in our com- munity-that of the Reformed Church of Paramus (The Congregation of Paramus). But the last half century seems short when we remem- ber that the church services were begun in 1725, and with the excep- tion of brief intervals have been held on the same site for nearly two centuries.
The present church was built in 1800, and the chapel was pur- chased and moved into its present location about 1874.
Great changes occurred in the affairs of the church during the fifty years that began when the echoes of the Civil War were just passing away. The Rev. Dr. E. T. Corwin served the church during the Civil War period, from 1857-1863, and he was succeeded in 1864, by the Rev. Isaac S. DeMund, who served for six years. He was the grandfather of Dr. C. DeMund, now a practicing physician of Ridge- wood.
In 1871, the Rev. Dr. Goyn Talmage began his ministry in Paramus and during his ineumbeney the church building was renovated and a new parsonage built.
The Rev. John C. Van Deventer followed Dr. Talmage in 1879 and remained until 1886.
In 1887, the Rev. William H. Vroom, D.D., was called to become the minister and during his time the church was again renovated and a fine cigao installed through the loyalty and generosity of a leading men. 0 1. ly well-known but seeking no prominence.
The moo . of readjustment to the modern urban life of the Village of Rid; was then beginning and in the natural course of events great ch . . curred in the life and membership of the congregation.
In 1907.10 Rev. Henry D. Cook, the present pastor, was ordained and was i,- during the succeeding year and is a worthy successor of eminent we deressors.
The Paraunt. Church has been directly the mother of several other churches of R'agewood. Christ Episcopal Church, the Reformed
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The Reformed Church of Paramus.
RIDGEWOOD, BERGEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
Church of Ridgewood, Park Ridge, Westwood, and Ho-Ho-Kus have among their membership those once worshipping at the Paramus Church, and the latter has furnished charter members for at least four of the other churches mentioned.
No financial incumbrances and balances on the right side of the ledger indicate the generosity of the people.
CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Christ Church has the distinction of being the first religious organ- ization to be established in the center of the Village. A committee was appointed to form a parish in 1860, but the Civil War prevented definite action until February 6, 1864.
The first church, a wooden structure, was on the west side of Van Dien Avenue, just beyond the residence of M. T. Richardson, the corner-stone being laid in March, 1865. The first services in the new building were held May 13, 1866. Up to that time the congregation was ministered to by the Rev. Mr. Farrington of Hackensack, the Rev. Mr. Waite of Paterson, and the Rev. Mr. Smith of Passaic.
On November 4, 1866, the Rev. L. R. Dickinson began his rector- ship, which continued for fifteen years. The church was consecrated by Bishop Odenheimer on June 23, 1867. On Sunday, November 10, 1872, a new organ, costing $2,273, was first used. In 1907 this organ was sold to the Presbyterian Church at Ridgewood and Pleasant Avenues.
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