Cherry Hill NJ - High School attended prior to Cherry Hill High (Delaware Township) School (Camden: house)

[sscorn7]

Hi,

I am doing family research and could really use some help finding people. One method is through highschool year books, but I am at a loss to identify many people who graduated before the charter class of Delaware Township High School in 1960 (later Cherry Hill High School, and later again Cherry Hill High School West. It's hard to believe a township as large and populated as Cherry Hill did not have it's own high school until 1956. I know it filled up quickly and a second high school was built about six years following that charter class. Anybody out there who lived in Delaware Township in the mid fifties to 1959? What high school or possibly high schools did you or someone you know from that period attend? I understand that even though the school opened in 1956, it began with 7th through 9th grades. Apparently the soph. to seniors finished off their education and graduated at the schools they were already attending. From 1956 on all new freshman classes attended the new school with that charter class graduating in 1960. That would mean that as late as 1959 some students were still attending precursor high schools. Anyone who graduated especially in the years 1955-1959 or earlier would know about this.

Thanks

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by sscorn7

Hi,

I am doing family research and could really use some help finding people. One method is through highschool year books, but I am at a loss to identify many people who graduated before the charter class of Delaware Township High School in 1960 (later Cherry Hill High School, and later again Cherry Hill High School West. It's hard to believe a township as large and populated as Cherry Hill did not have it's own high school until 1956. I know it filled up quickly and a second high school was built about six years following that charter class. Anybody out there who lived in Delaware Township in the mid fifties to 1959? What high school or possibly high schools did you or someone you know from that period attend? I understand that even though the school opened in 1956, it began with 7th through 9th grades. Apparently the soph. to seniors finished off their education and graduated at the schools they were already attending. From 1956 on all new freshman classes attended the new school with that charter class graduating in 1960. That would mean that as late as 1959 some students were still attending precursor high schools. Anyone who graduated especially in the years 1955-1959 or earlier would know about this.

Thanks

My family moved to Cherry Hill in 1964. I think that students attended Haddonfield HS. The 08034 zip code was just implemented at that time. Prior to then the mail had gone through the Haddonfield post office.

[sscorn7]

Hi southbound,

Thanks for the info. You confirm what I seem to be finding. I have located the 1957 yearbook for Haddonfield, and I am confident I can identify a number of the students from Delaware Twp by actually locating the families on the 1940 census (they would have been born about 1939 to graduate in 1957). As luck would have it the towns (?) or the place of residence of the students is given beneath their pictures, and I have found several that appear on the census of what was then Delaware Township in 1940 and also in 1957. Residence places (because they are locations not towns) are listed as Ashland, Ellisburg, and Woodcrest. They are really neighborhoods or locales not towns. You make a good point about zip codes (which were implemented in July of 1963), so I don't know how you addressed mail to these places. I imagine you are correct about Haddonfield as the post office for serving Delaware (at least for part of the township). Maybe the address would be the house # and street followed by "Ashland, Haddonfield, New Jersey". There were no zips and no 2 letter state abbreviations in use then. I think the upper eastern part of the township may have been served through the Marlton PO, and the northern portion may have been served by Merchantville? Just a guess. So basically Cherry Hill and even Delaware didn't really exist except as vague county subdivision. I think the same was true of the phone exchanges, which even today have the rate centers of Haddonfield, Marlton and Merchantville. So maybe those towns also took students from Delaware? One thing for sure, I viewed pictures of the Haddonfield Memorial High School - it's quite majestic looking, even in recent pictures. It was built in 1924 and has a lot of character. From what I understand it is a very highly rated High School. Not only is the High School attractive, but the Haddonfield town center is too. Seems like a very nice place to live. With no offense to anyone, but if I were to have to move to the area I would prefer it over Cherry Hill. Haddonfield has more charm and has a nice downtown with quaint old buildings, where Cherry Hill seems to have no real town center and instead a collection of subdivisions and shopping centers. The school buildings also have little character like so many built in the 50s and 60s. I guess they were in a rush to get the buildings up and the styles were considered "modern" at the time. In contrast to the grand old Haddonfield HS, which has character, the newer schools have not improved with age and are cold and charmless, in my opinion. But other people may feel differently. I guess I am old fashioned. I will see if I can learnmore about Marlton High School or Schools.

Steve

[brightdoglover]

I grew up in Cherry Hill, Woodcrest subdivision. Cherry Hill East, 1971. Yes, Haddonfield is totally different, a historic town versus a new post-war suburb. I'd happily live in either place if I had to go back to south Jersey (moved to Boston area age 20, just moved to mountain Colorado in retirement).

Suburbs are so different from towns in density, sprawl, shopping, everything (although traffic still reigns supreme). You can walk to the train in Haddonfield, have to drive in CH. I remember how excited kids were when the train opened in Ashland! Used to ride it back and forth just to see Philly and get to the thrills of the city.

The schools in CH were excellent. I imagine Haddonfield is too but I certainly was well educated in CH (and most certainly didn't appreciate that then).

Best wishes in your choice of home.

[sscorn7]

So apparently there was a High School in Merchantville Borough, Camden County which closed in 1972. Apparently, if what I read was true, they accepted students from Delaware Township and Mapleshade before those places built their own High Schools. After Mapleshade HS opened, Merchantville closed it's HS and began sending the students to Pennsauken HS. As far as Marlton goes, it was even more rural than Delaware township in the mid fifties. I didn't realize until now, it is not a municipality, but rather a locality (CDP) within Evesham Township. It doesn't appear that Evesham ever had a High School in the past, and is currently part of Lenape Regional. It doesn't appear to have been an option for Delaware Twp students to attend HS there. So it would be great if I can get a confirmation, but I think that I have my answer. Before 1960 Delaware Township students of could attend either Haddonfield Mem HS or Merchantville HS, possibly another? There certainly were very few High Schools in the area in the late 50s.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by sscorn7

So apparently there was a High School in Merchantville Borough, Camden County which closed in 1972. Apparently, if what I read was true, they accepted students from Delaware Township and Mapleshade before those places built their own High Schools. After Mapleshade HS opened, Merchantville closed it's HS and began sending the students to Pennsauken HS. As far as Marlton goes, it was even more rural than Delaware township in the mid fifties. I didn't realize until now, it is not a municipality, but rather a locality (CDP) within Evesham Township. It doesn't appear that Evesham ever had a High School in the past, and is currently part of Lenape Regional. It doesn't appear to have been an option for Delaware Twp students to attend HS there. So it would be great if I can get a confirmation, but I think that I have my answer. Before 1960 Delaware Township students of could attend either Haddonfield Mem HS or Merchantville HS, possibly another? There certainly were very few High Schools in the area in the late 50s.

I graduated from Cherry Hill HS West in the last class from both sides of town. My sister graduated in the first class to attend East for the duration. I knew kids who had older siblings who had attended Haddonfield HS. Our house had a Haddonfield phone exchange. For the 1st year, mail was addressed with the name, street, housing development, Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, and the zipcode, 08034 (Haddonfield itself was & still is 08033) There are also Merchantville phone exchanges in Cherry Hill.

I believe that Haddonfield HS was built on the site of a colonial era farm.

[sscorn7]

Thanks to you and others for the help. I have been able to get a hold of several yearbooks from the the late fifties and early sixties, from CherryHill, Haddonfield and Merchantville. I feel confident now that Delaware Township high school aged students attended either Haddonfield or Merchantville, which appear to be the only two schools that existed at that time that were not too far away. It seems clear from what I have found, that Delaware Township students who were seniors in 1959, were the last students that did not attend Cherry Hill High Schools. In 1960 the Charter class graduated, since they had attend all four grades at what was then Delaware Township High School. The following year it was renamed Cherry Hill High School. I appreciate all the feedback. I guess the areas of Cherry Hill that were first developed were closer to these more established towns, and that after the Cherry Hill High Schools were built, especially East, more housing developments were built that were on the less populated eastern side of the township.

Thanks again.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by sscorn7

Thanks to you and others for the help. I have been able to get a hold of several yearbooks from the the late fifties and early sixties, from CherryHill, Haddonfield and Merchantville. I feel confident now that Delaware Township high school aged students attended either Haddonfield or Merchantville, which appear to be the only two schools that existed at that time that were not too far away. It seems clear from what I have found, that Delaware Township students who were seniors in 1959, were the last students that did not attend Cherry Hill High Schools. In 1960 the Charter class graduated, since they had attend all four grades at what was then Delaware Township High School. The following year it was renamed Cherry Hill High School. I appreciate all the feedback. I guess the areas of Cherry Hill that were first developed were closer to these more established towns, and that after the Cherry Hill High Schools were built, especially East, more housing developments were built that were on the less populated eastern side of the township.

Thanks again.

There were some very old schools before the high schools were built. Erlton school was torn down because of asbestos that was added after WWII. Another old school, located on Haddonfield Berlin Road was sold off. There was another on Church Road.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

There were some very old schools before the high schools were built. Erlton school was torn down because of asbestos that was added after WWII. Another old school, located on Haddonfield Berlin Road was sold off. There was another on Church Road.

Are either of those other buildings still around?

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by Gerania

Are either of those other buildings still around?

The last I knew both still exist, but I don't remember what the names were originally.