Saved from a 7-Eleven: Haddon Township’s 1821 Champion School

Across New Jersey, the iconic one-room schoolhouse is a dying breed. While many have been converted into private homes or demolished for strip malls, a lucky few have survived as community anchors.

In Haddon Township (Camden County), the 1821 Champion School stands as a testament not just to early education, but to the power of a single piece of paper—a deed—that stopped the wrecking ball in its tracks.

The $75 Schoolhouse

The area around Haddon Township was originally settled by Quakers in the late 17th century. By 1821, the community needed a dedicated space to educate their children.

A committee purchased a small lot from the Quaker Meeting for $75.00 to build “The Newton Union School.” It was a simple, rectangular red brick structure measuring 20 by 30 feet. The goal was simple: educate the youth to become “useful members of society.”

However, there was a snag. Ten years after opening, the trustees realized the land had never actually been paid for, and no title had been transferred. In 1831, Samuel C. Champion, a local Freeholder and landowner, stepped forward to pay the debt. In gratitude, the school was eventually named after him.

The First “Free” School

The Champion School holds a significant title in South Jersey history. Following the passage of the 1838 New Jersey Public School Act, it became the first “free” public school in Old Gloucester County (which included present-day Camden County).

Before this, education was often a luxury or a private religious affair. Now, children from Collingswood, Woodlynne, Haddon Township, and Oaklyn could receive an education paid for by public funds.

Architectural Growth: The building you see today is a bit of a “Frankenstein” structure, evolved to meet growing needs:

• 1855: The entire school was jacked up three feet, likely to install a coal furnace beneath the floor.
• 1895: Enrollment was booming, so the back wall was knocked out and a wooden addition was built to create a larger classroom.
• 1906: The school closed its doors to students as larger, modern schools took over.

A Church, A Scout Troop, and a Convenience Store

Like many retired public buildings, the Champion School wore many hats in the 20th century. It served as an Episcopal Chapel, a Presbyterian Church, a meeting hall for the Boy Scouts, and even the “First Children’s Church of South Jersey.”

But by 1965, the building was vacant and deteriorating. The Township had a plan: demolish the 144-year-old school and sell the prime corner lot to 7-Eleven.

It seemed like a done deal until a local resident named Alfred Litwak did some digging. He went to the archives and pulled the original deed. He found a specific clause stating the property was only to be used for educational purposes.

This discovery legally blocked the sale to the convenience store chain. The 7-Eleven was never built, and the school was saved—though it sat empty for another two decades.

The “Blackboard” Discovery

In 1986, after vandals caused the rear wall to collapse, the building faced demolition again. Once again, Litwak and a group of concerned citizens (The Newton Union School Society) stepped in. They raised funds, secured grants, and got the building placed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places in 1988.

During the restoration, they made a fascinating discovery. Beneath layers of modern paint, they found the original 1855 blackboard.

Unlike modern slate boards, this was a “plaster slate”—created by mixing carbon directly into the wet plaster of the wall to create a black writing surface. It is a rare surviving example of mid-19th-century educational technology.

The Champion School Today

In 2015, after decades of stewardship, Alfred Litwak passed the torch to a new generation of preservationists led by resident Doug Kelly.

Today, the Friends of the Champion School (now a 501(c)(3) non-profit) maintains the building as a living museum. They have inventoried the artifacts, cleaned up the grounds, and ensured that the school remains a focal point of the community.

Walking inside today, you can see the original desks, the potbelly stove, and that unique carbon-plaster blackboard—a reminder of a time when a school could be built for $75 and a community would fight for 50 years to save it.

If You Visit

• Location: 200 Collings Avenue (at the corner of Champion Ave), Collingswood/Haddon Twp, NJ.
• Tours: The school is typically open for visitors on the second Sunday of the month (Check their Facebook page for the most current schedule).
• Admission: Free (Donations appreciated).