Gill St. Bernard's School

The Gill School was established by Miss Elizabeth Gill in 1934 as the Wychwood School. Her educational philosophy was based on the value of the individual and she sought, through small classes and direct teacher-student relationships, to establish a "rich school experience" for the pupils. The physical development of the individual was encouraged, with at least two hours each day spent out-of-doors. The first graduating class consisted of three students. Three years later, the school moved to Mendham and changed its name to Miss Gill's School in the Mendham Hills. The physical facility was only rented, however, and in 1940 Miss Gill's School purchased Stronghold, the former Dryden estate on Bernardsville mountain. The building was dedicated by the spiritual advisor of the Gill School - Rev. Thomas A. Conover, who was also rector of St. Bernard's School. In the early 1940s, a coeducational middle school was added to the all-girls boarding high school. In 1956, boarding was discontinued.