A New School
In the late 1880’s Thomas Edison, the great inventor, opened several iron
mines, constructed a concentrating mill, and developed a town on Sparta Mountain above Ogdensburg, New Jersey to provide for the needs of his 500 employees and their families. Although Edison had almost no formal schooling, he did appreciate the value of education and built a one room schoolhouse for the town’s children to attend. The school operated from 1890 to 1900 when the mines closed and the town was abandoned. The school stood idle until 1909.

The First Move
In 1908 the Hungarian immigrants in Franklin Furnace (Franklin after 1913) organized the Hungarian Reformed Church of Franklin Furnace, New Jersey, so they could worship in their native language. They purchased the Edison Schoolhouse and moved it to Franklin, five miles away, using mules and wagons. The reconstructed building was dedicated as a church in 1909. From 1909 until it closed in 1973 it served as the center of Hungarian life and culture for Hungarians living in Franklin and the surrounding communities.

Saving the Building
The building was under threat of demolition when a group of 10 civic-minded organizations joined forces to save it. The Edison Schoolhouse-Hungarian Church Affiliates, ESHCA Project, led by the Franklin Historical Society had the structure moved on September 26, 2007. The building’s new home is in the center of town. The Historical Society hopes to reuse the building as a research/education center for immigrant records and as a community center. Plans also include interpretive kiosks, a gazebo, and other park amenities. Once completed the site will serve as the focal point of a revitalized Main Street and town center. The saving of this historic structure will go a long way toward ensuring the area’s rich cultural heritage is preserved.

Betty Allen, past president and founding trustee of the Franklin Historical Society, sent in pictures of the building being moved to be included in our Snap Shot Project. While the building is now in a safe location there is still much work to be done. Betty Allen wrote:
We care about this building, because we have seen the loss of several buildings in our community…This has been a gargantuan effort for our Historical Society. We are financing this endeavor through a local bank loan, and hopefully through citizen support, grant monies, and doing fund raisers, and by providing historical genealogy information, we will eventually prevail.

For further information contact the Franklin Historical Society, c/o Betty Allen, P.O. Box 332, Franklin, N. J. 07416, ebethalln@yahoo.com

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