plainsboro schools

Do you know why we call Plainsboro "THE EDUCATION TOWNSHIP"?

Here are the facts that encouraged us to give it that name:

For many years there were only wood-frame one room schoolhouses that served the children of this area. In 1908 a larger wood-frame two room schoolhouse was built. These schools, and the teachers who taught in them, were paid and maintained under the Boards of Education of Cranbury and South Brunswick Townships.

As the population increased, the people of Plainsboro area wanted a bigger four-room school for their children.

Plainsboro's representative on the Board of Education, John Van Buren Wicoff, an attorney at law and a lifelong resident who had attended the public schools in Plainsboro, tried to persuade the Cranbury Board of Education to build a much needed more spacious school for the Plainsboro area. When efforts failed to provide money for the school, the people of Plainsboro, with the leadership of prominent citizens such as Walker-Gordon's Henry W. Jeffers, attorney J.V.B. Wicoff, P.A. McNamee, G.B. Philips and Abel H. Undike petitioned the New Jersey State Legislature to create the Township of Plainsboro.

The legislation to establish Plainsboro Township was approved April 1, 1919. By May 29, 1919 the Declaration of Purposes and Constitution were adopted, and J.V.B. Wicoff was elected to serve the Township Council and Board of Education. He served as Chairman of the Plainsboro Board of Education from 1919 to 1950. His first task was to oversee the construction of a handsome new stone four-room school. As the school age population of Plainsboro grew, additions were added and in 1975 its name was changed from Plainsboro School to John Van Buren Wicoff School to honor the memory of the man who was Chairman of the Board of Education for 31 years

For many years the 6th grade graduates of the Plainsboro elementary school attended a 7th and 8th grade Junior High School in Princeton and then went on to attend Princeton High School.

As the school-age population of this area grew, Princeton High School could no longer accommodate students from other townships. As a result, Plainsboro and its neighbor, West Windsor, needed junior and senior high schools.

In 1969 a proposal was made to create a regional school system that would provide public education from kindergarten up through the 12th grade for the children of Plainsboro and West Windsor. This proposal was approved by the voters of both townships.

Now the West Windsor-Plainsboro School System is one of the best in New Jersey!

Olde Schools of Plainsboro
As the town of Plainsboro was part of South Brunswick and Cranbury Townships, there were small one-room schools situated at convenient places for the pupils who attended.

One of these, named "The Mapleton School", was attended mostly from the Aqueduct Area. It was situated approximately a mile from the corner of Plainsboro Road and what is now called Mapleton Road on the north side of US Route #1. It was moved from this location in the 1920's to a farm on the opposite side of US Route #1 and used as a farm building.

Three students living (1978) who attended this school are: Mr. Russell Hullfish, Mrs. Ida Engelke and Mr. Albert Davison.

Besides the two schools mentioned in a previous history by Mr. J.V.B. Wicoff, another one-room building was built on the northeast corner of Dey Road and Scott's Corner Road. This burned down in the early 1900s. The land was donated by William Bergen who was interested in the education of the children in the area.

In a beautiful setting, along a brook and what was the Davison Property was another school. This was on the western side on George Davison Road, a short distance from Plainsboro Road. Later it was made into a tenant house for the George Davison Farm and subsequently burned down.

As these schools were of wooden construction and heated by wooden stoves, it is understandable - they were always in danger of catching on fire. However, there is no record of any burning of the schools while they were still in use as schools.

The last school, recently learned about was the one on the bend going toward Grover's Mill on Cranbury Neck Road. A wild cherry tree in the area with a rounded swing-like middle section was probably caused by children sitting on it when it was not much more than a sapling. Their playground included this area. A few rotting timbers were all that was left of this school in the early 1920s.

"PLAINSBORO SCHOOL" - This is a circa 1915 view of the 2-room (circa 1908) Plainsboro School with the First Presbyterian Parsonage on the right. These two buildings look exactly the same today.

PLAINSBORO"S FOUR ROOM SCHOOL Plainsboro's first four room school house is still in use today with significant additions. Dedicated as Plainsboro School on September 24, 1920 and renamed the John Van Buren (JVB) Wicoff School on October 9, 1975. Photo circa 1922

From the collection of Marjorie Jacobsen