A century-old schoolhouse on Woosamonsa Road will host its annual fundraiser with a special tribute to the local Boy Scout troop responsible for the historic building’s recent repairs.
The trustees of the Woosamonsa Schoolhouse invite the community to the annual Strawberry Shortcake Festival at the Hopewell Township site on Sunday, June 19, from 1-4 p.m. Built in 1875, it is Pennington’s oldest surviving schoolhouse building.
All ages are invited for strawberry shortcake, ice cream and music. Admission is $7 for adults and children; children 5 and younger are free. All proceeds benefit upkeep of the historic property.
This year, local resident Thomas Horsley and his Boy Scout Troop 44 built a new sign, replaced the front steps and tidied the grounds as part of his Eagle Scout project. He and members of Troop 44 will be honored at June 19’s event.
The building at the intersection of Woosamonsa and Poor Farm roads, off Route 31 in Hopewell Township, is a restored one-room schoolhouse maintained by a non-profit neighborhood organization dedicated to preserving its condition at the time it closed in 1918. “Strawberry socials” are a long-standing tradition at the schoolhouse; some long-term residents remember them being held as early as 1925 and for many years after. Families can get a glimpse of what schools and life were like more than a century ago.
There will also be entertainment by the Fiddlesticks duo, which will play folk sounds of the Sourlands Mountains and entertain with pass-around puppets.
Tickets can be purchased in advance at Jack’s Greenhouse and Farm, or at the door.
