New Providence in Union County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

The Academy
⎯⎯⎯
Old Borough Hall

The Academy (1870-1917) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Robert Keller, July 19, 2024

1. The Academy (1870-1917)

Inscription. The Academy (1870 - 1917) / The main section of this building, completed in 1870, was the second public school in New Providence, replacing an 1822 log structure on Passaic St. The older boys and girls were taught on the first floor, while younger ones assembled upstairs. In the cupola above them hung a large bronze bell cast by the Meneely Bell Foundry in 1873. The bell rang students, grades K-12, to class until 1907 when the four-room Lincoln School was erected across the street. In 1917, the Borough bought the building for one dollar, and it became New Providence Borough Hall.

( back )
Old Borough Hall (1917 - 1980) In 1917, this Victorian-era building became New Providence Borough Hall. After WWI, the second-floor Council Chambers briefly housed the Catholic Mission of Our Lady of Peace until they could build a church. Council approved expansion plans in 1954 to accommodate the town's growing needs. One-story wings were added for the clerk, tax collector, and a police department with a three-room jail. The original Academy school bell was retained and placed in a new cupola. In 1980, the Borough outgrew the

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space and relocated into the former Lincoln School.

Erected 2021 by New Providence Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.

Location. 40° 42.414′ N, 74° 24.254′ W. Marker is in New Providence, New Jersey, in Union County. It is at the intersection of Springfield Avenue (County Road 512) and Academy Street, on the right when traveling west on Springfield Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1245 Springfield Avenue, New Providence NJ 07974, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in New Jersey’s North Jersey,

in Greater Newark,

and in the New York City Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within

Old Borough Hall (1917-1980) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Robert Keller, July 19, 2024

2. Old Borough Hall (1917-1980)

one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: New Providence 9-11 Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); The Country’s Roll of Honor (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); New Providence Presbyterian Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Garrison-Dickinson-Genung House / Salt Box Museum (approx. ¼ mile away); New Providence Veterans Memorial Park (approx. 0.3 miles away); New Providence United Methodist Cemetery & Memorial Garden (approx. half a mile away); Bey's Boxing Camp (approx. 0.7 miles away); Mount Vernon School (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in New Providence.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 19, 2024, by Robert Keller of New Providence, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 261 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 19, 2024, by Robert Keller of New Providence, New Jersey. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide view photo of the marker and its surroundings. Photos of the buildings. • Can you help?

The Academy⎯⎯⎯Old Borough Hall

The Academy
⎯⎯⎯
Old Borough Hall