Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-04-16
BETTER THAN RUBIEs ,.
'uoee cony's Princely Legacy to thu
Oitv Of Augusta.
me New High School eutla,,~ -.
the East Side. w
An EDUCATIONAL PALACE.
"AAen Will be = PsFpetual lQenuue-, q.
Its Noble Founder.

Sailing up the Kennebec within the limit.
OF Augusta. the voyager sees on the east aid.
OF the river an imposing edifice of brick in
half Gothic style of architecture. tits the
new 'Cony High School Building. (" the doors
OF which will soon be thrown wide open to
the public. No other city in the State has
such gem of public school building. Al.
though erected by private nunificence. it will
be as free to the scholars of Augusta "a i,
built with funds from the city treasury. Wha,
vast contrast between this modern educa.
tional palace and the school house by the
cross roads where our fathers pored over
their text books. 1t was not verv long AGO
that
beyond yon struggling fence that skirts the vay
WIN WIN io-somed furze unproftably gay.
There. In his noisy mansion, skilled to rule,
The village master taught his little school,
although there is still no royal road to
know ledge,yet the way has been graded con-
siderably, and there are more helps over the
hard places than there used to be-
Gin CATHOLIC SPIRIT"
Years ago. so far back that the ssol1es. in
habitant' does not remember it, when the
present centurywas mere youth, Judge Dan
lei COny erected at his own expense building
on the northeast corner of what are now
Bangor and Cony streets. When the
carpenters had driven the last nail the
Judge sat down and addressed letter to
Hon. Samuel s. Wilde. one of the Justices
| of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachu-
sets, and other dignitaries in Augusta and
other places, conveying to them deed of the
building and premises which were to be used
as seminary for the instruction and i'm
provement of our young females" He re-
quested them to ''infuse into its government
and instruction catholic spirit, and chaste.
liberal and ennobling principles" 1t is not
the design of this article to trace the subse-
quent history of the institution. The story
has been better told by ADLER pens. In 1857
the Cony Female Academy practically ceased
to be. 1t had accomplished the great object
for which its founder established it. The dav
of academic education for one sex had passed.
The funds belonging to the trust, however,
had always been wisely managed by tie late
Ruel Williams and his son, Governor Joseph
II. Williams, and had constantly increased.
Various plans were suggested in which they
could be so used as to carry out the trust and
perpetuate the memory Of the founder of the
Academy. Many proposed that the trustees
endow scholarships in Bowdoin College some
limited that it could properly be given to the
st. Catherine Seminary: but all the plans
thrown out did not embrace the one idea
should be expended sin catholic spirit
On the eth of August. 1873, at a meeting
Of the trustees vote was passed appointing
a committee of two by the president to
building Governor Williams and Joseph H.
Marley, Esq, were appointed upon this
committee. The trustees next met the Mayor
and Aldermen and gave them to understand
that they were about to erect spacious brick
edifce, suitable for free high school, upon
the site of the present building, and would
give free use of it to the city if the city
would maintain a free high school In it for
the benefit of such scholars of the whole city
as might be entitled to attend such school. or
course the Aldermen voted unanimously. and
Mavor Nash concurred and approved their
decision, to accept the generous offer OF the
trustees. The trustees then appointed
committee, consisting of Joseph II. Williams,
william II. Smith and Joseph II. Manley-
three energetic and experienced business
men-u no with characteristic push proceed
cd TO contract with suitable persons to rut up
and finish the beautiful new building which
is now receiving the last touches of the work.
men in all departments, and will soon be
pronounced complete.
A GLIMPSE AT THE BUILDING.
Whom the unsightly mass of timbers,
bricks and debris which always collects around
now building is removed, and the grounds
Graded the Cony Free High school will have
a hotter frame for its beauty 1t is chasfe
am, solid in design and execution both inside
and ont. The first story and basement are
,f brick with stone finish and mnllions TOT
tho windows. The tower is of brick as far
a. tho corbelled cornice. the upper open fea-
.,re be;np of wood. The rear projection
has two stories.
STEPPING INSIDE.
As YOU enter the building you pun ope"
.,,o oreot outside doors, and pass into YES
.;h,le l,x7 feet; thence through PAIR OF
,onhl. doors into a hall l5xl0 feet. From
~. n.,I door leads into the cellar and
another into closet. Up you go SIEVE" s.'p'
more into the main entrance nan 70 ,.
ON the east wall is marble tablet o" winch
il this inscription:
CONY ACADEMY
founded
MDCCCXV
By the
NON DANIEL C"NY
(is52-lSae.,
This Building erected
NnCCCLyNX