The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-12-27
GORHAM.
Dedication of the New Normal School.
Addresses by Gov. Conner, Col. Fred
eric Robbie, Rev. DIR. George u.
Spaulding, of Dover, N. III.
A Gala Day for the Village.

Yesterday was gala day in the history of
| Gorham, day to be recorded with pride in the
annals of the town. A bright sun, clear sky
and crisp atmosphere lent their attractions to
the occasion, and the gathering of distinguish
ed men from different parts of Maine showed
| the importance of the dedication of the new
| Normal School was not confined to any one
section, but was appreciated throughout the
| State at large.
| The train which left Portland at 8 a. m. con-
sisted OF two passenger cars, crowded, and yet
room was found for several more who got aboard
| at the stations between this city and Gorham.
Among those present we noticed Mayor Butler
and several members of the City Government;
President A. Little of the trustees of the State
Reform School; the members OF the Portland
School Committee, except Rev. DR.. Hill and
Q. f. Libby, ESQ.,; President Robbie of the trus-
| tees of Gorham Seminary; Messrs. Corthel Of
Calais-the newly elected Principal of the
Schools. Libby, Orono, j. W. Dresser, Cas-
tine, s. I. Pullep, Portland, W. 81. Stevens.
New Portland, and David Ell Knowlton, Far.
mingtop, trustees of State Normal Schools; G.
7. Fletcher, principal Castine Normsl School;
A. M. Jones of Lewiston; Miss Deering of
Portland, who is to bs the female assistant
principal OF the school, daughter of Rufus Deer.
ing of this city; President Wescott and Super
intendent LINT of the Rochester Railroad: Mr.
Fassett, the architect of the building; Mr.
Joshua Moore, Bddeford; COL Fred. N. Dow:
Capt. j. S. Winslow, Lewis Pierce, ESQ.,, Mark
T. Emery, Esq, Senators Moody and Ferguson
of York, Col John M. Adams, Deering; the
members Of the school committees of the neigh
boring towns, and teachers from the Portland
schools At the junction Governor Conner
joined the party, accompanied bJ Messrs. G. E.
Jose of this city, and Lacy of Wiscasset, of the
Executive Council, Hon. W. Fl. Vinton of
Gray, late President of the Senate, and Prof,
8. j. Young, treasurer OF Bowdoin College.
Gorham village was reached at $40 a. NJ. and
the town was discovered prettiIy decorated in
honor of the occasion. Ridlon's and Harding's
halls, together with the Town Hall, Judge Wa
terman's office, Mr.. L.wis McLellan's house,
and the school were gaily festooned with bunt-
ing. Numbers of the citizens assembled at the
station to welcome their guests and escort them
to the superb school building, which stands on |
an eminence but a short distance from the Con-
gregational church, from whence it commands |
fine view of the surrounding country.
THE SCHOOL BUILDING
The style of the building is modern Gothic. |
The entire editce rests on solid LEDGE The |
foundations are two feet thick, and laid 10 c. |
ment mortar. The underpinning, outside |
steps, aud buttresses are of granite. All of the |
exterior walls and main partitions are of brick,
fourteen inches in thickness The outside
n ha lie Sc &c
All the window and door trimmings, belt and
string courses are of Nova Scotia freestone, the
canopy over the front entrance is all ffeestone,
projecting two feet from the face of the wall,
and supported by freestone columns with elat-
orately carved capitals
On the front of the building there is a tower
l4x16 feet, surmounted by a pyramidal roof,
ornamentsd with iron cresting and copper
vane. The entire height of the tower is 80 feet.
On each side of the main building there is a
pavilion, each 1924 feet 10 size and 70 feet high
surrounded by pyramidal roofs and iron crest
Ing. All the c0rnices and towers are of galyan-
ICED irop, that on the main building being |
bracketed and quite elaborate in detail The
roofs are high, having pitch of 45o, and are
slated and finished with an ornamental iron
cresting.
The general ground plan of the build
ing IS IN the form OF cross the vesti- |
bule aud dressing rooms forming the
head, the main building making the two
arms, and two model school rooms the foot |
The principal entrance opens into vestibule
35xl9 feet, In which are two fights of Wild
stairs, leading to the second aud third stories |
On the right and left CT the vestibule are the
dressing rooms, each 10x19 feet. From the ves-
tlbule there is corridor 10 feet wide running |
through the main building, and communicating |
with the entrances to the model schoolrooms
On the right of the corridor is q classroom 24x |
q feet, and a laboratory also 24x27 feet. On |
the left of the corridor are three class rooms, |
one 1884 feet, the other two 15x27 feet each.
All can be thrown into one room by sliding
partitions.
Each of the model school rooms is 22x26 feet,
and the two are divided by glazed partition
arranged so as to throw them into one when |
occasion requires Each has a separate outside |
entrance opening into corridor 8 feet wide, |
running at right angles to the main corridor |
and connecting with it thereby. giving three
spacious entrances to the building on the |
ground floor.
The second floor contains q staircase hall |
33x17 feet, the main hall and school-room 4Sx70 |
feet In the rear, over the model school-room, |
is classroom 34x22 feet, teachers room 17x22 |
feet, library 17x22 feet
The first floor is IL feet high 10 the clear,
the second 16 feet.
In the basement are located the steam boiler !
cisterns, water tanks aud water closets. The |
third story is unfinished.
All the interior finish is of Michigan pine, |
oiled and vanished. The floors throughout are
Georgia pine.
The whole building is thoroughly heated by
steam.
The building committee were Col Frederic
Robbie, D. c. Emery, j. A. Waterman, S.
Hinckley, R. G. Hardiug, G. W. Lowell, G. B
Emery, Lewis Mcclellan, j. Redlou, M. Irish,
Col. H. Cousins, X. Eastman, Gardiner Park.
er and Soloman Cloudman.
OBLIGATORY EXEhcIsEs.
At 1920 a. M, the dedicatory exercises took
place at the Congregational church, which was
crowded with villagers and strangers. At least
a thousand people were present The platform
was occupied by Gov. Conner, President Robbie !
of the Board of Trustees Rev. Messrs. Hun
tl0gt0n ana OOlDYs IHe SacrFu eQluco was /
prettily decorated for the holiday service. The
church was festooned with evergreen, large |
and beautiful bell depending from the centre
of the arch above the reading desk, and hand
some cross standing upon the communion table
Wreaths and crosses decorated the sides of thu
room and in font of the choir gallery was the
legend in evergreen, "The Prince of Peace"
After an organ voluntary by Kotzschmar,
Stevens "Te Deum'' was sung by the Firs,
Parish choir of this city, composed of Misses
Milllken and Dodwell, Messrs. Thurston and
Shaw. The following prayer was then offered
by Rsv Mr.. Huntington, pastor of the church. |
THE PRAYER.
Our Father UhO art in Heacen, let us come to thee |
this morning with desire magnify and bless thy |
Holy Name Let all the joys and privileges of this |
day be SO received by US that we shall honor thee |
and souls shall be blessed. We thank thee |
our Father for al the educational privileges tba,
have blessed us in the days gone by. We thank |
thee for the institution that preceded this one Just
erected for all that it has done in the past for our
md apdt I,oti 10 to a 1