The park located off of Park Boulevard at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Grant Avenue was once home to a neighborhood school.
Newcomers to Cherry Hill Township may be a little puzzled if they were to visit Erlton School Park. Despite the name, there isn’t a school located at the park today.
Erlton School Park, located off of Park Boulevard at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Grant Avenue, is named after a school that existed on the property decades earlier. It’s been a long time since students last frequented the halls of Erlton School. The school closed almost 40 years ago, in 1978, and was later demolished in 1995 after sitting vacant for a number of years.
A number of historians and news story have detailed the history of Erlton School. According to Mike Mathis and Lisa Magiafico’s book “Cherry Hill: A Brief History,” Erlton School opened in 1928 to accommodate the families of the new Erlton neighborhood. The school also served as a replacement for the old Ellisburg School, which was located near what is now a McDonalds on Route 70 near the Ellisburg Shopping Center.
On the day Erlton School was dedicated, a talk was given on how to be courteous to waitresses and others. Also in the school’s opening year, a picture of pilot Charles Lindbergh was purchased. The portrait was reportedly given to the classroom with the highest number of parents participating in monthly PTA meetings.
Erlton School operated for 50 years before closing in 1978. According to Robert A. Shinn and Kevin Cook’s book, “Along the Cooper River: Camden to Haddonfield,” the Cherry Hill Board of Education closed the school due to declining enrollment.
For more than a decade after closing, Erlton School sat empty. According to articles from the “Courier-Post” Cherry Hill Township acquired the school from the school district in 1980. Multiple news reports at the time say the building had become an eyesore during its years of vacancy, with vandalism becoming a major issue at the building.
A number of ideas were proposed for the old Erlton School property. According to a 1994 story from the “Courier-Post,” the proposals included a police station, nursing home and community center, all of which many residents opposed. Residents at the time wanted the property to be converted into a park. That plan would eventually come to fruition after the township decided to demolish the school in 1995 and convert the property into what is now Erlton School Park.
In 2013, Cherry Hill Township received a $25,000 Camden County open space grant to renovate the park. Susanne Bromke, president of the Erlton South Civic Association at the time, talked a little bit about the history of the park in an interview with the “Cherry Hill Sun.”
“Erlton is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Cherry Hill, and when the Erlton School was torn down, the civic association had to fight for it to be turned into a park and not condominiums or worse,” Bromke said in 2013. “This all happened many years ago, and the park equipment has not been upgraded since I moved into the neighborhood 13 years ago.
“The park is heavily used by our residents, as well as people from Cherry Park condos down the road. The Erlton South Civic Association has several events in the park every year so we are thrilled it is getting a facelift.”
Though it has been more than two decades since Erlton School was demolished, there are a couple markers at the park where the building is remembered. Most notable is the marker for a time capsule sitting in between the parking lot and playground. The time capsule is schedule to be opened in 2028.
Another marker is a plaque dedicated to Erlton School. The plaque dates back to 1952 and includes of list of school district administrators and board members for what was then named the Delaware Township Board of Education.
There were formerly two markers labeled “boys” and “girls” flanking either side of the time capsule. These markers were once part of the Erlton School building and marked separate entrances for the boys and girls. According to an Erlton South Civic Association newsletter, the markers were moved in 2014 after being damaged during the cold and snowy winter season that year.
Members of the public wishing to see each of these markers can find them at Erlton School Park. The time capsule is located near the park’s playground. The school plaque is located next to a gazebo in the park.
