Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-03-04
THE NEW SCHOOL HOUSE.

some architectural elegance. For town OF
the thrift, wealth and population it possesses,
it has been greatly deficient in the effects,
which an accomplished architect so well
knows how to give, without much increase of
expenditure. We have a few really good,
substantial private cdifces, not costly nor or
namental, but solid, harmonious, and having
the great beauty of propricty and congruity.
But our public buildings, if we except the
Court House, have been wanting in anything
to claim notice, much less admiration But
we are beginning to learn the amenities Of ar
chtecture, to find out that well constructed
building, graceful in its proportions and reg
ular and pure in It's style. is better than an
edifce, that is destitute Of proportion or
style. 1t takes no more cloth to make a
{ handsome garment than a plain one. 1t is
often no more expensive TO be elegantly dress
ed than to be poorly equipped And taiors
and architects have great deal to do with
the comfort and happiness Of this life. If
poor tailor cuts up our beautiful French
broad cloth into an angular, shabby coat, you
are made miserable for a whole year, you
cannot take it down from its peg, or have
look at yourself in the glass, or be invited
to wedding or be obliged to go into gem
teel society, without muttercd execration
against the tailor, and wishing yourself in
some warm place if over he has the privilege
Of putting shears to your cloth another time.
I .. IL q.
life to be obliged to be ashamed of himself
every time he puts on his dress. However
there are good many other miseries, which
our nature has to 90 through To have
fine roast blackened and cndered on the spit,
TO have the first green peas of the season
spoiled in the boiling, to find that the lady
you are feeling peculiar tenderness for, uses
just little paint to 60 a mile TO hear a
favorito parson on Sunday and find some
tract colporteur in the pulpit to pay quar-
ter to hear splendid opera, and have to
listen to the tortured shriokings Of caigut
by an extemporo player or to buy new
book upon puff extraordinary, and find it
nothing but trash these are among the mis-
cries Of life
But there is another greater still. It is to
spend from a thousand to ten thousand dol
lars for house and then have to apologize
{ for the architect to your friends, or find your
{ pride and your self-re~pcct and your vanity
and your heart. sinking way down below zero.
whenever you lool, at it, That worse than
to send home Brobdignag Marowfats" ask
your friends to dinner and learn when too
. late. that the " cook had spoiled the broth.
A good architect has then very much to do
with the beauty of our villages and the com
fort Of our souls lie can make or mar our
houses and our enjoyment He is one Of the
greatest sources of happiness or misery,
And we are happy to say that our new
School House is building, in its architect
ture and its finish, that no citizen can be
3 ashamed Of 1t is a building to which we
can take our friends with confidence and self
respect. There is nothing extrayagant in its
dimensions, style or furniture, but it is Of
the best proportions. of unsurpassed proprie-
ty and harmony in all its parts and as
whole From the furnaces to the roof-tree
, every citizen may be proud Of it. and Of the
architect and builders. 1t has an elevation
, of four stories. with granite basement, and
{ brick superstructure, cast iron caps, and pede-
ments, finely relieved cornices, and projecting
, centre IL is one hundred feet in length by
, ftty in width The basement contains two
+ separate playrooms or gymnasa, beside the
furnaces On the first floor there is a spa
cious hall with a very handsome ellipitical
entrance from it into the hall of the main
; building. On this floor there are four large
school rooms, capable of accommodating sixty
scholars each The finish is very neat, with
granting. The furniture is modern, chairs
and desks, with elevated platforms for
, the teachers. The second floor has four
Academy These can be thrown into one by
folding doors. On this floor there is libra
ry and apparatus room, accessible and COM
modious. Speaking tubes run from the
school rooms to the library The upper floor
is spacious hall, of the entire size of the
, building. From the windows can be obtain
ed the finest viows in town. You can look
up the Branch to the Worcester mountain,
and off upon the "heaven kissing peaks of
Mansfield. Camel's Hump, and others of the
Green Mountain range. 1t is one of the fin
est rooms in the State, for purposes Of public
exhibition connected with schools. We adj
mire this building, and it reflects great credit
upon the enterprise, public spirit and liberal
ity of our town, upon the skill and workman
ship of Mr. Trow, its chief builder and his
assistants and upon theenergy and industry,
and taste Of the committee.
But now that we have the building. what
shall we do with III Shall it not be devoted
with the liberaiy and comprehensiyoness
that projected it, to the purposes for which
it was built, in their best and highest charac-
ter All these facilities for education need
for their successful use, their best practical
application, a man at the head, not one
who makes teaching a steppng-stone to
a profession, nor yet one who has a
care for no interests but his own nor
one who is vain and vulgar and pedan-
tic; but one who is scholar, gentleman,