North East Public Elementary School

The NORTHEAST PUBLIC SCHOOL School was originally called the North East School, and stood on the southwest corner of North 7th and Vine Streets.

The school was on the northeast corner stood the William Joyce Sewell School. North East was an all girls school, while Sewell was for boys. This pattern was similar to that practiced at the Mulford and Fetters schools, which stood on opposite corner at South 3rd and Walnut Streets in South Camden.

Around 1878 land was purchased to build this school. Board of Education member Fox had made a motion to name the new school the Riley Barrett Schoolhouse in December of 1878, but the motion was tabled until December of 1878, when the board voted to all the new school the North East School. By April 1879 construction had not begun, in part due to delaying tactics on the part of Board of Education member Joseph B. Fox, who wanted another school built for colored children in South Camden. In June of 1879 a compromise was reached, which resulted in the enlargement of the Ferry Avenue School and the award of a contract in the amount of $11,548 to Mr. Joseph Butcher for the construction of the North East School.

The school was completed in January of 1880. Miss Mary A. Burrough was named principal, of the girls department while miss Mary A . Sweeney was selected to head the boys department. Miss Sweeney left the district before taking her position and a Miss Hattie was selected to take her place. The opening student-teacher ration was 39-1 , which was much less than the average in the Camden schools at that time. The small number of rooms in the school made for an expensive per pupil cost; thus, Board member Henry Bonsall endorsed maintaining half-day sessions to double the number of students taught.

Between 1890 and 1900 the population of Camden nearly tripled. School construction, however did not occur until the 1900s, by while time the existing schools were not only overcrowded, but in a state of disrepair. The board proposed a new school on the southeast corner of North 7th and Vine Streets in June of 1902, designed by Arnold H. Moses. After several attempts to redesign the school to lower costs, contract was finally awarded to Henderson & Company, and the school officially named the General William. J. School School, after the late Civil War hero and U.S. Senator William Joyce Sewell. The Sewell school opened in September of 1907. At this time the boys went across the street to the Sewell School, with the girls remaining at Northeast.

Intersection of North 7th Street & Vine Street, June 7, 1965
The Northeast School is at the upper right, the William J. Sewell at lower left

Click on Image to Enlarge
Photo courtesy of Bob Bartosz

Miss Mary A. Burrough was still serving as principal of Northeast School in 1901, when the was also assigned the task of supervising the Linden and Read schools, whose principals were Anna Johntra and Emma Holl. She finally stepped down in 1916. Miss Margaret Thomson was next selected as principal of Northeast School in 1916. She served in that capacity until her retirement in 1933. L. Alvin Delp was the principal by 1947.

The Northeast School continued to serve the students of North Camden until December of 1974, when it was destroyed by a fire set by sub-humans ill suited to live among decent citizenry. The 225 students then attending the Northeast school finished the school year at the William Joyce Sewell School, located across the street. The Northeast School was replaced soon afterwards by the New Northeast School at 601 Vine Street, which was later renamed the Rafael Cordero Molina Elementary School.

Camden Courier-Post * June 2, 1933

Retiring Northeast Principal Is Guest of Honor at Dinner
School Officials, Teachers Praise Mrs. Margaret Thomson
30 YEARS' SERVICE IN CAMDEN ENDED
P.T.A Plans Farewell Reception at State Street M. E.

Twenty-two teachers of Northeast School, Seventh and Vine Streets, honored Mrs. Margaret Thomson, principal of the school, at an informal dinner Wednesday night in Haddon Heights, to mark Mrs. Thomson's retirement from active service in Camden schools after 30 years,

Some of the teachers at the dinner at the "Little White House" tea room are members of the present staff of Northeast School, while others have taught at the school and have either retired or been transferred.

The teachers' presented a chair to Mrs. Thomson, and a gold pin to Miss Eva Burrough, a cousin of Miss Clara S. Burrough, retiring principal of Camden Senior High School.

Mrs. Thomson began her Camden teaching career in 1904 when she was assigned to Sewell School. For 12 years the boys of Sewell School and members of their families regarded Mrs. Thomson as more than a teacher, often bringing to her little family problems to be settled, or seeking advice in matters other than affairs of the school.

In 1916 Mrs. Thomson was named principal of Northeast School, across the street from the building where she started teaching in Camden. Her interests in the families remained the same for her pupils at Northeast School were the girls of the same families she had counseled while at Sewell School.

Mrs. Thomson was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, and received her education there. She taught in the Chester schools for several years before her marriage.

She decided to re-enter the teaching profession several years after her marriage and went to Millersville Normal School for further training.

Meanwhile her sister, Mrs. Mary Brown, had located in Camden to start the French department in the high school. Mrs. Brown, pleased with Camden and its schools, persuaded Mrs. Thomson to come here, and a few years later they were joined by another sister, Mrs. Frances Wilmerton.

A member of Centenary-Tabernacle Methodist Episcopal Church since coming to Camden, Mrs. Thomson has been active in church affairs of the community. She has served as treasurer of the Teachers' Relief Insurance Fund, and is a member of the State Teachers' Association as well as the National Education Association.

Through her efforts, the number of Camden teachers associated with the insurance fund has increased from less than 500 to more than 500, and the benefits have been increased from $300 to $500.

Mrs. Thomson will be honored Monday at a reception given by members of the Parent-Teacher Association of Sewell and Northeast schools and by families, of the community. The reception will be held in State Street Methodist Episcopal Church, Sixth and State streets.

Dr. James Bryan, former superintendent of Camden schools; Dr. Leon N. Neulen, present superintendent; Samuel E. Fulton, president of the Camden Board of Education, and several former pupils of Mrs. Thomson will review her career as a teacher here and recount many incidents of her work.

Camden Courier-Post * June 4, 1933

Retiring Principal Will Be Honored

Mrs. Margaret Thomson, retiring principal of Northeast School, will be honored tonight at a reception given by members of the Parent-Teacher Association of Sewell and Northeast Schools and by families of the North Camden community.

The reception will be held in State Street M. E. Church, Sixth and State streets. Mrs. Thomson will retire at the end of the present school term after 30 years of active service in North Camden.

Dr. James Bryan, former superintendent of Camden schools; Dr. Leon N. Neulen, present superintendent; Samuel E. Fulton, president of the board of education, and several former pupils of Miss Thomson will speak.

Camden Courier-Post * June 6, 1933

Retiring Principal Honored By 700
150 Men and Women, Former Pupils, Pay Tribute to Mrs. Thomson

Mrs. Margaret Thomson, who for 30 years has been a teacher or principal of North Camden schools, was honored last night on the eve of her retirement with a reception in State Street M. E. Church, attended by 700 persons.

More than 150 former pupils, now grown to manhood and womanhood, were in the audience when a massive four foot basket of flowers and a floor lamp were presented Mrs. Thomson.

Mrs. Thomson, who lives at 413 Penn Street, is at present principal of the Northeast Grammar School for Girls, at Seventh and Vine Streets.

She will retire at the end of the present school term.

Dr. James Bryan, former superintendent of Camden schools, Dr. Leon N. Neulen, present superintendent, and Samuel E. Fulton, president of the Board of Education, paid tribute to the work of the retiring principal.

Others who added to the praise of Mrs. Thomson were Benjamin G. Covington, Dr. John Pemberton, pastor of Centenary-Tabernacle M. E. Church and Dr. W. W. Payne, pastor of State Street M. E.

Several former pupils of Mrs. Thomson entertained with vocal selections while a quartet from the Centenary-Tabernacle gave several selections. The North Baptist Church orchestra furnished music. .

Camden Courier-Post * June 6, 1933

Phyllls Arters, Ray Koehl and Kathryn Schmidt, pupils at the Northeast School, inspecting a section of the exhibit of Camden Public School Art contributed by their school. The exhibit is open to the public all this week and is on display on the third floor of the Penney Store, Broadway and Federal Street.

Joint Class Work on Murals Shown in School Art Exhibit
Director Says Aim is Not So Much to Teach Drawing
as an Appreciation of Artistic Principles and Use of Color

By RUTH MORTON

When CAT had to be laboriously inscribed beneath the lumpy-looking outline the primary child had scrawled under the stern direction of the drawing teacher, it would have been an aesthetic blunder to label the results “art."

Honest to goodness art is, however being produced today in the Camden public schools from the first grades on through the departmental sections.

When we heard that an exhibition of public school art was being held all this week on the third floor of the Penney Store, at Broadway and Federal streets, we went to see and stayed to gape.

Perhaps the most amazing feature of the exhibit is the mural and frieze work commonly called "free-hand, big work." Friezes approximately eight by ten feet, had been worked up as class projects. Each member of whole classes having had a turn at the paint brush before the frieze in tempora paints was completed.

Wide Range of Work

The first grades had done romping children and panels illustrating their favorite fairy stories, while the ·upper grades did more detailed panoramas of historical or literary significance.

There is much to be seen besides the big work because the exhibit occupies the entire third floor of the store. The eighth grade students of the Mickle School had contributed a Marionette show, with the stage setting for the production of "Evangeline." The necessary properties, costumes, electric power, stage. and the marionettes themselves were all made by the children- even to the paper-mache heads of the doll-actors.

A most interesting section was devoted to textile design with both the hand-block-printed fabrics and sketches illustrating their application on display. This was the work of the senior high school students.

Charcoal sketches, hobby posters, etchings, batik and India prints, costume design, all of most professional caliber, are there to bear witness to the potential talent that is being developed in our public schools.

Not Merely to Draw

"We no longer try to teach children to draw. We are only too well aware that there are those of us who can never produce a recognizable outline. The aim of art in the schools today is to instill in every student an appreciation. and understanding of the application of artistic principles," Miss Margaret Hall, director of public school art, explained.

"In the junior high grades we teach the application of art in the community and in the home. In the high school we teach art in dress, in the theatre, commercial art and textile designing.“

The exhibit as a whole gives the feeling that the use of color, the understanding of outline, and the useful application of art has been completely grasped and mastered by the children in the schools.

Camden Courier-Post * June 16, 1933

PRINCIPALS FETE RETIRING MEMBERS
Association Gives Banquet and Entertainment for 8 at Hotel Here

Eight retiring school principals were honored last night at a banquet in the junior ballroom of Hotel Walt Whitman by the Camden Principals' Association.

Amid decorations of roses and spring flowers these teachers, who have served the city from 35 to 40 years, heard words of praise from their schoolmates and superiors.

They are Miss Daisy Furber, Central School; Mrs. Margaret Thomson, Northeast; Miss Minerva Stackhouse, Davis; Miss Bessie Snyder, McKinley; Miss Clara S. Burrough, Camden High; Miss Helen Wescott, Mulford; Miss Loretta Ireland, Cooper; Miss Charlotte V. Dover, Washington.

Harry Showalter, president of the association, presided. Eighty guests represented the entire school system of 38 institutions. Showalter, Dr. Leon N. Neulen, superintendent of schools, and Dr. James E. Bryan, retired superintendent, joined in paying tribute to the retiring principals as having set a high example for Camden's school system.

The male teachers serenaded the women instructors and vice versa with song. At the closing the teachers joined hands at the suggestion of Dr. Bryan and sang "Auld Lang Syne." .

Camden Courier-Post - February 19, 1936

P. T. A. Applauds Brunner's Beautification Project

To the Editor:

Sir-Hats off to you, Mr. Brunner!

We congratulate you on your courage to really do something for the benefit city dwellers who must stay near home.

By careful and wise planning of your park beautification project, you can at the same time give the children as well as the grown folks places for safe and healthful recreation which, if thoughtfully and carefully supervised, will not only do much toward taking the children out of our traffic-ridden streets, but will give them their birthright, the opportunity of becoming healthy, happy and law-respecting future citizens.

This should save the taxpayers of Camden a considerable amount of money by the large reduction of costs for detention homes, juvenile courts, prisons, etc., not mentioning what it will do by preventing much anguish and heartaches. We have definite plans for Pyne Poynt Park and vacant lots in North Camden which we and other organizations are going to submit to you to within a week and hope that you will consider them before you pass out your plans for starting work. .

NORTH EAST-SEWELL P. T. A.
Mrs. Elsie P. Robertson
Chairman Child Study Group and Safety Committee

Camden Courier-Post * April 30, 1974

Northeast School Destroyed by Fire

A general alarm fire destroyed the Northeast Elementary School in Camden early this morning after vandals apparently kicked in a school door, scattered papers over the first-floor and fled after setting the blaze.

The two-story brick building-built in 1887- was scheduled to be torn down soon and replaced by another facility to be erected adjacent to the structure at Seventh and Vine Streets.

Battalion Fire Chief Charles Bates said the fire, which continued to burn out of control throughout the morning, was set by vandals who gained entrance to the building through the basement.

There were no injuries reported in the blaze. Pupils of the school today will attend classes at Sewell Elementary School, located across the street from the fire scene. About 225 students attend Northeast School.

Bates said arrived firemen at the scene after the first alarm was sounded at 4:49 a.m. and discovered a side door to the building had been pried open.

They reported school supplies were strewn across the first floor.

The second alarm was sounded 10 minutes after the first, Bates stated, when firefighters were initially forced out of the building due to intense heat and smoke. The general alarm was sounded at 5:24a.m. '

Bates said the Fire Marshal's office had been notified of the blaze's suspicious origin and will conduct a complete investigation.

The mutual aid program went into effect after the general alarm was sounded since all of Camden's firefighting equipment had been dispatched to the scene.

Under the program, nearby firefighting units man Camden's fire stations in a back-up capacity while city units are at the scene of a fire.

Camden's stations were manned during the firefighting effort this morning by detachments from Westmont, Haddon Heights, Audubon, Oaklyn and Woodlynne. In addition, the Cherry Hill rescue-squad and a pumper from Chews Landing were at the site for assistance..