Hackensack, NJ Community Message Boards
General Category => Hackensack History => Online Auctions/Local Images (Moderated by BLeafe) => Topic started by: BLeafe on July 07, 2009, 04:10:31 PM
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http://xrl.us/HackSchoolRuins
Seller's description:
1905 Real Photo Postcard from Hackensack, Pa. [sic] showing the ruins of a school house! This 103 [sic] year old postcard does have a corner chip on the upper left hand corner.
Does this look familiar to anyone? Is anyone aware of school ruins in Hackensack prior to 1905? Is this scene even IN Hackensack? Did the fire cut short the seller's education, as evidenced by his poor geography and math skills in the above description? (If so, he'd have to be about 115 years old by now.)
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There is an answer to your query. About 20 +/- years ago a soft covered book was published which contained the history of all the school buildings in Hackensack.
I am sure that a copy is available through the Bd. of Ed or at the Johnson Library.
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Take a look here: http://rkc.org/~rkc/test3/html/hbe/cbfcu/
I think the Union Street School might be a good candidate.
(http://rkc.org/~rkc/test3/html/hbe/cbfcu/images/Unionst.jpg)
The origins of the Union Street School are founded in and outstanding private academy called The Washington Institute which operated from 1769 to 1865 as a private academy and for thirteen years more as a free school. In 1865, the trustees of the Institute, decided that is should become a free school operated by the Village of Hackensack for the students within the district.
Unfortunately, during the morning of Saturday, November 25, 1950 a hundred mile and hour wind tore off sections of the building. This misfortune marked the end of Union Street School. In 1952 the building was demolished.
There's a better picture in the Images of America, Hackensack book here: http://books.google.com/books?id=y7aFuvuU5TIC&lpg=PA19&ots=oVb0GVEfkB&dq=%22washington%20academy%22%20hackensack&pg=PA24
The window configuration is different and the ruins in the picture might show a different entrance. Just a guess, really.
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Take a look here: http://rkc.org/~rkc/test3/html/hbe/cbfcu/
I think the Union Street School might be a good candidate.
Unfortunately, during the morning of Saturday, November 25, 1950 a hundred mile and hour wind tore off sections of the building. This misfortune marked the end of Union Street School. In 1952 the building was demolished.
These ruins predate the 1905 postmark.
The only "Hackensack" indication is in the postmark, so I have my doubts that the image location is here. The seller said it was "Hackensack, PA" in his description. I also find it odd that the image ID on the card doesn't mention the name of either the school or the town.
However, I posted it in the hope that someone knows something that neither we nor the seller knows.
The gold nugget has turned to pyrite.
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the school in the image is not a Hackensack school. I have the book. no city school burned during that time frame. I got my copy of the book when I graduated high school, but it was written by Mr. Scudder in 1973
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Thanks for your confirmation.
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Regarding the Union Street School and it's forerunner,The Washington Institute, there are 2 plaques in the sidewalk on the west side of Main Street, north and south of Atlantic Street which show where the Institute was located and where it's headmaster resided. These buildings had been located there when Warren Street ran through to Main Street.
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I think I read once that original State Street school burned on a brutally cold day, on the site of what is now the Middle School.
Unsure what happened to the Washington Institute, could it have burned ?