Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1893-05-20
Tho Margaret Academy.

EDITOR OF The ENTHfEttloA.- = Lie
people of the Eastern Shore are anx-
iously awaiting the action OF Trus-
tees Of the Margaret Academy fund
and impatient to know what dispo-
sition will be made of it. We believe
that an overwhelming majority OF
the thinking people of the Eastern
Shore desire the Academy located
as near the centre of population and
the centre of territory as possible, In
accordance with the wishes and
purposes of our fathers and grand
fathers, who placed it where the old
Academy building now stands. They
placed it where it would be conve-
nient to the people of the whole
Eastern Shore, equi-distant from
Cape Charles and the Maryland and
Virginia line. Such central loca-
ton should now be selected, and then
no one could complain. The centre
of white population on the Eastern
Shore is near Drummondtown, and
the territorial centre is near Only,
about two miles east of Onancock.
The chief argument of those who
desire the Academy located in the
lower part of Northampton is that
Accomack has had the school for the
last one hundred years and that
Northampton ought now to have it.
Now this argument, if we may call it
such, is not worthy of serious consid-
Grafton. The Margaret Academy
has had no existence as such for
nearly forty years, and whilee;the
school was in operation, located
where it was, near the line of North
ampton, it was more convenient to
all the people of that county than to
a much larger number of people in
the county of Accomack. The fact
is that county lines have nothing to
do with this question, the school
having been founded for the educa.
ton of the youth of the Eastern
Shore of Virginia without regard to
county lines.
Where should this school now be
located? Cape Charles and East
vile are the two places in North
ampton competing for this school,
neither of which has the conditions
necessary for the successful opera
tion of Il high-grade classical school.
They are both situated in an ex-
IRENE part of the district, and to
locate the school there would be an
injustice to nine tenths of the peo-
pie of the Eastern Shore and would
certainly prevent the school from
becoming what it's founders intend
ed it should be. 1t requires much
time, labor and money to build up
school of high grade in any commune
ity. Such Il school cannot exist
without a strong local patronage,
which is absolutely indispensable.
TO operate such school will require
from $4,000 to $4,000 every year.
which in n new community ut cur
rent rates of tuition would require
about 1875 pupils every session. which
would be utterly impossible if the
Academy should be located in either
one of the foregoing places.
The only place in our opinion, on
the Eastern Shore where such
school can he successfully maintain
ed is in the town of Onancock. 1t is
situated near the centre of white
population and the centre of territory
of the Eastern Shore of Virginia and
has all the conditions necessary for
the growth and development of o
great school. In beauty of location,
hygienic conditions. moral environ
ment and religious advantages, this
town is unsurpassed by any town in
the State of Virginia. Its streets are
well-Eept, affording delightful walks
at I'LL seasons of the year; the town
government, administered by mayor,
council and sergeant. insures perfect
order and absolute security. Parents
and guardians need have no fear
about placing their children and
wards in this town. This writer has
never seen or heard of any improper
conduct on the part of any pupil of
the academy now in operation in this
town. Let the trustees locate the
Margaret Academy here, and success
is assured from the start The
requisite number of pupils are al
ready here collected from all parts of
Eastern Shore, as the basis of q great
classical and scientific academy. If
the Margaret Academy is located in
Onancock, the trustees will receive
in addition to the money donated by
this town, an annual rental for the
buildings which will enable them to
keep up repairs and insurance and
lay up fund with which all future
contingencies can be met. With this
fund scientific apparatus and a Ii
brary can be obtained to make the
school abreast of the best institutions
in the land. Such school would be
an honor to the Eastern Shore and
an unmixed blessing to all her people.
This is q golden opportunity for the
trustees to revive this historic old
Academy in which so many of the
famous men Of this section received
their education in days gone by.
EASTERN SHORE.