Edinburg Schoolhouse

Edinburg Schoolhouse, circa 1900. Photo from Frank Rogers.

Historical Overview

A small, one-room schoolhouse once stood off of 1676 Old Trenton Road. Although long-gone, it was, for generations, an integral part of the historic West Windsor community of Edinburg.

The exact date of construction is unknown, but a deed for the nearby Leonard-Carson property from 1809 mentions "a schoolhouse lot forty feet square ... for the use of the inhabitants residing in the neighborhood."[1]

​​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:

• Clarksville
• Dutch Neck
• Edinburg
• Penns Neck[2]

Edinburg, 1875. Note "S.H." on the left.

The Edinburg district was led by Jonathan T. Hutchinson, who was a West Windsor School Committeeman from until 35. In 1828, the district he led had just 30 students.[3]

Only two other principals are known: Stella Kostenbader (in 1908-1911)[4],[5] and Blanche Wolfe (1915-16).[6] Stella was also one of the very first principals of the Dutch Neck School.[7]

Like its old, wooden counterparts, the Edinburg schoolhouse was made obsolete in 1917 with the construction of the Dutch Neck School and its long-gone identical twin, the Penns Neck School.[8] The Edinburg schoolhouse was then auctioned off to Walter Hulick for $285 and converted into a residence.[9]

In the 1960s, the schoolhouse was owned by the village barber, Benjamin Carlucci. When the Carluccis built another house on the property, there was no need for the schoolhouse and it was demolished. The property, in 2023, houses a veterinary hospital.[10]

Class at Edinburg Schoolhouse, circa 1916. Blanche I. Wolfe (teacher) is the rightmost individual (facing sideways).

Go to Edinburg

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Bibliography

1. Huls, William Jr., Schenck, Eve, Schenck, Jonathan R. “Indenture.” Windsor, 1809. Deed for the Edinburg Schoolhouse. Located in the New Jersey State Archives, Middlesex County Deed Book 8 Page 149.
2. “West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center.
3. Ibid.
4. “School Register 1909-1909.” West Windsor, NJ, June 30, 1909. Stored in the Historical Society of West Windsor's archives at the West Windsor History Museum.
5. ​“School Register 1910-1911.” West Windsor, NJ, June 29, 1911. Stored in the Historical Society of West Windsor's archives at the West Windsor History Museum.
6. “School Register 1915-1916” West Windsor, NJ, August 9, 1916. Stored in the Historical Society of West Windsor's archives at the West Windsor History Museum.
7. “Dutch Neck.” Allentown Messenger, July 1, 1920. 
8. ​“To Vote on Sale of Four Schools.” Trenton Evening Times, October 29, 1917. Mentions that "...the children of the township (are) now being taught in the fine new graded schools at Dutch Neck and Penn's Grove."​
9. “Three School Houses Bring Only $1,720.” Trenton Evening Times, November 28, 1917. 
10. Tantum, Bernice. “Broadside,” 1993. Historical Society of West Windsor newsletter, Autumn, 1993. History of the Village of Edinburg. With contributions from Dorothy M. Tindall, Pauline Conover, Nellie & Al Carson, and Joe & Madeline Taylor.