During the 1921-22 school year, 100 years ago, Toms River Schools was condensed into a small complex of various buildings in Downtown Toms River. Students were spread out into the J-Building, the Annex, the Opera House, were borrowing space at Toms River Town Hall, using the Old Original Fire House, and using a purchased residential home.
Many residents began petitioning for a new, modern facility that could stop the use of the inadequate facilities. The J Building (J Lot today), at the time, held grades 1-5 on the first floor and hosted Toms River High School on the second floor. The Annex (J Lot today) only had two rooms and could host elementary or high school students. The Opera House (where the County Jail is today) housed two fifth grade classes on the second story and the first floor served as an auditorium for school plays and minstrel shows. The Old Original Toms River Fire Company No. 1 building across the street from J and Annex was host to some 30 first graders and Toms River High School students had a lab on the second floor. Sixth grade somehow ended up at lent space on Robbins Street where Fire Co. 1 is today on the second floor (the floor was also considered Town Hall since Toms River Committee members held meetings there). Relatively new at the time was the creation of a lunch program for students who could not easily go home, which was done, and put in a two story wood frame home called the Low House along Sheriff street.
All of this chaos in 1921-22 was slowly becoming more unsettling to parents and staff. Articles and commentary in the New Jersey Courier, one of the local newspapers, began citing these complaints and editorials were advocating for a new school.
By 1923, the school board put together a proposal for a new building, which was to go up for a vote with the public since it would be a significant expenditure. The first vote failed because of a misconception that a planned auditorium was actually a natatorium (indoor swimming pool). One man was so upset he painted a sign on the side of his buggy proclaiming: “The children have the whole river to swim in! Why do they need a swimming pool?”. Citizens thus resoundingly crushed the referendum. Back to the drawing board, school officials decided to cut costs. The board eliminated one wing, and the auditorium. This passed and the board met and contracted for a large brick two story building fronting Hyers Street.
(1969)
The architecture of the school was a statement. The long red brick construction kept in line with other public infrastructure in town, including the Ocean County Courthouse. From the front, the left and right were flanked by extended-out classrooms. What was created by this choice was two walls of brick checkered and decorated with white stone. Recessed in the middle was the rest of the school, with three sets of windows from the half-basement, first, and second floors breaking up the brick facade. Centered in all of this was the most adored and impressive feature, a large entrance portico. Walking up to the school from Hyers Street was quite the sight. A large lawn that is now our tennis courts led to a small set of steps going up the bluff the school sat on. Another set of steps went above the half basement and into the portico. It was the height of the height of the building. Six Corinthian columns (four in the front and two recessed into the wall) stood tall, leading to a large lined frieze. Inset was the tympanum with swirled garlands etched in stone bordered by a thin pediment. Two wood doors and above them windows inside welcomed students and staff to their Toms River Elementary School each day.
It was completed and opened for students in 1925. It had about 17 regular classrooms, there were 3 special classrooms, a cafeteria, and a library. The cafeteria and libraries were empty because the rest of the project spent the money approved, leaving no funds to continue. So kids ate food they brought from home on the floor and the library was set up by motivated students who purchased their own books and brought their own tables and chairs.
(A FAN FAVORITE PICTURE Circa 1930s)
The district eventually put out $6,500 to get the cafeteria going and it opened on January 4, 1926. Viewed as state-of-the-art, school officials invited outsiders to look at the facility, including the local Kiwanis Club, which the same day saw the library with its slim resources. They decided to raise money and had it fully set up for the school.
Those additions cut out of the original plans were needed again. Class sizes were getting large and thus rooms were being overcrowded. A new gymnasium and auditorium were desired. When school plays or speaker series events happened kids crowded the first floor of the opera house, often two to one seat. There were no locker rooms or showers for sports teams and that led to awkward scenarios including Tuckerton’s Principal shining his head lights into basement windows so his players could change somewhere.
Voters were asked, and agreed to build about 12 new classrooms in a two story addition along Sheriff Street and in the middle, an auditorium and gym. This was started in 1927 and ready by 1929. The basement level for the whole school was half above ground, so natural light from windows was available. The auditorium was two stories tall and featured rows and rows of seating made of cast iron and wood. A large hardwood stage was on the far end of the space draped with maroon curtains with a center “TR” logo in white. In the back portain closest to the rest of the school a second story balcony could hold guests. Large windows lines the North and South facing walls. Under the auditorium was the gym and locker rooms/showers. The gym had hardwood floors and spectators rooted for their teams from balconies on both sides of the room. Toms River’s most talented had a fitting place to play and perform to their peers and community members.
(1958 Brielle v. TR Middle Schoolers)
The Low House (which was in the way of the additions) was almost donated to a football victory bonfire (yes they were going to burn a whole house down), but TRHS Principal Edgar M. Finck had it moved across the street to host a Home Economics class, changing its name to the “Home Economics Cottage”.
Toms River Grade School hosted 1st-8th grades at points. When A,B, and C wings were built in 1951 up Hyers Street, the school became fully for 1st-6th, with J-Building hosting 7th-8th. Toms River High School became overcrowded in the 1960s, so some overflow classes were held in the Grade School, study halls filling the auditorium.
By the late 70s, school, township, and state officials believed the building became inadequate for children. Instead of ordering repairs to save the historic structure, it was demolished in 1982. The school is still around on the TR Schools insignia, with its iconic tall columns and front entrance.
(Grade School in center)
Comments