Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-05-21
Tas olo BRICK SCHOOL HOUSE.


The old brick school house Is no more,
except as ruin. Contractor Cook BE-
pan demOlishing il last Thursday, and II
i noW a heap of bricks, mortar, lumber
and ..calamity." The destruction OF the
house has left the question of its safety
without positive determination, and
those who disagreed before, disagree
now. Those who asserted that no six
horses in town could pull out wall of
the house still hold their statement good,
- TX horses haven't been hitched TO ".
CA The other hand, those who were suS-
pi,ious OF the strength OF the building
regard their suspicious a. confirmed by
the ease and rapidity with which two
men pushed out large sections OF the
Vsll, on 10 the surrounding country.
Az 4uv rate. the house hasn't tumbled
dow O aud hurt any bOdy-and II never
viii
The brick school house was built 10
the early thiTties, some more than sixty
wear, ago. BY arrangement the first
story was used for the schools. while the
second floor was finished int0a hall.
THIS hall Was named in honor Of Gov
r-uor EuOch Lincoln, and a sign IN the
4.
iu letters battered and worn, but legible
up 10 the day Of its destruction, the
legend. Lincoln Hall" The entrance
% ,h., hall was by a stairway AT the
southeast corner, under the shed but
outside the brick building.
Iu ISIS the needs OF the district had
ou,growu the accommodations, snd, a.
appeared from extracts from the records
published in the Democrat few weeks
since. Il was decided 20 purchase th"
hall above at an expense not exceeding
ore hundred dollars. Even then there
va, objection on account OF the condt-
iiou OF. The building. Either because the
foundation WAS not properly con
,,rlcted. or because the natural eondi-
..o-, were unfayOrable, the frost had
begun IL, work. aud the cracks in the
Va, which have been the cause OF 80
much fear and so much-~ell, call II
ea-r-S. iisCusSion-ha begun 10 appear.
The plan Of repairs Was however car
riet 1ut az an expense 20 the district OIL
g. -t The hall Was made over into
grammar school room, and the outside
STAR, were taken down and flight built
i1, 20 the west end Of the building.
It. warrant for the annual district
me--.rg In 1873 shows that the house
", t,goming dilapidated and that there
W.. several schemes in the minds of
Oh, voters one article was 70 see what
sun q money the district would raise to
~, he school house; another article
Va. -a ste IL the district would vote TO
tl ID new school house; aud still an
- 4 - ~
purchase the academy for a school
house
When the district met, a committee
Va- appointed 70 investigate, which
committee reported that in their judg-
u,l- -le house was perfectly safe ana
,tey made an estimate Of the cost OF Tt
pair, The district raised $3.50 for the
-rra.r,. and chose as the committee TO
e1r.li it. Alyah Black. e. +. Cummings
aud % +. Hammond. They proceeded
% make the repairs, and il Is presumed
Ties yNr,uded il all. Their report does
-o- arpear on the records. but II does
appear that the district accepted
their report. and thanked them for their
p-nUr-ueSs.
The repairs made at that time (lSa3)
amounted 20 a thorough OyerhAuling OF
The Building. They included some re-
modelling Of the building, new floors,
1ew clustering throughout, new win-
CuN, and doors. ash wainscOting Tor ooth
schae' rooms. new shingles for the root,
,Gs retuildiug of the shed. etc. New
de,S, with birch tops were put IN the
upper room, while the old ones were cut
doV- Cor the lower room to the dis
comfort Of the little scholars and the
old desks in thelOwer room were thrown
away. New desks and chairs Tor the
teachers were also put in.
The writer was AT that time one OF the
smallest Of the scholars in the "ol2
school, and he well remembers how
pleasant that clean, fresh, new room
looked, and with what reverent care he
Sep, his pencil point, and everything
else that could mar, away from the I'M
maCulate freshness Of those new desks
The teacher that first term did her tui
duty in the way Of precept concerning
The new room, and there was almost =
cyclone when one day she discovered
the first serious act Of vandalism. some
one had dipped a saerilegious pen IL
INK, aud with il had traced upon one o.
those new desk tops, a sketch IN black'
a2d-white. Aud, horror of horrors. tina
desk was occupied by two girls, TO ont
Of whom the writer hereof had givei
that wOrshipful alteration which Is some
times possible, even to those Of tende
years. To this day the memory Is yer!
clear, how glaringly black those mi
marks looked, and how because OF then
the golden-hsired angel came down JUS
the slightest notch in her worshiper
estimation.
Since 1873 only temporary repair
have been made. but the fears regarding
the safety Of the house have numoe
OF times come TO the surface, and sever
al rods have been put through TO guar'
against any tendency of the walls
separate toward the four winds o
heaven.
Those who, for associations sake
wish 10 preserve the likeness of the OH
house, will be glad 10 know that goo
Negative Of il has been made by Fran
hammond, for the benefit Of this an
future generations.