Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-06-22
First Legislature Then Met in
What is Now Linsley In.
stitute, Wheeling.
LANDMARK SOON TO BE GONE
Formation of "War.Born State
Took Both Mental and
Physical Power

Civil War was at Its height, the
State of West Virginia was born.
On that eventful June 20, 1868, the
first Legislature convened for Its
initial session In the Linsley Insti'
tute, an unpreteutious red brick
building at Eoff and Fifteenth
streets, this city, renowned also for
being the first military academy
established west of the present
"Old Virginia" line, ifnot the first
west of the Alleghanies.
In another year this landmark
will have passed away, for the trus'
tees of the school are now formula
ting plans for modern and larger
building to accommodate the
schools needs. 1t Is an historic old
school. The bequest that made 1t
possible was made by Noah Linsly
In 1914 and 1t was the first money
ever spent on slave territory tor
free instruction and antedated the
public school system by many
years.
Noah Ll.sley, who was a native
of Connecticut, settled In Morgan
town, W. Va. In this city he fol-
lowed the profession of law with
dignity and ability and was Com
monwealth's Attorney. He never
married and at the time of his death
he bequeathed most of his estate
for the purpose of founding Ian
casterian Academy In Wheeling
the present Linsley Institute. and
$4,000 to Yale College. of which he
was a graduate, and the latter
amount still constitutes the Noah
and Jared Linsley fund, which IS de-
voted to the Yale library.
Native of Connecticut.
He was born In Bramford, Conn.
February 9, 1772,of English decent
graduating from Yale In 1871 and
later officiating there as tutor
Little remains of a personal char
acter, but he Is described as man
of over six feet in height, forio
complexion and auburn hair, which
he wore In a queue, particular II
dress, dignified In appearance, ar
old Federalist In politics of the
Presbyterian lineage, but local his
tory Is largely a blank on his re
Iligion. His remains lie on knoll
In Mount Wood cemetery,this city
marked by a plain marble shaft
which Is inscribed:
NOAH LINSLEY,
A native of Connecticut:
The founder Of the Lancasterian Academy
The friend of youth and the benefactor
mankind.
The connecticut bachelor.lawye
never dreamed that the school h
endowed would nearly 90 year
after his death, be State capitol
The building which was to become
historic from that fact, however
was rot erected until 1889 II
October of 1914 the Lancasteriar
Academy was chartered by the AS
sembly of Virginia and from th'
proceeds of the Linsly lands sols
by the trustees named In will
Samuel Sprigg and Noah Zane,
lot was bought a square or two
north of the present site, and Ii
1883 the present site was secured
Nobody In Wheeling can explain
the transition of the title of Lancas
terianAcademy to Linsley Institute
and the records of the school do no
throw any light as to when tn
change was made. 1t seems t
= have been the result of a populaI
, appellation which became fixed, ane
"Lancasterian Academy" which
greets the graduate when b.
receives his diploma, Is often a,
unintelllgible thing to him until b.
learns that technically this it'll
must be preserved. Only on grad
uation diplomas does 1t appear.
Boys Only May Attend.
The Lancasterian system Is
thing of the past, being superseded
: by the flee school. system, yet 1t
prominent features-object teach
Ing and the employment of pupi
teachers-are In force to some ex
tent among many skilled educators
The academy. which was first opei
| to the sexes. Is now limited to tn
admission of boys, so that co-edu
cational sticklers may see back
ward step in this regard and Civ
credit accordingly to Noah Linsle