The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1889-02-21
For the Reporter.
Report of the School House Build
Ing Committee.

The committee appointed at the town
meeting held on the Both day of April
last, "to expend the money and superin-
tend any repairs or erections of school
houses deem it proper in making their
report, to first give the votes of the town
under which they have acted, and by
which they have been governed.
At the last annual March meeting it
was
"Noted to raise the sum of $4,000 to build IA
two room school house on the south side, and
81, 500 to build a two room school house on the
| north side, and the S. S. Commi tee be the COM
mittee to build the same"
As there was no vote passed locating
either of the houses and as they could be
located only by vote of the town,
nothing could be done, and it became alb
solutely necessary to call another meet
ing.
In order that the town might act un-
derstandingly at the next meeting, the
Seiectmen appointed, informerly, hut
certainly very properly, committee of
three to take the whole question of addi-
tional school room into consideration,
look up sites for school houses, see what
they could be bought for, and report to
the town. That committee made a YER
bal report at a town meeting held on the
ootH uoy VI hplil iust, anu tiie icSuiI W hs
the town then
"Voted to reconsider that part of Art. . in re-
lation to building school houses, passed at the
last ann al March meeting, but not that part in
relation to the 81 900, voted at the last annual
March meeting"
"Noted to remodel and enlarge the Lea,itt
st. school house, so as to make four school
rooms, and warm them by steam and put in
| water closets.
| a,u Al. Al. l. {.
moved on to the Jacobs lot, so called, and now
owned by Mr.. Day, and situated on the north
side of Jewett St., and the building committee,
to be hereafter appointed, buy the lot, and that
the town treasurer be and hereby is authorized
to sell and convey the lot where II no"stands at
| price satisfactory to the town.
"Voted that the $1,000 raised at the last an
nual town meeting for the building Of two new
school houses be, and hereby is appropriated to
defrsy the expenses of remodeling and enlarg-
ing Leavitt ST. school house as heretofore voted,
and the building of two room school house on
the south side, on the sand lot, so called, owned
/ by the Coburn heirs, near Mr.. Ayoir's, and the
| sclectmen be authorized to borrow a sum not
exceeding $4,000, for the building and repairing
of school houses"
"Voted that the Old Academy be properly re-
paired as to make two pleasant and comfort,
able school rooms"
At town meeting held July Sd, 1888,
it was
| "Voted that the selectmen be authorized to
hire sum Of money, sufficient to carry out the
plans Of the building committee, not to exceed
six thousand dollars"
''Voted to build on the south side two story
house and of brick, and the committee be
thorzed to build according to tn, plans Of Fas-
| sett and Thompson, which are now in their pos
| session"
These are the votes of the town so far
as they relate to school houses in what
was formerly School Dist. No. |.
The S. S. Committee was charged with
the duty of making repairs i'll the other
parts of the town.
The committee entered upon their duty
with determination to do well whatever
they might do, believing that to be the
true policy and best economy for the
town.
The school house site on Jewett ST.,
(three-fourths of an acre. was bought for
$500. North St. house has been moved
on to it, cellar put under it the whole
bigncss of the house aud well walled. On
account of depression in the land where
the house stands, the cellar wall was laid
without much excavation, which made it
necessary to fill in around it. That has
been done, steps made, school room plas-
tered overhead, wood work painted,
walls papered, and some other little re-
pairs made, so that it is now very pleas
ant and comfortable school room, and one
much needed in that locality.
The house on Mechanic st. was found
in need of slight repairs. A new floor
was laid the cellar wall repaired, an iron
rod put through the brick walls to
support the building, and some other lii
Ia m o. OF IA il
perfectly safe and In good condition.
The house on West Front St. was sim
ply newly painted
The High School building on the Island
came in for share of the repairs. The
tin roof was found leaking That was
repaired and painted. The plumbing was
overhauled and repaired, the old black
boards replaced with new ones through
out, and some other repairs made.
The Old Acaeemy was found in truly
dilapdated condition. For the want of
proper care or for some other cause, the
cellar wall on the side next to the meet
ing house had caved in so much that 1t
became necessary to take down nearly the
whole of that side and relay it, a job
which was well done under the super
vision of Mr.. j. L Tenney The wood
work in the front end was taken out and
the space bricked up, thereby making the
rooms much warmer and improving the
looks of the building. The second story
had been plastered on to the brick walls
without lathing. The walls were strapped
and lathed and the whole building, above
and below, plastered anew, hard wood
floors laid. the wood work outside and in,
repainted and the roof reshinged. In
short, the whole building was thoroughly
overhauled from cellar to ridgepole and
put In good repair, and 1t now contains
1.-TWO pleasant and comfortable school
rooms" They are warmed by stoves Ia
ken from the old rooms.
Leavitt St. school house as we found
1t was building 54x36 feet, two stories
high, containing two school rooms. We
enlarged 1t by the addition of twelve feet
to the north end, and q wing 29xl4 feet
on each side, and enlarged the cellar TO
the full bigness of the building. The
whole building has been renovated and
remodeled, making substantially q new
structure, and model school house. A
house Of which the committee are, and
the town well may be, proud. Mr.. II.
w. CLANCY had charge of the carpenter
work, and Mr.. Noah Reed enlarged the
cellar, The steam heating apparatus was
put In by Carman 4 Thompson of Lewis
tou. 1t Ii not the cheapest system there
Is by any means. But 1t Is undoubtedly
the best system Of steam heating and ven-
tilation for school rooms now known.
The committee fully realize that any