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The first school in the Borough of West Conshohocken was a building on Balligomingo Road, a short distance above River Road or Front Street. It was a two-story building with one room on each floor known as "The Institute." |
When the Borough of West Conshohocken was incorporated in October, 1874, the Montgomery County Court appointed five residents to serve as members of the School Board, and five residents to serve as members of Town Council.
Steps were taken to erect a new school building. A plot of ground on the highest elevation in the Borough overlooking Ford Street and the Schuylkill River was acquired. The plot of ground is bounded by Church Street, Bullock and Moir Avenues, and a twenty foot strip of land laid out on the Borough map for a street, but never declared open by Town Council. The ground was acquired from George D. Bullock, the Borough's leading citizen who became our first Burgess, and naturally, the school was given the name "Bullock School."
The Bullock School was completed and opened in 1875. All four rooms were put into immediate use with Professor H. A. Markley as the first principal. He was transferred from "The Institute". Upper Merion Township had no high school at that time and the pupils from the Rebel Hill and Gulph Mills sections of the township, after completing their grade school course, were sent to West Conshohocken to complete their high school education.
In the mid 1880's the school population had increased so rapidly, that a two-story, two-room wing was added. The first floor room was immediately opened as the primary grade. Later, the second story room was opened and became the high school. Some years later a two-room portable school building was erected on the campus and this, too, was pressed into service.
In the early part of 1903 a disastrous fire swept the Bullock Building, forcing the closing of the school for several months. Various churches of the Borough as well as the auditorium of the George Clay Fire House were offered for class room purposes and some were accepted by the board. These were immediately pressed into service until the school building could be repaired. Work of repairing the school was begun immediately. The Moir Avenue side of the building was changed completely. The entrances on the Ford Street and Bullock Avenue sides of the burning were discarded and only one entrance, from the Moir Avenue side was provided. The repairs were completed in time for the opening of the new term in September. Most of the early records of the school were lost in the fire.
By the mid 1920's the Bullock Building had outlived its usefulness and was condemned by the State Board of Instruction because of insufficient light and poor ventilation. Later, the Bullock Building was used as an elementary school, and the new high school was planned.
In the 1920's the Board of Directors began preparations for the erection of a new and modern high school. A public meeting was held in one of the churches and it was addressed by the County Superintendent of Schools who gave assurance that it would not cost any more to operate a larger school, not withstanding additional teachers which would be necessary.
Plans for a new building were drawn and approved by the State Board and a contract was awarded. A bond issue of $80,000.00 was floated nd whatever bonded indebtedness was outstanding at the time was paid off.
| The new building of red brick construction contained six classrooms, a combination auditorium and gymnasium, library and teacher's room on the main floor. The manual training and home economics departments were under the main floor. The school was opened at the beginning of the 1930 school term. |  |
The Bullock Building was rented to Slavic Candy concern of Conshohocken who operated it for about a year to manufacture their products. The building was razed during the 1950-51 school term and the ground leveled off and made an attractive part of the school campus.
The school bell from the "Old Bullock School" was the only item salvaged, and has now found a new home in the Borough Hall.
With the ending of the school term June 14, 1963, the doors of the West Conshohocken Elementary School closed forever as an educational institution.
The deathknell of the public school system on the West Side was sounded early in the year when the Board of Directors at a joint meeting with the Upper Merion School Board entered into an agreement whereby all of West Conshohocken pupils will be sent to Upper Merion beginning with the new term in early September.
The question of Upper Merion using the building in West Conshohocken as part of its school system was discussed, and it was decided that the risk of driving the school buses up the steep grades makes it practically impossible. Several overtures have been received to have the building divided and used for light manufacturing purposes. It is understood the school board must retain the building until 1966.
The former high school building was occupied by the Adelphia Automatic Sprinkler Systems Company in 1974. However, the general feeling among the residents of the Borough is that this building should never have been sold, but kept as either a Borough building or a recreation center for the residents of the Borough.
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St. Gertrude's first school classes were held in the basement of the Church. This was used as four classrooms and the children were taught by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary who commuted from St. Patrick's Parish in Norristown.
Later the parish purchased the old Moir homestead on Merion Avenue for their convent and school classes. School was held in this building until the new school was built in 1954. |
The school had eight grades, and upon graduation the children had a choice of attending Archbishop Kennedy High School in Conshohocken, Bishop Carroll High School in Radnor, or Upper Merion High School in King of Prussia. Today the building is owned by the Borough. The Borough is reviewing its options for the building and property.
In 1935 the first pupil of St. Gertrude's Parish ever to be ordained to the priesthood, Rev. John A. McShane celebrated his first Mass in St. Gertrude's Church. Rev. McShane received the rites of Holy Orders as a Priest in the Society of St. Joseph at ordination ceremonies in the NAtional Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C.