Norma
About
By the beginning of the twentieth century, Alliance had grown into three distinct communities: Alliance, Brotmanville, and Norma. Norma distinguished itself as a unique community by 1890. Though the geographic locations remained close, each grew into a unique community. The maps below show the areas in the early part of the twentieth century:
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“Norma, section A, is focused around Almond Road, running from the Maurice River westward, and Gershal Avenue, the central avenue that connects all three villages. Alliance, section B, extends along Gershal from Schiff Avenue to Garden Road; toward the river is Alliance Cemetery, venerated ground since the start of the colony. Brotmanville, section C, was the most industrial village, reliant on garment work and related industries; it hugged Gershal and Steinfeld Avenue.”1
In time, the community grew to include the Norma Athletic Association, the Norma Grade School, a volunteer fire company, the Ahavas Achim Synagogue, the Allivine Canning Company, and more.
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In September of 1926, Norma was wired for electricity and in 1928, it became the first town in Pittsgrove Township to use streetlights. 2
For more information on the community activities of Norma see the following pages: Norma School, Baseball, the Maurice River, and Featured Collections.
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Sources:
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1. Tom Kinsella, Growing American: The Alliance Agricultural Colony in South Jersey-A History (Galloway, NJ: South Jersey Culture and History Center, 2021), 49.
2. Kinsella, Growing American, 8.
Norma Yearbook, 1933-34. Bernard Kirschner.