Town Hall and School
[CITY HALL AND SCHOOLS.]
The first school on Paulus Hook was started in 1806. The Associates gave the land and the town authorities provided the money for the building, which was located on the two lots east of St. Mathew's Church. The building was used also as a town hall and a meeting place for the different religious denominations. The school was called the "Mechanics' Institute" and was a pay school. Soon after the "Columbia Public School" was started and supported by subscriptions. In 1834 both failed financially and were combined and reorganized in 1835 as the Mechanics' School. In 1838 the mayor and common council, under the new charter, removed the building to the rear lot and remodeled it as a school-house, town hall and jail, at the cost of $1,300. After a time the building used as town hall, church, school and jail ceased to be used by the city officials, who met at different taverns and halls until 1861, when the city hall was completed at a cost of $135,145. It was situated on the south side of Newark avenue west of Coopers' alley. The council chamber was artistically frescoed by a brother of General Garibaldi, then a refugee here. The wall behind the president's desk represented a Venetian scene from a columned piazza, and was dainty and effective. Some years later it was ruined by a house painter in repairing and renovating the room. In 1887, measures were begun to erect a larger city hall to meet the demands of the larger city. The corner stone of the new building was laid at noon May 26th, 1894, and it was completed January 1st, 1896. It is located on the block between Grove and Henderson, Mercer and Montgomery streets. The total cost, $736,267.56. It is quite an imposing building and large enough to accommodate the various departments of the city government. The interior arrangement is particularly fine; upon entering, the broad corridors give a pleasant impression, and the offices are spacious, light and commodious. An attempt is being made to have in the mayor's room, portraits of the mayors of Jersey City. Several have been presented but the list is not yet complete.
New City Hall, Jersey City.
[PUBLIC SCHOOL NO. 1.]
In 1843 the state school money, the receipts from liquor licenses and the money received from the Bergen Township funds were appropriated for the Public School, then first called School No. 1. It was still held in the Town House. The primary pupils paid fifty cents a quarter, in the higher branches the fees were one dollar a quarter. Where the pupils were unable to pay, their dues were charged against the public funds. In 1847 a new school house was erected in York street, west of Washington street. It still forms the central portion of the present school building which has just been remodeled and rebuilt, and is now a very beautiful structure. In 1848 the school was opened with Mr. Linsley as principal, who is said to have organized at School No. 1 "the first Normal School in the country," possibly in this state, but in 1840 there was a Normal School at Camden, Oneida County, New York.