Museum Gets Part of its History Back

The cupola was put restored to its place last week. According to Kathy Fisher, president of the Montville Historical Society, the building has been a school, the towns first town hall, and then became a post office in 1939.

She said it is believe that the cupola was removed when it became a post office. She also said the land was sold by the William Hixson, Eastern Supervisor of the Morris Canal, for a school to be built and the restriction in the 1873 deed states the site should always be used as a school and by orthodox churches, which allowed the church next door to use the site for meetings.

Later when the township wished to use the location for a town hall, the descendants of William Hixson created a new deed in 1911 with the resrtriction that the buildings and land be used for the general public good and public purposes, or the property reverts back to the Hixson family, according to Fisher.

Fisher also said as part of the New Jersey tercentennial, the old post office which moved out in 1961 was renovated to be a museum in 1962.

The building was created in 1871–which means the marker sign out front of the building is wrong–and replaced two earlier schoolhouses at that site.

Fisher said the building was built a certain size for the carrying distance of the human voice, so teachers' voice could carry so as to be heard by all students. The belfry or cupola became a status symbol for schools in the later 19th century, according to fisher. The front door opened out onto Taylortown Road to symbolize the opening of its doors to the local population.