“Tabernacle in the Wilderness.”
From the town’s small beginnings in 1778, the area now known as Tabernacle Township has had a rich history.
On Friday, May 25, third-grade students from Tabernacle Elementary School will see that history firsthand during a field trip.
Retired third-grade teacher and Tabernacle Historical Society member Ann Franzen has been organizing the trip for over a decade.
According to Ann, the students will hop on busses and will be visiting the old schoolhouse, Pepper House, Tabernacle Old Cemetery, Town Hall and the Carranza Monument.
Her husband, Mayor Richard Franzen, will be giving a presentation and dispersing cookies and apple cider at the town hall stop.
“So it’s a little civic lesson as well as history,” she said.
There are five teachers, one aide and 93 students attending, said third-grade teacher Louise Harris.
The students will be broken into shifts to avoid overcrowding, she explained.
“It’s easy to read these books about your town, but I’m sure some of these kids have never been to these places,” Harris said. “It’s so much better than reading about them.”
To help the students understand their town history in more simple terms, Ann created a booklet called A Short History of Tabernacle based off of denser historical town material.
Pepper House
Pepper House is an old structure that has been restored to its original appearance, said Harris.
The house was built circa 1860 by Civil War veteran Gilbert Knight, according to Tabernacle Township’s “Centennial Celebration” book from 2001.
Another piece of township literature states, “Gilbert Knight was a blacksmith. He was a GAR Veteran of the N.J. 23rd Volunteer Regiment.”
Samuel Scott purchased the house and lot in 1907, it continues, for $1,000. His daughter, Clara Pepper, lived in the house until she passed away.
In 1986, the property was leased to the historical society by the township.
Tabernacle Old Cemetery and Indian Ann
Ann’s booklet states that a young missionary from Indian Mills established a one-room church in 1778 called “Tabernacle in the Wilderness,” which led to the name of the township.
According to another piece of historical material, “Reverend Brainerd’s little church was still standing in 1803, when William and Sarah Wilkins, who owned the land around it, deeded two acres (for the sum of $8!) to the then 28 residents of the township (known at the time as Northampton) for use as a church yard and cemetery.”
Anyone who is a descendant of town initiators can be buried in the cemetery, Franzen said.
One of the perhaps best-known township inhabitants, Indian Ann, is buried there.
“She was the last of the Delaware Indians in this area,” said Ann.
On the field trip, the students look for her grave, Harris said, while also conducting grave rubbings, which is when they place a piece of paper against the old gravestones to see what is written.
“The Native Americans, who were here before the white settlers, were Lenapes — part of the Delaware culture,” Ann’s booklet states. “Indian Ann, a princess, became very well known for her beautiful hand-woven baskets.”
Later in the report, Ann explains, “According to legend, a little girl named Mary was walking through the woods when she spotted an Indian Girl nearby. Mary tried to speak to the girl, but she did not understand English. As a gesture of friendship, Mary offered the young girl part of her lunch. The two new friends sat down by a stream and shared some bread and cheese. The young Indian girl then took Mary to her village to meet her father. Her father was the Chief, and the Indian girl was Princess Ann — later known as Indian Ann.”
“Because of the meeting of the two girls, this area of Tabernacle came to be known as Inawendiwin, the Indian word for friendship, and the stream where they met is called Bread and Cheese Run. Girl Scout Camp Inawendiwin was established in 1950 near the original meeting site.”
Town Hall
Across from Indian Ann’s burial site in the town cemetery is town hall, where Mayor Franzen will teach his lesson to the youngsters.
Historical material explains it was known as the Junior Mechanics Hall for years and was built in 1874.
While it once served as a place for residents to store cranberries among other items, it was given to the township in the 1960s for use as a municipal building.
School House
“We go to the old school,” said Harris. “They get to sit at the desks.”
The old schoolhouse nearby to Town Hall, was built in 1856, material states.
“The one-room school was demolished when a two-room one was erected alongside in about 1910,” it continues.
Ann’s booklet explains, “In 1936, the townspeople moved the school by using rolling logs. It was placed where Sequoia High School now stands. There were two other schools to serve the children in the far-flung sections of the town. One was named Friendship School, and the other as Union School. Friendship School now stands near Sequoia, but that was not its original location.”
Carranza Monument
Considered the Charles Linbergh of Mexico, in 1928 a young pilot named Emilio Carranza crashed his plane while flying during a thunderstorm, Ann’s booklet explains. At the time, he was heading back to Mexico after a goodwill flight.
The children of Mexico gave pennies to a fund to place a monument at the crash site, it continues. The memorial was made of stones from Mexico City.
“It’s quite a big deal and very colorful,” Ann said.
The third-graders continue tradition each year by bringing pennies with them on the trip to place on the monument, Harris explained.
Facts about Tabernacle Township
The township was incorporated in 1901, according to the Centennial Celebration book.
As a rural community, the mayor explained, electricity didn’t come to the town until the 1930s — less than 100 years ago.
There are 12 active gun clubs in the township, he said. There used to be more than 60.
In the 1970s, the township exploded to two and a half times its size to 5,000 people, he said, which means that the history of the town isn’t part of many residents’ heritage.
Next year, as they become fourth-graders, students will delve deeper into New Jersey. history, Harris said, making third-grade the opportune time for the kids to learn more about their town.
After the trip, they will head back to the classroom to make a Tabernacle brochure on publisher, she said.
“Studying Tabernacle is part of our curriculum,” she said. “Rather than just showing them a PowerPoint or looking at pictures we actually take them to all of the places.”
