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Little Red Schoolhouse
Built in 1811, closed in 1909 |
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The History of Maple Shade
Maple Shade is a small town located in southern New Jersey about twenty minutes from Philadelphia. Housing over 20,000 people, it is a typical suburban town.
The area of Maple Shade was first settled in 1682 by the Roberts family. Most of the early settlers, including the Roberts, were members of the Society of Friends (Quakers). Today, many of these early settlers are known through our street names. For example, Robert Stiles, Samuel Coles, Alexander Mecray, and the Rudderows were all early settlers of Maple Shade.
The settlement became more permanent when the street that connected King's Highway to the Cooper River ferry, now Main Street, was constructed in 1794. Then, in 1811, Joseph Burrough set aside property on Main Street for the construction of the Little Red Schoolhouse. This one-room school served the children of Maple Shade for 97 years until it closed in 1909.
In 1867, the township gained an identity with a train station and a rail stop. The first station was located where the present Stiles Avenue crosses the railroad tracks and was aptly named Stiles Station. The second station, located on North Forklanding, was named Maple Shade. Formally known as Chester Township, it is believed that the township gained its name Maple Shade either from the grove of maple trees located near the station or from the Maple Shade Orchards which used to be located in this area. The train station served Maple Shade for 92 years until it was closed in 1959. Currently the railroad is used only for freight.
Along with the railroad came various industries and businesses. Several shops, a post office, and a butcher shop sprang up. Brickmaking was an active business in Maple Shade from 1876 until 1956 when the clay supply used for making the bricks dwindled.
Over time, Maple Shade gradually changed from a rural community to a suburban town. The first big population increase followed the arrival of trolleys and commuter trains early in the twentieth century. That allowed Maple Shade residents to commute to jobs in Camden and Philadelphia. Soon real estate developers were splitting up large farms and selling them off in smaller plots. The second major increase followed World War II with a large influx of former city residents who were eager to get out of the city and commuted to work by car.
With the growth of the community, utilities became a necessity of the area. The first waterworks in the area was opened in 1893. A post office was added in 1887, telephones in 1893, and a fire company in 1899.
After the close of the Little Red Schoolhouse in 1909, a two-room school was built on North Poplar. Then, in 1920, a school, now named Steinhauer, was built on Chestnut Avenue. Later, two more elementary schools, Maude Wilkins and Howard Yocum, were built to handle the increasing numbers of children. Students of high school age attended Moorestown High School until 1959 when they were transferred to Merchantville High School. With the opening of its own high school in 1972, Maple Shade became a fully independent township.
