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History of the
( Lawns )
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The Lawns section of Elk Township ( Aprox. 3/4 -1 mile South of Glassboro on Rt. 553 ) was established in the year of 1835 . When it was settled there were few houses and the streets were nothing but paths and dirt roads . There was only one Main Street, which we know as Buck Road, but is named Main Street in the Lawns section.

There was a stage coach stop at the corner of Stanger Avenue and Douglas Streets and a blacksmith shop on the same road.

The Great Eastern Corporation of New York bought large tracks of land in this area ; both on the Glassboro side of the railroad tracks and in Elk Township. The railroad tracks remain the boundary between the town of Glassboro and Elk Township. Many people bought lots and built homes in this area. An acre of land could be purchased for as little as $100.00 during this era.

The area has grown into quite a community since 1929. It presently (1976) has two stores, one gas station, four churches and one volunteer fire company.

The Lawns has one school built in 1929. The grades were from kindergarten through eighth , learning in one room. As the population increased there was a need for more rooms and two were added in the front, a large storage room, with two rooms remaining in the back, divided by installing sliding doors. The storage room was later turned into a small kitchen for serving lunches. The school was closed in 1960, when Mrs. Ina Hull was the principal. The school's population was approximately 160 students. Other teachers involved were Mrs. Frances Harden, Mrs. Ellen Wallace (retired) and Mrs. Edith Eady (deceased) .There were part-time teachers including Ms. Geneva Lofton and Ms. Virginia Randell. At the time of integrating the two schools under a State mandate, Mrs. Hull had been principle for 15 years. She has been with the Elk Township school system longer than any other teacher now with the system, or has ever been with the system continuously as of (1976).Mr. Russ Gurlin was the first bus driver to transport children in grades seven and eight to the Aura School. The growing population in this area made it necessary to institute this process long before the merger of the two schools, in 1960.

The children of the Lawns now attend with the other Elk Township students at the school in Aura. The Lawns school closed in 1960 has since burned down. This school was located on Stanger Avenue near 1st and Douglas and was completely of wooden construction. Many new homes are being built in this section of Elk Township.


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