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Why Is It Called Haddonfield Memorial High School? The 1926 Building Dedicated to World War I Service

The "Memorial" in HMHS is literal. Here's the story behind the 1926 brick building on Kings Highway, on Veterans Day.

By Live Haddonfield ยท

You've driven past it a thousand times. But the "Memorial" in Haddonfield Memorial High School isn't decoration. The brick building at 401 Kings Highway East went up in 1926 as Haddonfield's World War I memorial, and on Veterans Day, in the school's 100th year, it's worth a slower look.

What the marker says

Out front on Kings Highway, a marker spells it out. The school was "erected 1926 by the citizens of Haddonfield for the education of its youth" and dedicated to the men and women of the town who "by service or sacrifice aided the cause of their country" in the World War of 1917 to 1918, per its transcription on the Historical Marker Database.

Clio and Wikipedia both date the dedication ceremonies to October 1927. Clio says the memorial was unveiled by Commander Harry C. Bossart of Haddonfield's American Legion post.

The building itself

The World War I Centennial Commission calls it an "elegant brick Georgian Revival school," and that's the right read. Think symmetry, red brick, white trim and classical details.

Philadelphia Architects and Buildings credits the design to Simon and Simon, a Philadelphia firm, citing a May 1926 issue of the Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide.

Wikipedia describes the original building, now the "A" building, as rectangular with an inner courtyard framed by three classical arches. It still holds the auditorium and the smaller gym.

The memorial bench out front

The memorial was planned in two parts, according to the Centennial Commission, which adapted its account from the Historical Society of Haddonfield's 1963 book "This is Haddonfield." The school was one part. The other is the granite bench at the west end of the building, with stone bollards on each side and a bronze plaque carrying an honor roll and the Great Seal of the United States.

Next time you're walking Kings Highway, stop and read it.

How the campus grew

Clio lays out the timeline:

  • 1926: the original building, now "A." Clio says the site was once the Middleton estate, where Hessian troops camped in 1777.
  • New Deal era: the stadium, a Works Progress Administration project, dedicated to HMHS lettermen who died in World War II.
  • 1955: the "B" building. An annex honors longtime principal and superintendent William "Bull" Reynolds.
  • 1972: the third building, with the library and more classrooms.

Clio points out that you can see the change in national taste just by walking from one building to the next.

Still changing at 100

The original building's auditorium, about 900 seats, is being renovated under the district's referendum work. The student paper, The Bulldawg Bulletin, reported on Nov. 10 that it's projected to be done by Dec. 1, 2026. We covered the rest of the school projects in our construction update, and the centennial party is the Rally in the Alley on Nov. 21.

Sources

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FAQ

Why is it called Haddonfield Memorial High School?
The 1926 building was dedicated as a memorial to the Haddonfield men and women who served or sacrificed in World War I, per the marker on Kings Highway.
When was HMHS dedicated?
Dedication ceremonies were held in October 1927, according to Clio and Wikipedia.
Who designed the original building?
Philadelphia Architects and Buildings credits the Philadelphia firm Simon and Simon, citing a May 1926 trade journal.