Litchfield enquirer., 1877-01-04
HAMPTON, VA, Dec. 25th, 1876.

HAMPTON, VA, Dec. 25th, 1876.
 MIR. ED1roR.-The Normal and Agricul- tural Institute next claims our attention. The school is situated on tho east side of Hampton Greek, about half mile from the village, on an estate of about two hundred acres. We will take Academic Hall as central point from which to de- scribe the situation of the various build- ings connected with the school. This large building which stands within eight rods of the waters edge, was erected in 1870, at cost of SIS, ,000. and is divided into recitation rooms, sitting room, read ing room, bed and bath rooms, with the offices of the Principal and Treasurer in the two front rooms on the fret floor. It also contains a large. swell furnished library, in which are many valuable vol. umes relative to missionary work. About 20 rods northwest of Academic Hall are the residences of the, Principal. Treasu Ter and Engineer.
 A short distance from these is Virginia Hall, a building one hundred and ninety feet front by forty feet in width. with a chapel large enough to seat four hundred persons. in which services are held on Sum- day mornings, conducted by Rev. Mir. Tol- man, a very able preacher. The evening devotions of the school are also held in it, conducted by Gen. s: O. Armstrong. the principal ,'and in his absence by Miss Harold, the Matron. It also contains an industrial room where the girls are in- structed in the art of sewingin all it's branches; dining room capable of ac-. commodating about two hundred and seventy five boarders a laundry in which the girls are taught the rndiments of fine washing; spacious kitchen, and sleeping room for one hundred and twelve girls. and twelve teachers. In the basement are the engine room (the whole building is heated by steam), blacksmith. machine and carpenter shops, and the printing office. In the latter are printed the American Missionary with an edition of 25.000 copies. the Southern Work man" another eight-page paper, with a circulation of about 1,50O, Sunday school paper and much job work. It is 8 very pleasant office to work in, with wa ter scenery visible from the west window, and good view of the National Soldiers Home, from the east windows. The in- dustrial room is directly over. The young ladiesssing as they work ,and we are treated to some very fine music. They invario- bly, have good voices, and although they may be unconscious of the sweetness and naturalness of their music, we can appre- ciate it, for it does much to break the monotony of our quiet working hours, and we shall always remember 1t with grstl- tude.
 To the northeast, east and southeast of Academic Hall, are the Senior cottage, and the ."Middler" cottage, buildings which accommodate thirty students each; the Maple cottage, with room for eighteen boys; and Lexington cottage, the resi- dence of the matron of the industrial room. In the basement of the Senior co,- tage is broom factory, where the trade of broom making is taught to some of the students. They use sulphur to bleach the straw with, and the smoke and sul- phurous odor penetrate every room in the whole building, making the air in the rooms not only disagreeable, but decided ly unhealthy. This factory certainly ought to be removed. In the basement of the s'Middler" cottage is dye room, where the dyers' art is taught to limited num- Der of students. Back about twenty rods from the Senior cottage is the farm house and barn. The farm is rich one, on which are raised potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, and many other vegetables i; broom corn is also raised. There are two large orchards on the place-about three hundred peach trees and large number of apple and pear trees. To the north of the farm house is the Butler school house, erected by Gen. Butler about the close of the war, as school house for the col- ored people, but which has since been purchased by the American Missionary Board for county school house. It is a large cruciform building, looking more like great hospital than anything else, and is suggestive of the man by whom it was erected. The school is in charge of Miss Eunice Dixon, assisted by three graduates from the Normal school.
 Next time I will give you a short sketch of the rules that govern the stu dents. the various societies, and the school discipline. r. G. c. R.