Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-01-25

The beautiful new district school,
known as united Districts Nos. 90 and
75 was opened last Friday afternoon.
There was a large gathering present in
Guiding good representation from the
city. A school entertainment was given
in the afternoon and an entertainment
for the pupils and their parents In the
evening. 1t was an occasion Of general
enjoyment and also Of peculiar i'm
portance in the fact that the new school
building is the finest school structure in
the State outside of the city of vii.
mington.
The beautiful building has already
been fully described. IL is of most UNI
usual architectural beauty. II is pleas.
antly situated on rising ground on the
Kennett pike adjoining the village Of
Henry Clay. There is an enclosure of
three acres all belonging TO the school.
This was donated by tho e. l. du Pont
de Nemours Company. Internally the
structure in its excellent arrangements
bears out fully the promises of the OK
terror. There is spacious main CORR
dor, two rooms on the first and three ON
the second floor. Every modern con-
venience, considerations both for the
pupils comfort and for the more definite
needs Of educational purposes are fully
supplied. The class rooms on the upper
floor are divided Oft by rolling partitions
which when IL is needed can be rolled
up thus throwing the three rooms into
one and affording capacious assembly
loom with a seating capacity for 700
persons.
THE CEREMONIES OF THE DAY.
At Q p. In. a procession of children
carrying flags approached the building,
where they were met by the school COM
missioners and parents of the pupils
The assemblage was called to order by
Francis G. du Pont, chairman of the
school commission. He made a brief
address congratulating the people of the
joint school district on the happy ac-
complishment of the work in which
they were all SO deeply interested. Mr.
du Pont then referred to the point that
the school is not du Pont school. He
asserted that it is public school def
nitely and not private school in any
sense. II is owned by the school board
Of the united district. He added that
aside from the fact that the dp Pont
company had donated the site for the
building and had purchased the two old
schoolhouses the company Is not inter-
ested in the building, except as the
members OF the company are interested
in it as citizens of the State and dis
trict Mr.. du Pont commended the
liberality Of the people of the district.
The poorer people of the district had
| given literally and in many instances
has set good example to their richer
neighbors. Et
| The afternoon exercises were COM
prised in the following programme:
Singing by the school, recitatlons by
Fred Krause, Elsie Watson, Robert Nc
lllhern, Maggie Lynch, John Buck,
Matte Taylor, Victorine Miller, Robert
| Nichols, Joseph Williams, Mary Steven
son, Emily Peoples, Anna Hoover, Miss
M. A. Howell and Edna Evans solos
were sung by Lille Sheppard and Mamie
Runner. The exercises closed by singing
America" by the school.
Principal Berlin Of the high school
was an invited guest and made an ad-
dress. AT its close he presented beauti-
full crayon portrait to Mr.. du Pont. The
author of the work is Miss M. II. L.
Withers, the principal of the new
school, and is gift from the teachers
and pupils. The gift was complete
surprise to Mr.. du Pont. In acknowledge
ment of it he made very fitting speech.
The afternoons ceremonies closed with
a feast to the pupils, which was served
in the basement of the new building.
EVENING ENTERTAINMENT.
In the evening there was another
gathering when number Of guests
from Wilmington and Philadelphia
were present, Mr.. du Pont presided al
the exercises. In the opening he made
the following address:
We have assembled here tonight to en-
joy the fruits OF our labors which have in
the last nine months placed this line build
ing upon what was an open field. Those
persons who aided in the work have theiI
enjoyment here now, and no time could
be more fitting than the present to give
you short historical sketch of the schools
of the Districts Nos. % and rs and of this
new enterprise. Unfortunately, however
the recorded facts are very few, and much
of our history is blank. The first attempt
at keeping school of which we hear is
that made by Mr.. Siddall, who founded
the mill now occupied by the Barlow q
Thatcher Spinning Company. He had q
class on Sundays in his. own house which
he instructed in the simplest way. This
was followed by the Building of tbs
present Sunday-school OF Christ Church
by Eleuthere Irene du Pont, the founder
OF the powder mills. This building was for
long time used as q school Of an unde
nominational character and was called the
Brandywine Manufacturers Sunday
school. This was done prior to 1852, fol
In that year the yellow scho0l-house wa:
secured to the district by deed made by
Mrs. Dunnon in favor OF the first commits
sioners. who we're Alfred du Pont, Mr.
Siddall and MIR. Brindley. This old dcet
is the first and only record of our school!
until the year 1858, and it is greatly to b.
regretted that nothing exists in regard K
the building of the new school AZ Risinl
Sun. The book, which is dated 1855
shows that Alexis !. du Pont was clerl
from that year to 1857. He had, however
served as commissioner before 1853 as b,
was in office during the time that schoo
was being built. Many well-known name
appear as commissioners or as attendin;
J tue meetings: Joseph Walker, William
Breck, Henry Belin, Dr. j. p Wales
Jacob Chalfant George Richardson
Thomas X. McCallister, Taylor Crosby
, Henry Dandy Richard Brindley, Johl
. Peoples, Irene du Pont, and many other
more recent. From 1850 10 1852 NAL
teachers were paid S26 per month ant
t women at the rate of 81 per week. Ii
! 1867 salaries were at the rate Of $3.50 ant
/. $3.50 per annum for male teachers.
Turning now from the. meagre record
OF the past, we must say Il word for tn
great enterprise that we are now engage,
upon. Some five years ago the cons0lida
ton of the schools in ono building wa
1 proposed, but the time had not arrive,
for it, though site was proposed. Tn
: increasing number Of scholars soon mad
it necessary that your commissioner
= should have better facilities and in 1859
: they began to prepare the way for con