Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-04-08
LOCAL NEW


New Worcester School House. No. 2.
Messrs. Editors In the Daily Spy of March
10TH published an article upon this subject, and
respectfully ask leave to be heard again.
There has been, and is, at the present time, a
determined effort in progress, by small majority
of the inhabitants of the district, to procure the
removal of the school house from the old lot, at
all hazards, for the sole purpose of enhancing the
value of their own individual estates-whie a
large majority of the inhabitants of the district
contend that they are better accommodated by
having the school house where it now stands.
than they could be in any other locality. Thus,
for want of concerted united action, the district
has failed to obtain Of the city what they are just
y entitled to, and what they are suffering for the
want Ola respectable, decent and suitable
school house, for the education of their children
But the time seems to be at hand when there will
be decisive action taken upon the question by
the City Government
complete set of highly finished designs for a
building of the first class, both for architectural
appearances and the most approved school room
arrangements meeting all requirements of the
schools, including a commOdious hall for their
puohc examinations, exhibitions, &c. has been
procured and rendered to the City Government,
to be used free of charge and the liberal sum of
one thousand and 6fty-two dollars, land more,
If necessary" has been subscribed by inhabitants
of the district and other citizens, as a contrIbu-
ton toward deraying the expenses of erecting the
building. The conditions of this subscription
are =" That the city shall proceed forthwith to
erect the building, and thatit shall be placed upon
the old lot, or one equally accessible, and as
venient foI all in the district and tina, the hall
shall be upon the secund floor of the building, and
be accessible 20 the district for the purpose OF
holding public meetings, Sabbath schools, &c"
A plan OF this lot also accompanies those of the
building, showing the exact area which is avaa
BILE for the school house lot position of proposed
building upon it, &c. The lot is of ample size
for the building and inclosed play grounds has
293 feet of front line or street boundary. and is
perfectly accessible at any point upon this line.
There is, also, counter proposition before the
City Government, which is presented by only ts0o
individuals of the district This proposition is to
exchange lot which is located upon Webstet
street, which is s. by 1873 feet in szethe IS feee
being the front line, or street boundary, and tn
only line of access to the lotkis. for a portion o
the old lot, which is to be ceded to them by the
city, for the purpose of annexing it to their ad.
joining estate, by the city, paying the sum of two
hundred dollars as difference of valuations, with
the annexed condition, that the city shall appro-
PIRATE the remainder of the old lot to the purpose
ofa public square, to be perpetually supported as
such by the city. The sum Of two hundred dol
lars is required to obtain the quit claim of only
one OF the heirs Of the donor to whom it reverts
when abandoned for the purposes of a school
mouse lot, leaving the city to satisfy the other
heirs, who have equal claims upon the estate.
Now, the comparative value of these lots to the
city and to the district is very nearly as follows
First, the old lot requires to be graded by cutting
1t down two feet in the centre. The leveed SUR
face, then, would extend to the line of the streets
on each side, and, with the two and half feet of
nnderpnning of the new building, above the sur.
face of the lot, would bring the floor of the new
building upon the same level of the old one, as
it now stands. The gravel thus removed, and
also that to be removed for the basement Of the
building. would be worth to the city at least one
dime per cubic yard, before removed, for it is all
needed to grade the public streets in that imme-
diate vicinity.
Thus. the contribution of the old lot towards
the exDense Of erecting the new building upon it,
IS 9l75 70 for gravel 10 be removed, and sos
that being the accurate estimate for excavation,
which excavation, in this case, is produced by
removing the gravel for other purposes-making
S243 70 To this add the 1862 which is already
subscribed, and which is available to the city,
only on this lot, and we have credit of Sl295 70
The surface Of the lot which is offered
in exchange for the old one, is about thraee :
feet lower than the street in trout OF lind re-
CURES to be raised, by filling, at last three feet
before i will be suitable TO bulb upon, or for a
school-house yard, which vii cost the city, for
sls s earning, ana graaKg S439 amount to be
paid by the city for &change, $500; extra ex-
peuse OF buldlpsffnne basement above ground, to
e. lefable elevation as it would have below
G1rface of the other lot, $500, or more extra
expense of gaining access to the first floor above
the basement, or furnace and play rooms, 500
expense of fencing the public square, as well it
would be done for the school-house loi, gl25-
making aggregate of 1929, as the actual cost
Of this lot to the city, above land exchanged
thus making difference in the expense to the
City, Of erecting the same building, of S2659 40
in favor Of the old lot, to say nothing
of the great advantage to the district, of
having their school,roons upon the first and
second floors above the ground, rather than the
second and third, and their hall, if they are to
have one, upon the second, rather than the third
floor, which advantage they cannot have upon the
new lot.