Worcester School 1912-1929
Center Point Consolidated School and Worcester High School
Skippack Pike, Worcester, PA
LAYING OF CORNER-STONE Of Worcester Township’s New High School Building – Big Attendance The corner-stone of the new Worcester township high school building now in course of erection at Center Point, was laid last Thursday afternoon with appropriate exercises. Fully two hundred people assembled to witness the ceremonies and listen to the excellent addresses, including a representation from every school in the township, all the teachers and directors and many of the patrons. The exercises were started promptly at 3 o’clock, and William A Anders, president of the Worcester Alumni Association, presided.
That good old national hymn, “My County, Tis of Thee,” was sung under the leadership of John K Heebner.
Rev Levi S Hoffman, Pastor of the Schwenkfelder church, delivered an impressive, earnest prayer, and then the “Star Spangled Banner” was sung.
Chairman Anders, on behalf of the Alumni Association, in well-chosen words presented the corner stone, and E A Heebner, president of the school Board, in an apt address received the gift. The stone was then formally laid.
Amos H Schultz, secretary of the School Board, placed in the copper box the following articles:
A copy of the new School Code
A copy of the old school laws
Report of the last county teachers’ institute
A list of the names of all the pupils in the township, signed by the teachers
A pennant of the Class of 1913
The original petition to the Board, signed by a large number of taxpayers, praying the Board to call a public meeting to discuss the advisability of erecting a high school building
A brief history of the movement to build, brought down to the time of corner stone laying
Form of oath School Directors must take before assuming office
Several copies of the program of exercise of the corner stone laying
Menu card of the Alumni banquet of January 1912
Three prominent newspapers – “The North American”, “The Norristown Daily Herald” and the “Montgomery Transcript”
List of all the branches taught and list of all the books used in the schools of the township
Samples of all school supplies used
List containing name of the present officers of the Worcester Alumni Association, and a copy of the minutes of the meeting at which the Associated decided to present the corner stone
The box was then sealed by H K Tyson
Rev D D Brendle, pastor of Wentz’s Reformed church was introduced and delivered an able address. He was followed by Rev Levi I Hoffman, who also delivered a thoughtful and earnest and thus closed a significant ceremony that is bound to have a wide and lasting influence;
The school building is located upon a commanding site at Center Point, purchased of H H Hunsberger. The erection is being pushed rapidly with a view to getting it under roof before cold weather sets in. 4 Oct 1912 – Montgomery Transcript
Laying of cornerstone Worcester High School 1912
****************************
Good progress is being made in the erection of the new High School building, and already it may be seen the structure will be a handsome and a credit to the township. 25 Oct 1912 – Montgomery Transcript
A new High School building will shortly be under roof. 8 Nov 1912 – Montgomery Transcript
The new High School building is closed in and work on the interior is progressing. The building is a handsome structure and a great credit to the township. 13 Dec 1912 – Montgomery Transcript
The new High School building will be occupied this month. 7 Feb 1913 – Montgomery Transcript
Center Point was the scene of an old fashioned frolic, Tuesday, when nearly forty of its public spirited citizens assembled at the new High School to assist in grading of the grounds. Everybody worked with a will and the dirt fairly flew. Many big carts were loaded in exactly one minute. Some of the drivers who started to lead their teams away when the carts was only half filled had the cart bodies heaping full by the time the team was gotten fully under way. So that to say that the ground “fairly flew” is literally true. 26 Jun 1913 – Montgomery Transcript
Nearly 350 cart loads were hauled away, and the School Board estimates that about $150 worth of labor was performed, for all of which the board is sincerely thankful.
Those who helped with the work were A M Rader, Jos. J Bean, Abram A Reiff, A K Dresher, Chester K Schultz, Harry Stevens, R Duncan, A R Kriebel, Allen Kriebel, Elmer Keyser, A S Heist, Moses Bean, William Seipt, George Bossert, Jonas Hallman, Joseph Wiltsee, John Gephart, Morris Fitzgerald, John Smith, I S Anders, Sylvanus Hoffman, Elvin Yocum, Richard Bregler, Jacob Bregler, Reuben Kriebel, Ambrose Reed, Henry Markley, Frank Craft, Edwin Rothenberger, Lawrence Rothenberger, Ambrose Kriebel, Clarence Fry, Claude Seitz, Frank Beltz, Chas S Anders, Jeremiah K Anders, Jos C Blattner, A H Schultz
Opening exercise of the new High School building and presentation exercises of a new piano to the High School by the Worcester Alumni association will be held in the High School building on Saturday evening. August 30. 1913. Prof Samuel K Brecht will present the piano in behalf of the Alumni Association. Prof J Horace Landis and other speakers will be present. 14 Aug 1913 – Montgomery Transcript
The opening of the new High School building and the piano presentation exercises by the alumni Association will be held on Saturday evening. The program follows:
Piano Recital F A North Co
Invocational Rev D D Brendle
Vocal Solo Miss Marie McMullen
Recitation Miss Louisa Anson
Vocal Solo John K Heebner
Piano Duet Blanche Schultz + Ada Anders
Piano Presentation Pros S K Brecht
Acceptance E A Heebner
Vocal Solo Miss Mayme Benner
Address Prof J Horace Landis
21 Aug 1913 – Montgomery Transcript
The bell for the new High School building is expected this week. 28 Aug 1913 – Montgomery Transcript
This handsome new building was formally opened on Saturday evening when exercises were held, during which the Worcester Alumni Association presented the school with a handsome new upright piano. The program of these exercises were printed in last week’s issue of the “Transcript”
This splendid building modern in all respects is situated upon a commanding site at Center Point, and is the finest structure of the kind in all this region, with its splendid large, airy, well lighted and ventilated rooms, and spacious grounds.
The building is two stories in height with a basement of sufficient size and depth to provide for manual training or other purposes as may be required for the future. An artesian will in the basement furnishes excellent water in abundance.
There are four rooms two on each floor with air space sufficient, for the accommodation of 55 pupils in each room. The provision for light was considered most carefully, and the substantial ability is marked, the building was created with the idea if ever centralization of the schools of the township is decided upon addition may be made without changing the front’s appearance, and added structure may be place on the rear.
The stone base is constructed of native blue stone from the quarries near Mainland. The main building is of Hummelstown gray brick. The building throughout is lighted by electricity. A K Dresher, of Worcester, attended to the work in his usual careful and able manner.
M B Bean, of Lansdale, is the architect, and Bruce Bean, of Lansdale, the builder. The building committee consisted of the entire membership of the school Board, composed of the following leading citizens of the township; E A Heebner, President; Amos H Schultz, Secretary, and Charles S Anders, Jeremiah K Anders, and Joseph Blattner. The cost was but $11,000. 4 Sep 1913 – Montgomery Transcript
undated Worcester High School Center Point, PA
“While it was intended to be a ‘high school’ which would mean that it would have pupils in grades nine, ten, eleven, and twelve, and would graduate eligible pupils, after completing those four grades of school, the building never offered either eleventh or twelfth grade levels.” The pupils upon completing grades nine and ten either went to work, enrolled in technical schools, ie. Lansdale School of Business, or completed high school in Norristown or Lansdale.
1912-1913 J Wilmer Whitlock
1913-1914
1914-1915
1915-1916
Bruce Bean, of Lansdale, had the contract to construct four small shelter houses for the school children of Worcester Township. 26 Aug 1915 – Montgomery Transcript
O S Allebach has secured an International Auto truck which will be used in his general merchandise business and to assist in transporting the school children.
The public schools of Worcester township will reopen on Monday, September 6th. Forty pupils will have to be conveyed to the consolidated school and for this purpose the township has purchased a Federal Auto truck. Irvin H Souder, who is the janitor of the Center Point school, will operate the truck. O S Allebach will be employed to help convey the pupils with his auto truck.
The schools in the High School building at Center Point will open on Monday morning and at Fairview Village a week or so later, as the building at Center Point: Metz’s, Anders’, Cassel’s, Bethel, and all pupils along the east side of the Stump Hall Road. 2 Sep 1915 – Montgomery Transcript
Those coming from Cassel’s, Bethel and Metz’s district will be conveyed in the large truck purchased by the township, which is capable of conveying forty pupils at a time. The truck will leave Beyer’s corner at 8 o’clock am thence to the Skippack road and pick up the Bethel pupils. It will be at Metz’s school, at 8.25 am and convey the pupils from that district. O S Allebach who will assist in transportating the children will convey the Water Street pupils to Fairview, and the High School and Stump Hall pupils, coming to Center Point. Mr Allebach will start on Monday in transportating the High School pupils from Fairview and those from Stump Hall district to Center Point. He will leave Fairview at 8.10 am.
With the addition of two rooms to the new school building, Center Point Consolidated School was added to Worcester High School.
1915-1916 Worcester Consolidated School 1-2-3 (Lower Grades) – All unidentified except Row 1: 1 Teacher Gertrude Fox
Donated by Elizabeth Allebach Bean Mears and Nancy Anders Palmer
1915-1916 Worcester School Upper Grades
Row 1: 1 John Thomas, 2 Harold Krauss, 3 Leon Loos, 4 Paul Brooks, 5 Leon Blattner, 6 Harold Allebach, 7 Gladys Heebner, 8 Margaret Wisler, 9 Bertha Henning, 10 Katie Halteman
Row 2: 1 Elmer Yerger, 2 Elmer Kline, 3 Russel Heebner, 4 Oscar Rothenberger, 5 Stanley Geyer, 6 Florence Bean, 7 Marion Hunsberger, 8 Mary Kriebel, 9 Teacher A Lincoln Anson
Row 3: 1 Alvin Anders, 2 Albert Schultz, 3 William Kriebel, 4 Lester Weigner, 5 Russel Hendricks, 6 Myrtle Souder, 7 Elsie Godshall,, 8 Elsie Kraft, 9 Wilson Fell, 10 Bob Brooks
Row 4: 1 ? Bossert, 2 Elmer Blattner, 3 Helen Gardner, 4 Ernest Schultz, 5 Bertha Van Fossen, 6 unidentified, 7 Bill Ingersoll, 8 Hartley Hynes, 9 Helen Krauss, 10 Clyde Kibblehouse, 11 Lowell Hendricks
Row 5: 1 Norman Anders, 2 unidentified, 3 A Kinzey/Kenny Huber, 4 Clarence Allebach, 5 ? Rogers
Donation from Maynard Rothenberger
undated Worcester School – unidentified group with an Anders, a Bossert and a Bean
*********************
1917 Worcester School Upper Grades
Row 1: 1 Viola Weigner, 2 Sara Anders, 3 Russell Wisler, 4 Walter Krauss, 5 John Blattner, 6 Walter Godshall, 7 Paul Anders, 8 Mabel Wisler, 9 Rose Koons
Row 2: 1 Principal/Teacher John Fox, 2 Reba Heebner, 3 Leroy Schultz, 4 Robert Schaffer, 5 Francena Anderson, 6 Harvey Bean, 7 Mildred Place, 8 Raymond Stong
Row 3: 1 Florence Blattner, 2 Mildred Kriebel, 3 Kathryn Allebach, 4 Sarah Brunner, 5 Marion Wiegner, 6 Ruth Anson
Row 4: 1 unidentified, 2 Charles Markley, 3 Norman Clemens, 4 Lewis Drummond, 5 Charles Swartley
(Notes: John Fox was married to Gertrude Fox, 1st grade teacher. He used a rubber hose to spank students; Francena Anderson married Ernest Heebner who became superintendent of Worcester schools; married names: Viola Weigner-Clemens, Wisler-Wiltsee, Heebner-Werner, Anderson-Heebner, Kriebel-Drummond, Allebach-Detweiler, Brunner-Frankenbert, Marion Weigner-Wambold, Anson-Troster)
Donated by Marion Weigner Wambold
*********************
1917 or 1919 Worcester Consolidated School Lower Grades – All unidentified
*********************
1917 or 1919 Worcester School Upper Grades – All unidentified
*********************
Lin Anson submitted Final Marks for 8th Grade in 1919 for Elmer Blattner, Robert Carson, Mary Cassel, Elsie Craft, Wilson Fell, M Kibblehouse, Willie Kriebel, Lester Landes, Elsie Layton, Naomi Loos, and Leroy Trumbore
*********************
undated Worcester School – All students unidentified, Horace Anson teacher
Donated by Terry Bookheimer 2017
*********************
S Mae Grater, Center Point Consolidated School Bessie Schultz, Center Point Consolidated School Austin Schultz, Center Point Consolidated School abt 1923 Austin Schultz, Center Point Consolidated School abt 1924
The new school building being erected to the rear of the High School is now under roof and will be ready for occupancy in a few days. It was a one room school building. 11 Sep 1924 – Montgomery Transcript