Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-02-08
A DESCRIPTION OF THE REFORM
FARM AND SCHOOL

ment OF much general interest. IL Is
clear. foreible and business ike document
and as its importance seems to invite to tree
use in copying. for the benefit of our read
ers we Weld to this impulse to copy the
opening article
The Reform School is located up
on a farm of I,l7O acres, six miles
soutb of Lancaster, Fairfield county,
Ohio. The farm is situated on what
are called the Shocking Hills, ,''beiDg
about six hundred feet above the
level of the Hooking Valley. The
climate at this elevation is delight
full, and healthful, and the scenery
and surroundings are beautiful. The
soil is thin and unproductivs, being
composed of clay and sand, and un-
derlaid at a depth of from two to
eight feet with sand rock The tim
Der consists mostly of small growth
of pine, oak, and chestnut. About
one-forth of the farm is sufficiently
level to admit of cultivation with
the pillow, the balance being compos-
ed of slopes and raviues, part Of
which may some time be prnftably
converted into vineyards. There are
now about four hundred acres of
land cleared, the balance being set
with thick growth of underbrush
and small timber. The farm seems
to he very well adapted to the
growth of many kinds of fruit, es
peeiaIiy the peach. In consequence
of the pure, dry atmosphere, grapes
of superior quality can also be pro
duced. The orchards, including the
VINEYARDS and small fruits, now COW
er about one hundred and fifty acres,
the remainder of the cleared portion
being devoted to gardening, the rails
ing of farm products, and pasturage.
Fruit-growing, gardening, and the
raising of nursery trees,if not always
remunerative pecuniarly, have been
found very profitable employments
for the elevation of wayward boys.
Shop labor is carried on sufficient
lv to manufacture the shoes and
clothing for the institution ;also, to do
the blacksmithing and carpenter
work needed. A large class is now
employed in cane seating chairs; also
few boys work at brush-making. A
shop for the manufacture of hames
has been established, and employs
about thirty boys.
The buildings are located near the
southern line OF the farm, and includ-
ing yards, lawns, and play grounds,
occupy twenty acres of ground. The
lawns are tastefully laid out and or
namented with evergreens, shrubs,
and flowers.
The buildings include one main
building, nine family buildings, a
chapel building, four shop buildings,
two large grain and hay barns, two
horse and carriage barns, a wood
house, a bake-shop, lookup, wash
house, gas-house, ,ice-house, ,dry-house
engine house, courthouse, water-tow-
er, an extensive piggery, together
with several out-huildings. The
main building is I61 feet long, with
front projection of 60 feet square,
and 40 feet width of wing, and is
three stories high above the base
ment. In the basement are three
furnace-rooms, a store.room, and sew
eral capacious cellar-rooms. On the
first floor are the Office, reception
room, parlor, eight dining-rooms,
pantries, halls, etc.
On the second floor are Acting
Commissioners family rooms, ,parlor,
private office, two store-rooms, hos
pital, rooms for Principal, and four
guest-rooms.
On the third floor are the reading
and library rooms, one large store
room, and rooms for teachers and
employees.
The church building is a fine struc.
ture, 81 feet in length by 90 in width,
and will comfortably seat eight hun
dred boys.
Four of the family buildings are
81 feet long by 85 wide, with front
projection of 80 by l6 feet, and are
three stories high above the base
ment. The basement contains a
furnsce-room, tank-room, and large
wash-room, which is also used for a
play-room in stormy weather. On
the first floor are two rooms for the
Elder Brother and his family and a
large school-room. The school room
is also used as boys sitting-room,
and for evening and devotional ex
ercises.
The second story contains a boys
dormitory, room for the Assistant
Elder Brother, room for the bows
Sunday clothing, and a night-closet.
The third story is used entirely for
dormitory purposes.
The remaining five family build
ings are like the four, with the ex-
ception of being only two stories
high above the basement. All of
these buildings are plain, but neatly
finished and furnished, and make a
very pleasant and comfortable home
for family of fifty boys.
The shop buildings are all capa-
clOus, the largest being 12O feet long
by 40 IN width, and two stories high
above the basement. The basement
makes a large and. convenient room
for detailing purposes. Each of the
upper stories is divided into two
rooms, with hall between.
The water-tower is an octagonal
structure of very solid masonry, Sc
feet high by "a feet in diameter. On
the top of the tower is an iron tank,
with capacity of 1000 barrels, from
which distributing pipes conduct the
water to the buildings where needed.
Connected with the main pipes are
fre-plugs, to which hose can be at
tached in case of fire. The tank is
supplied with water from the arte-
sian well by the aid of an engine.
The first ten boys were received
into the Institution from the Cinein-
natl house of refuge, January 80,
1858. Since that date two thousand
SIX hundred and forty boys have
been received, of which number five
hundred and fifty now remain. The
boys are classed in families, and are