By Elizabeth England
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE FESTIVAL IS SWEET CALLBACK TO SIMPLER TIMES
Community Welcome at Annual Woosamonsa Schoolhouse Father’s Day Event
Pennington NJ —June 3, 2014 No one is “too cool for school” when there’s a special treat in store for them for them. The trustees of the Woosamonsa Schoolhouse invite the community to a Strawberry Shortcake Festival held at the well-loved site in Hopewell Township on June 15 from 1-4 pm. Built in 1875, it is Pennington’s oldest surviving schoolhouse building.
Families looking for something fun to do with Dad on Father’s Day need look no further than the Strawberry Shortcake Festival at the Woosamonsa Schoolhouse, where people can enjoy an old-fashioned social and get a glimpse of what schools and life were like over a century ago. 100% of the proceeds from the festival will help raise funds for the upkeep of the historic property.
Tickets for a large serving of strawberry shortcake with ice cream are priced the same as they were 20 years ago: $5 for adults and children 6 years or older. Children 5 and under are free. Tickets may be purchased in advance at Jack’s Greenhouse and Farm, or at the door. In addition to strawberry shortcake, entertainment will be provided by local folk music performers, Fiddlesticks. The duo, who epitomize the authentic folk sounds of the Sourlands Mountains, will also entertain with pass-around puppets and square dance calling.
For those who have wondered about the curious building at the intersection of Woosamonsa and Poor Farm Roads, it is a restored one-room schoolhouse maintained by a non-profit neighborhood organization dedicated to preserving its original condition at the time it closed in 1918. “Strawberry Socials” are a longstanding tradition at the Schoolhouse, some long-term residents remember them being held as early as 1925 during the Great Depression and for many years after.
“The more time passes, the more precious this building is to us,” said Erwin Harbat, a lifelong township resident and trustee of the Woosamonsa Schoolhouse Association. “It’s a reminder of how things used to be before computers, smartphones and social media.”
Harbat said the school district gave the then out-of-use schoolhouse building to the association in 1922 on the condition that it be used only for social gatherings and community service purposes. Over the years, the various trustees have made every effort to preserve its character and charm.
Jerri Farina, another trustee said, “A poem written in 1949 by a former pupil and later teacher reads ‘deep in our hearts throughout the years, the old schoolhouse will be held most dear,’” she continued, “Well, that pretty well sums up our mission.”
Everyone is invited to join the fun at The Strawberry Shortcake Festival, June 15th from 1-4 pm. The schoolhouse is located at the intersection of Woosamonsa and Poor Farm Road, off Route 31 in Hopewell Township.

