The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-05-16
SOME I'D DISTRICT SCHOOL HOUSES.
What 1t Cost to Build Them and How
They Were Built.


A correspondent of the Voice, who writes from
Randallstown, I'd district, and who appears to
be very familiar with the subject he discusses,
has letter in the last issue of that paper throw
ing some light upon the school house property of
that district After referring to the subject of
school-houses generally, he says:
"By the report we are credited with school
house property in this district to the amount
of $24, 900, and if we actually had that amount
properly epent in school-houses we should not
want any more for many years to come, but like
the deficit it is plain that figures have learned to
lie. Why is this false estimate put upon school
property in the different Districts unless it is in
this way to account for the enormous school fund
that had been squandered in the past ten years.
We have in the modern style five school buildings
in this district-four stone and one brick-which,
according to figures from fountain head, cost
about $14, 900, and which can be built to-day for
$4,000. The other houses arewooden structures,
of more humble pretentions, such as our fathers
were fortunate to occupy during their school-boy
days. These latter five, and one colored school
house, would be we'll sold, land and all, at $500
each, which, added to the first five, gives us ST.
600 in school property. If the modern structures
had been built with due regard for the wants of
the people, and proper appreciation of the ma
ture and object of the school fund, we would have
a very different condition to what is shown
in this district. We will notice only two of these
structures at present:
"First, the house at Harrisonvlle was built on
little piece of land where the Liberty turnpike
and the Deer Park road come together at very
acute angle. The land in this ANGLE about one
eighth of an acre apart from the two roads, was
not tllable, owing to its shape and condition, and
was accordingly left outside the farm fence in the
road. No one could have been justified in giving
olxofS for 10 Iof hx,k tla
lie school fund was called upon to pay Mrs. Thos.
Phillips $3.50 for that worthless spot of ground.
Then house was to be erected to accommodate a
school of about 20 pupils in average attendance,
with little prospect of increase. The scool fund
was flush, and the "Grecian Bend" style was
adopted. The house-a stone structure-was
erected some politicians figure in the job, and
there it stands to-day, monument of political
factional compromise. The school-room will ac-
commodate about 40 pupils, and cost the school
fund $4,000. Mr. VIM. NJ. Isaac was then presi-
dent of the school board and had control of the
whole operation. He owns some property very
near by, and possibly thought that some of his
descendants might reap the benefit of this judi
cious outlay. Such house ought to cost about
So, 500.
"The next we will notice is No. 2, called the
Hartley school house. 1t was built under the
late school board, when Mr.. Swift was School
Commissioner for this district. There was an
advertisement for bids to build it by contract,
and the lowest responsible bidder put his figures
at s., 250, to build brick house according to
specifications, with all modern improvements
This bid was considered very reasonable by most
persons, but the bids were all rejected, and
the board undertook to do the work under
its own supervision. Mr.. Swift was not
seen at the building during the work, but in
stead Mr.. VIM. NJ. Isaac had charge of the whole
programme. He first gave the contract for the
stone work, at 1926 perch, which relieved a
little political heartburn. Then he wentto Howard
county and engaged his father at S. day to
superintend the whole work. The father had the
purchasing of lumber and the employing of hands,
and when he spoke to certain carpenters he told
them that he was instructed to give them work
because they had voted for VIM. M. Isaac. When
the house was finished under this supervision,
there were simply four stone-walls, with roof,
side windows, and one door, costing about 81, 500.
Mr.. Phineas Hartley. one of the trustees, was SO
provoked at the proceedings that he went before
the school board and made complaint, setting
forth that the house, as school building, was a
fraud upon the neighborhood. 1t had no vesti-
bule, no ventilator, no belfry-nothing of modern
improvement. They then directed a yestibule to
be provided by cutting off so much by board par
ttion from the school room. And this is the
Hartley school house, or No. 2, I'd district"