The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-28
SCHOOL BUILDING
1t Has Been Completed and IL Ready for
the Opening Of School October 4th-Itls
the Finest Public School House I'm the
State-Open for Public Inspection

49,
tho Finest Public School House I'm the
State-Open for Public Inspection
Mr.. James F.. Post, the contractor, |
has completed the New Hemenway
school building, and after today will
be ready at any time to turn it over
to the school committee. 1t is the FIN
est and best equipped public school
building in the state and is a credit to
the contractor and an ornament to our
city.
The old Hemenway school building,
which stood on the same site, fronting
on Fifth and Sixth streets, between
Chestnut and Grace streets, was totally
destroyed by an incendiary fire on the
night of the 31st Of last May, and on
fur 18th the school committee of dis
trict No.. 1, closed a contract with Mr..
Post for the erection OF the handsome
new building that now stands in its
stead. The contractor went to work at
once, and with a force of twenty-five
or thirty hands, completed the build
ing in sixty-nine days. He started his
hands to work at 5 g. m. and did n
stop till shutdown each day, and
when it is remembered that Mr.. Post
is 70 years old today, it will be seen
that he has accomplished a great e
Mr.. Post was the architect OF the plans
and the building was erected under his
own careful supervision.
The building is 120 feet long, includ-
ing the north and south wings, and
it's main width is 60 feet. The middle
section is 60 by 10 feet in size, and
each Of the wings are 80 by "a feet. The
main height of the structure is fifty
feet, and it has five entrances or doors
on the first floor. Two wide passages
run through h building north and
south and east and west, intersecting
Il oooh ~ in the main hndv of the
building. Two other passages run
! through either wing, east and west,
where they join the main body of the
building. The passages and rooms, up
stairs and down stairs, are plastered
and finished with wainscoting Of vel
low pine in oil inish Two flights OF
\ stairs connect the lower and upper
floors. and the building has four porti-
| cos, one 8 by 25 feet in size on the
Fifth street front and a similar one on
| the Sixth sereet front. The two other
| porticos are 8 by 8 feet, and are at
| either end Of the east and west wings
Of the building.
On the first floor of the building there
are six class rooms, four of which are
25 by "a feet in size, and two that are
20H by 33 feet. On the second floor
there are two class rooms 20k by 80
feet, and an elegant assembly hall or
l ~ Wy - 4CS( III lAAASA
sions. The hall has an inclined floor
running back from the rostrum and the
pitch from the iOOr to the ceiling is IL
feet. The rostrum is 10 by 26 feet in
size, and on the inclined floor are 500
cherry coIored opera chairs Of the most
approved pattern. The hall is lighted
by six chandeliers with Y gas jets, and
it has % windows that afford ample
light by day. This is one of three halls
l in tho oitv with an inclined floor and If
has the greatest seating capacity OF
any hall in the city. It is, however,
dedicated solely to school purposes and
love or honey cannot secure it for any
thing else. On the second floor there
is also a 8 by 10 feet to be used az
a library, and another of the same size
to be used as an Office by Professor M.
G. s. Noble, superintendent of schools.
Besides the building there is in the
yard a primary department building
containing two large class rooms.
The various class rooms are fitted
with the most modern single desks, soc
in all, so that each individual pupil
las a desk to itself. There are also
teachers desks in each room and a
book case in every room. All the
rooms are also equipped with black
boards, globes, maps and h latest
and best school appliances. The light
I AAASD ~AAN NV y
been looked we'll after.
The lot ,upOn which this handsome
building is located is 1872 feet by $50 feet
in size, and the premises have goo6
sewerage connection to the Cape Fear
river by the Princess street sewer
There are also two cisterns of 100 bar
rels capacity each, and they are sup.
piled with water from the top of the
building through seven filters. The
building and premises are also supplied
with lavatories n the latest mOderI
cOnveniences for the teachers and pu.
ipls. The building is equipped with 6
fine steam heating plant, and there art
radiators in all the class rooms, the
passages and the auditorium.
The committee Of school district No
1, composed of Mr.. James F. Post, Jr.
chairman, Mr.. E. Borden and Pro.
fessor J.. B. Dudley, looked after the
construction Of the building ane
Chairman Post saw to all the details
Chairman Post and Professor Noble
made a special trip to New York tt
purchase the school furniture and ap.
planes, and a piano for the audito.
rium. With the assistance Of Professor
E. VanL@aer they selected a magnificent
SOhmer piano and it has already beer
delivered in the building. The seats
for the pupils are the best Orion desks
Int all the school appliances are the
most approved to be found anywhere
The books Of the library were destroy.
ed by the fire in May, but the commit.
tee proposes to %refurnish it with books
at an early day.
The old building was insured for s12,
029, and with the insurance money the
committee has succeeded in erecting q
better and larger building and one
more suitable for the school thar the
old one, so that there will not have tC
be any extra appropriation for the
building, n consequently no addition
al tax upon the people. The fact is the
new building has cost 5000 less than
the old II The contract price for the
erectionof the new building was $40, IFS
| and by the sale of the old material left
by the fire, to the contractor at 1886, the
cost OF the building was actually cut
down to $3.50. Exclusive of the latter
am2unt the equipments and appliances
in the building cost about So, 500. which