When the state closed the school, it was replaced with a mental institution at a time when such facilities began to flourish thanks to increased media attention to mental illness. The mental institution closed in 1993.
When I was a teenager living in South Jersey, I was totally unaware of Bordentown’s history, and knew it only as a threat. By that time, Bordentown had become a facility for the incarceration of juvenile delinquents, and its habitable buildings are still used for this purpose.
One of the beauties of A Place Out of Time – The Bordentown School is its many photographs and film clips illustrating the school’s history. Boys in military uniform and girls in beautiful, flowing, white gowns fill the screen, as well as numerous shots detailing the industrial training that was offered.
Men and women who graduated 55 years ago, share their memories of the school and its importance in their lives. Historians discuss the politics and race relations throughout the years the school was in operation. There is a wealth of information on the school’s founder and principals, as well as on similar schools such as the Tuskegee Institute.
A Place Out of Time – The Bordentown School is a warm remembrance of a school that demanded much of its students, and provided opportunities they would not have had. It is narrated by Ruby Dee, and includes no extra features.
Article comments