National Republican., 1883-08-24
NEW SCHOOLS NAMED.
Twining, Morse, and Brent the Designations
Selected by tho Commissioners.
Sketches OF the Distinguished Persons for
Whom the Buildings are Named.

The district commissioners yesterday at
their meeting deliberatcd upon the recon-.
mendation of the school board as to the names
of the three new school buildings recently
commenced The school board, which has
heretofore named all the school buildings,
laid before the commissioners the names oil
Longfcllow, Bryant and Cooper as the most
appropriate designations for these schools
The commissioners decided that the naming
of the schools was their peculiar province,
and that the school board had nothing To do
with tho matter of nomenclature. They
therefore disrcgardcd the recommendation OF
the board and selected names of their own.
The building ON Third street northwest
between NJ and n, was named the "TwininY
building" in compliment to the memory Sf
the late Mai. William j. Twinng, the M
gineer commissioner of the district from Jyhe,
1878 to May 3, 1889. Maj. Twining favored
public school education, and the designation
is considered especially appropriate thyrofor.
He was moreover earnestly devoted no the
interests of the district and to his efforts,
moro perhaps than to any other pers9h's was,
due the legislation providing for an Increased
water supply and for the improvement of the
Potomac flats.
The building on Il street, betgeen Third
and Fourth northwest, was nameh the Morse
building" in honor of Prof. samuel Finley
Brecse Morse the artist, trafelo', investi-
gator, and inventor. Prof Morse is identified
with the magnetic telegraph to such an ex-
tent that his artistic abilities and learning
have gradually grown dim in the memory
and the knowledge of most people. He re-
sided in this city for manyJycars. Here were
his experiments in telcgraphy successfully
applied to practical use. and here were spent
perhaps his best days. 1t was during his
residence here that congress, ON March 3,
1Si3, appropriated $4,000 to permit him to
pursue his experiments in magnetic teleg-
raphy. aud afterward on March 3, 1915. that
another appropriation was made of $1,000 to
be expended undet tho supervision of the
postmaster general, to keep in order and re-
pair the government telegraphic line between
Washington and Baltimore.
The building at Third and ID streets south
east is named the Brent building, after Hon
Robert Brent, tho first mayor of Wash ington,
whose term of ioiiice-from 1902 to 1sll-was
continuously ionger than that Of any other IlI,
incumbent Of that office except Hon. Will
lam w. Seaton. This is an especially appro-
pirate naming Mr.. Brent was prominent
representative of one of the Oldest and most
prominent families in this section of the
country, whose high character marked
abilities, and progressive spirit reflect
luster upon Maryland and Virginia
both as colonies and states. Mr.
Brent was very earnestly in favor of intro
ducing q wise and thorough system of public
school education in this section, and was
perhaps the ablest and most earnest coadjutor
of Jefferson in his educational schemes, Mr.
Brent drew up the plan of public school
system for the district which, in most of it,
features, was fully equal to the excellent ont
in operation at present. He was, however, in
advance of his age, and, with all his abilities
and efforts, failed to secure its adoption. Tho
designation of this building after him is
therefore, q meritcd and graceful, though
tardy, recognition of his services in behalf o
the most distinctively national of American
institutions, the pubic schools
While many people regret that the schools
were not honored at least to the extent oi
designating two of them as the "Longfellow'
and the Bryant" yet tho commissioner:
have applied especi ally appropriate and salts
factory names. Morse's name will live a
dong as the telegraph Twiningwll be crate
fully remembered for many years as an ar
dent friend of th.. district, while Brent wa
the earliest, and though unsuccessful, tn
ablest pioneer save Jefferson of univcrsa
education in all the Chesapeake country.