Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1872-12-13
The st. Johnsbury Academy.

education is manifestly increasing among the
people Of Vermont, as we'll as a conviction
that we have allowed ourselves TO fall some-
what behind the vanguard of progress in
this respect and although that popular in.
terest is directed properly and chiefly toward
the improvement Of our free schools, it is by
no means Indifferent to the welfare of our
academies and colleges.
st. Johnsbury Is happy above most towns
in having wealthy citizens who hold the pos
session of great sums of money simply as a
trusteeship for the good of mankind. More
simply stated, our richest men are practical
christians. Among them the Oldest and
most honored is the venerable and ingenious
mechanician from whose prolific mind sprang
most of those inventions upon which the great
industry Of the place is founded, -Thaddeus
Fairbanks.
Like Peter Cooper and other noted men
of the same class, Mr.. Fairbanks appreciates
deeply the Importance Of afordiag to ambi-
tious youth of limited means the fullest pos
sible facilities for self.culture. Born when
there were practically no such facilities at
tainable, these men Of warm hearts and fer
tile intellects, who struggled upward through
numberless difficulties, have felt strongly
moved to smooth, as far as possible that
rugged path for those who come after them.
1t is not our intention here to eulogize such
men. 1t is emphatically true that their
works praise them" and if we honor them,
and say SO, it is but the spontaneous express
sion of a natural feeling, with the full knowl-
edge that 1t is not the honor Of men which
they seek.
1t is impossible to conduct good school
Of any kind without suitable facilities in the
way of buildings rightly adapted to the pur-
poses of education, This is the first need,
and this is the need which Mr.. Fairbanks, in
assuming the function of beuefsctor to our
academy, has sought first to supply. He
therefore began the work by the erection of
large, handsome, we'll built house for the
accommodation Of that large class OF students
which come from out of town. This build
ing, which cost upwards Of $4,000, is of
brick, four stories in height, and contains
sixty rooms. 1t is divided through the CEN
ter from top to bottom by wall separating
the section occupied by male, from that ten
anted by the female, pupils. A suite OF these
rooms is occupied by the principal, and 9TH
ers are assigned to assistant teachers, so that
each section is under proper supervision.
The remaining apartments are sufficient for
the occupancy Of ninety pupils. The rooms
for pupils are each furnished with parlOr cook
stove, bedstead and mattress, bureau, table
and chairs, and aqueduct water is accessible
on each Aoor. Tho rooms are also arranged
to be lighted with gas. They are OF good
size, the stairs and passages are broad and
well ventilated, and the whole building is
plainly but handsomely finished with brown
ash and butternut, oiled. These rooms are
let at 10 cents q week, each accommodating
two occupants Meals are not provided, but
students can board themselves, or take table
board at the academy boarding house, or
elsewhere, as they prefer. The latter estab-
lishment, which Is in the immediate vicinity,
accommodates about thirty students with full
board. Apartments in the building describ-
ed, known as South Hall) are now used as
class-rooms, vending the completion of the
academy building proper.
This latter edifce, which will cost about
$4,000 is now nearly completed externally,
but will not be entirely finished until some
time next summer. 1t is somewhat in the
style of French chateau, INTELLECTUALLY
with towers, pinnacles, and a slated Mansard
roof a The basement is of handsome light
granite from the Lake Memphremagog quar-
ries, and the superstructure of brick, with door
and window caps Of iron, sanded in imitation
of stone. Its principal tower, which contains
several rooms and bclvedere, is sarmounted
by short spire, tipped with gilded weather
vane. There are two principal entrances,
through towers which stand at either corner
of the front that on the southwest for male
students, that on the northwest for the young
ladies'. In the main passage on each side
are alcoves for outer clothing, &c. On the
first floor are the principals Office, three spa.
cious recitation rooms, and the chemical
labratory and lecture room; tho latter to be
furnished with cases for philosophical appa'
ratus, chronological aud mineral collections
&c.
The second floor reached by roomy stair
cases from either side has an assembly room
go by AZ, and two recitation rooms. The
former will be used for the opening exercises
of the school, and for study room for out.
of.town students arriving on the morning
trains, of which the number is now consider
able and increasing.
On the third floor is a large hall about II
by 81, to be used on public occasions, and fol
lectures. The hall has an arched ceiling
supported by trusses, and will be very
handsome room, we'll adapted to the purposes
for which it is designed. In the towers, il
this story, are two rooms not specially ap
propriated
The basement is lofty, giving room for d
large gymnasium, eighteen feet in height
In front, this basement is divided into tive
floors, and in this portion is situated thu
steam heating apparatus, janitor's room, &c,
&c. The whole building will be supplied
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