Clarksville Schoolhouse

Clarksville Schoolhouse next to long carriage shed, date unknown. The road in the foreground is Quakerbridge Road.

Historical Overview

A small, one-room schoolhouse once stood at the southern corner of the intersection of Quakerbridge Road and Clarksville Road. Although technically located in Lawrence Township, and long since demolished, it was, for generations, an integral part of the historic West Windsor/Lawrence community of Clarksville.

The exact date of construction is unknown, although one source - Francis Bazley Lee's 1907 Genealogical and Personal Memorial of Mercer County claims it was built by Jonathan Flock Jr. in 1822. According to the publication, "his grandson, John E. Gordon ... (has) a little book in which he recorded the cost ... the total cost being $200.15. Among the 'materials' that were used in the construction of this school house were several gallons of whiskey, which was only fifty cents a gallon, it being a common thing in those days for workmen to be furnished with liquor."[1]

Clarksville Schoolhouse (note "SH") in 1849.

Before the 1820s, West Windsor's schools - built by members of the community - were private, with parents paying teachers directly to instruct their children. However, in 1827/8 the Township Committee formally established a public school system, with four distinct districts in four of West Windsor's historic villages:

The Clarksville district was led by David Dye, who was a West Windsor School Committeeman until 1845. In 1828, the district he led had just 30 students.[3] The Clarksville schoolhouse was not just for learning, however. Various newspapers mention agricultural festivals,[4] religious sermons,[5] and elections[6] being held there. The building also served as a Sunday school.[7]

Clarksville Schoolhouse class in 1905, from the Lawrence Historical Society. The tallest individual is William Owl - a Cherokee from North Carolina and classmate of Jim Thorpe who worked in West Windsor for several years and was one of thousands of Native children sent to the infamous Carlisle Indian Industrial School in PA by the U.S. government.

Only a few teachers are known to the Historical Society of West Windsor:

Russell Hersh (in 1910)[8]
Annabel Smith (early 1900s)[9]
Etta Belle Mather (date unknown)[10]
Elizabeth Collins (date unknown)[11]
Sarah Marshall (date unknown)[12]

In 1917, Dutch Neck School and its long-gone identical twin, the Penns Neck School, were constructed.[13] This presumably took many children out of enrollment from the Clarksville schoolhouse. In the 1922, there were only two children enrolled at Clarksville.[14] Four years later, the building shut down as an educational institution.[15] It was thereafter used for storage.[16] The Clarksville school is said to have burned down in 1937.[17] Nothing remains of the building but old photographs.

Interview with Annabel Smith, 1996. Click to enlarge/download.

Go to Clarksville

Bibliography

Lee, Francis Bazley. Genealogical and Personal Memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey. Lewis Publishing Company, 1907.
“West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center.
Ibid.
Clarksville Sunday School. “Strawberry Festival.” Trenton Evening Times, May 19, 1919.
"Blind Evangelist at Clarksville.” Trenton Evening Times, February 16, 1918.
"Elect Councilmen.” Trenton Evening Times, February 4, 1922.
Clarksville Sunday School. “Strawberry Festival.” Trenton Evening Times, May 19, 1919.
"Lawrence Schools Strive for Honors.” Trenton Sunday Advertiser, October 23, 1910.
"Experiencing the '90s - again.” Greater Princeton Extra, October 25, 1996.
“Port Mercer Story Stirs Arrowsmith Reverie.” Princeton Recollector, November 1979.
“Bible in the Parlor, Flag up on the Wall.” Trenton Evening Times, November 28, 1911.
"Mrs. Marshall's Interest in Lodge Still High After 50 Years As Active Member.” Trenton Sunday Times-Advertiser, June 5, 1955.
“Three School Houses Bring Only $1,720.” Trenton Evening Times, November 28, 1917.

"460 Students in Township Schools” Trenton Evening Times, September 7, 1922.
"Lawrence Board to Sell School.” Trenton Evening Times, August 6, 1935.
"Special Classes Seen by Burr as Great Need.” Trenton Sunday Times-Advertiser, March 20, 1927.
Clarksville Schoolhouse. Photograph. West Windsor, NJ, n.d. West Windsor History Museum. Unknown donor. Back of the photo is marked with the following: "The little schoolhouse where Daddy and all his children went. It burn to the ground Sunday 9:30AM February 28 1937. It was a sad scene for me - Clarksville on the hill QBr Rd & Clarksville Rd - Q Br Mall"