Middle Township completes Whitesboro School project in time for community reunion
Painting of historic building was delayed during pandemic
A piece of Whitesboro history is shining a little brighter, just in time for the spotlight of a major annual event.
Middle Township recently completed the exterior painting of the Historic Whitesboro School, which serves as the headquarters for the Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro. The community group uses the Township-owned building through a partnership with the municipality, and will hold its 32nd Annual Whitesboro Reunion Festival from Sept. 3 to 5.
The building located on Main Street off Route 9 operated as a school from 1910 to 1967. Many alumni of the old school and their descendants return to Whitesboro for the reunion each year.
“We are pleased that the painting project could be completed in time for the Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro reunion,” said Deputy Mayor Ike Gandy, who oversees the Public Works Department. “The school is a historic treasure for Middle Township, particularly the Whitesboro community, and we are committed to preserving the building for generations to come.”
The Township awarded a $26,750 contract for the repainting last October, and the work was completed in August following COVID-related delays.
The Whitesboro School, on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, is nearly as old as its community. Whitesboro was established in 1902 to provide Black residents with financial opportunities as well as a refuge from the discrimination they faced elsewhere. The planned community was named for former North Carolina Congressman George H. White, who was one of the primary investors.
Advertisements in Black publications promised one-sixth of an acre “for a down payment of $5 per lot and a promise to till the land,” according to the Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro website. The town developed steadily and within several years, added two churches, a railroad station, a hotel and a post office.
Last year, the Township celebrated the preservation of another aspect of Whitesboro history with the opening of a brand-new post office, just down Main Street from the school. The Township approved a plan to lease property to the postal service, which helped ensure the continuity of a dedicated Whitesboro ZIP code.
In addition to the recent repainting, the Whitesboro School has received numerous upgrades over the years. The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs awarded $1.2 million in grants in 2004 to repair the school’s windows, roof and heating system, remove lead and asbestos, and build new bathrooms. The Township’s Public Works Department contributed the labor to complete those projects.
The Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro maintain the town founders’ community-minded mission through a number of outreach programs held at the old school. The group runs a community food pantry, senior citizen programs, voter registration drives and children’s activities.
This weekend’s reunion at the Martin Luther King Community Center will include food, entertainment and guest speakers. For more information, go to facebook.com/ConcernedCWI
