The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-06-30
A NEW INSTITUTION OF LEARNING.
The Ferguson Academy Mt Abbcville

For a hundred years the white people oi
AbbcvIlle county have been distinguished Tor
their schools and their love of letters, ana IT
seems that the negroes OF the same section
are 10 be noted for the same colnmchdaDie
spirit. ,..
In all parts of the county the negroes have
paid more or less attention TO inc securing ;r o.
school houses, and 10 the education OF their
children. Especially is this true at AbbeFlllc
In 1868 the negro Methodists built good
school house. erected large and commodiouS
house OF worship, and put up coml0rtablc
parsonage. In alter years the negro Pres6y.
terians, namely: Shedcrck Lesly, George NJ
Richcy, George ". Smith, Lewis Z. Richcy,
William Pope, George Barr. Alfred Foster,
and others, under the lead OF Rev. r. ". Will
liamS in 1881 sought TO establish form OF
worship which would more nearly conform TO
their religious belief, and this step induced
the further step Of establishing a separate
school. Mr.. Williams went North In Decem-
Der of the same year, and after three monthS
OF labor among the white PrcSbytcrianS or The
North, succeeded in securing the sum OF u ,'oO
which was supplemented ny 500 from the
Board of Church Erection in the city of New
York. This sum was further supplemented
by sums received from white and colorcd peo-
pie at home. With this money Il handsome
church and school house combined, was oullt
finished and opened one year after the organ
izatiUn OF the congregation. The school was
opened in January, 1882, by Mrs. Williams,
the wife of the pastor, who before her mar
riage had large and extended experience as
teacher In the public schools Of Washington,
ID. c. The school has beemthoroughly graded,
and this year quite number of the scholars
passed excellent examinations in grammar,
history, geography. arithmetic, and other
branches usually taught in the common
schools. The daily average attendance at
the school is about siXty-1ve scholars.
The teacher is paid by tine parents of the chill
dren who supplement the amount whicl, is
received from the Presbyterian Board OF Mis-
sionS for Freedmen. This school receives no
benefit whatever from the public fund, except
atsuch times when the attendance is so large
that an assistant teacher Is necessary.
The object at first was simply TO sustain d
small parochal school as an auxiliary to
their church, but the success of the school un-
der Miss WiliamSS most excellent manage
ment has been 80 great that the Mcclellan
the upper part OF this State, has decided to
make Abbcviile an educational centre for
negro children of both sexes. To further this
end, Mr.. Williams went North again III 1888,
to raise money to assist in erecting school
building of larger and more extensive dimen.
sOnS which would better supply the demand
of the proposed institution. About 81 ONO was
subscribed in the North, and IL is hoped that
the remaining necessary money may be So
cured as the work progresses. The building
which they contemplate erecting will be o
brick 45 y 90 feet. and will he located Oh the
the building this winter, it is hoped, however,
that sufficient money will be secured to cover
it in, ana that by another year the whole
building will be finished. The foundation
has been dug. n hundred Thousand bricks
have already been burnt for the work.
1t is proposed to accommodate ut least three
hundred children of both sexes. In the Acad
emy there will be q boarding and industrial
department, where children may do some
thing 10 earn their way in the institution.