Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-05-26
NAMES OF SCHOOLS
A Correspondent Calls Attention to a
Certain Omission.
SOME INTERESTING HISTORY
How the Various Buildings Are
Designated.
AND MAYORS
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
On various recent occasions it has been
urged that some monument should be erect
ed to l. Enfant for his service in laying out
the city of Washington. Not long ago pri-
vate parties undertook to perpetuate the
name by placing 1t on hotel, but after
few months another name was substituted.
Englsh-speaking people do not readily
adopt French names into common use
Either pronunciation or spelling usually
becomes modified in the process of trans
fer.
If there Is any serious public desire to
have monument to the French engineer
it would seem quite appropriate that it
should be public building rather than
mere obelisk or kindred stone work. There
has been just such a monument to l. En-
FAINT 'here and its testimony to him has dis
appeared as did that of the more recent
hotel. J. Ormond Wilson ex-superintendent
of public schools, District of Columbia, read
DaDer-'Eighty Years of the Public
Schools of Washington. 1SU5-1S85''-before
the Columbia Historical Society of Wash
ington. d. G., May A. 1886. In that paper
occurs the following paragraph:
when the large school building on Cap
itol Hill, fronting Stanton Park, was erect
ed 1t was named LEnfant School. and the
name was carved on the bluestone panel,
mings, especially designed for this purpose.
The citizens of that section of the city,
soon as the name appeared, vigorously pro-
tested against it, on the ground that 1t
would always be mispronounced, and called
the Infant School, In Difference to their
wishes change was made, and so gray
marble slab, inscribed Peabody School,
was placed over the original name. In a
distant future some explorer may lift that
marble slab and find buried beneath 1t tine
honors intended to be paid to Charlie Pierre
l. Enfant, the great engineer, who in plan
ming this city left that reservation, which
has now become most beautiful park for
the benefit of the hundreds of children at
tending the Peabody School,
This paragraph, together with one as to
the change of name of the Analostau
School to Grant can be found in the re-
port of the bureau of education, 1866,
page 1897. Mr.. Wilson's history having
been printed by the bureau for its national
relations.
The inexpensive restoration of the orig
inal inscription to public view would be ac-
complished very readily If the people now
wish 1t. Without public approval the same
difficulty about the inscription might repeat
itself with any new monument The name
Peabody could readily be utilized in an
equally fitting place on one of the buildings
soon requiring a name, and public honor
could thus be fifty shown to both names.
JAMES H. BLODGETT.
This matter of the naming of public
schools comes to the front with recurring
suggestions, and frequently presents some
awkward problems. There is no general
plan of nomenclature. save that the chief
aim Is to commemorate those who have
stood prominently in the nation, as well
as those who have occupied official posi-
tons in the District. But there is a lack
of system about the selection of the names.
All but three of the Presidents have been
thus honored, these three being Washing
ton, Hayes and Cleveland Fourteen of the
twenty mayors who were at the head of
fhn old VI
three of the twelve mayors of Georgetown
have been selected for this purpose The 4
other names are scattered among noted
Americans ex-Commissioners. ex-teachers.
and. in the case of the colored schools
men and women of both races who have
been identified with the liberation and the
elevation of the negroes.
In view of the communication printed
above. The Star has obtained a list of the
schools and the sources of their names.
which will be found to be interesting
These names follow:
White Schools.
Abbott-George ]. Abbott Unitarian min
lister.
Adams-President.
Addison-Mayor of Georgetown, 1857,
1S59-'G7.
Acknowledgment NJ. Amidon, teacher.
Arthur-President
Standardization.
Berret-Mayor. 1S5S-'61.
Blair-MontgOmery Blair.
Blake-Mayor, 1S13-'17.
Bradley-Mayor, 1S34'36.
Brent-F'irst mayor, 1802-'12
NATURALIZATION.
standardization.
Buchanan-President.
Carbery-Mayor 1S22-'4.
Conduit Road-Location.
Corcoran-Mayor Of Georgetown several
terms.
Cranch-Judge VIM Cranch.
Congress Naturalization.
Curtis-Turstee w. w. Curtis.
Observation-Disclosures 1S74-7S.
Fillmore-President
Force-Mayor, 1S36-'4O.
Franklin-Benjamin Franklin.
Good Hope-Location.
Grant-President
Decentralization. old name of Green
leaf Point.
Gales-Mayor. 1S27-'3O.
Standardization.
Harrison-PresidentW VIM. Henry Harrison.
Henry.Prof. Joseph Henry.
High Street-Location.
Jackson-President
Jefferson-President.
JohnSon-PreSident
Standardization
Lenox-Mayor, 1SJ0-52.
McCormick-Hugh Mccormick, teacher.
Madison-President.
Maury-Mayor, 1924.
Monroe-President.
Morse-Prof. s. F. B. Morse
Peabody-George Peabody.
Observation-Disclosures 1878-'79.
Pierce-President.
Polk-President.
Potomac-Location near river
Seaton-Mayor. $4,000.
Observation-Disclosures, 1922, 1924.
decentralization.
Taylor-President.
Thomson-S. J. Thomson
Threlkeld-John Threlkeld, citizen of
Georgetown.
Tenleytown-Location.
Towers-Mayor, 1886.
Twining-Commissione 1878-S2
Tyler-President.
Wallach-Mayor, 1S61-68
Webster-Daniel Webster.
Weightman-Mayor, 1824-7
Van Buren-President.
COlOred Schools.
Ambush-Enoch Ambush.
Anthony Bowen-Rev. Anthony Bowen.
Banneker-Benjamin Banneker,
Bell-George Bell.
Bennlng road-Location.