The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-06
ASK FOR MONEY
To BUILD SCHOOL
APPROPRIATION OF s25,o0o
ASKED OF COMMISSIONERS FOR
NEW BARNARD STREET SCHOOL.

Letter Was Sent to COmmfs ssfOners
Yesterday by Finance Committee
of the Board of Observation-Disclosures
Committee Will Take Up the Mat
ter Rt Meeting MOnday-Barnard
and Probably Oldest in Georgia.
EstabIished in 1853 by Judges OF
Inferior Court.
A determined effort is being made to
secure a new school building to re-
place the present Barnard Street School,
at Taylor and Barnard streets. The
Finance Committee of the Board of
Education yesterday addressed a let
ter to the County Commissioners, ask
ing them to appropriate $4,000 for the
new building. If me request is grant
ed active steps in the matter will be
taken at once.
The Barnard Street School has been
under consideration for some time by
the Board of Education and several
times the rebuilding of the school
discussed. The report of Fire Chief
Mcguire, stating that the building did
not have adequate fire protection, and
suggesting that certain improvements
be made in it's interior construction,
again brought the matter before the
board.
AT the last regular meeting the en-
tire question was referred to the Build
ing Committee, with instructions to
look into the matter and report back
to the board. The presentments If
the last grand jury again took up the
| question, and recommended the build
ing of a new school house. The mat
ter was then taken up by the Finance
Committee and they decided to ask
the commissioners for special appro-
| priation, at the same time calling at
tention to the recent Recommendation
| of the grand jury.
The Budget Committee of the COM
| missioners holds it's meeting on Mon
| day and the matter will be taken ND
| by them at that time.
May Choose New Location.
1t is possible that the new school,
In case the appropriation is granted
will be built on a different site than
the present school. The conditions re-
| guire larger building, and the land
owned by the board in this section of
the city is not sufficiently large to
accommodate a building like the one
| desired.
At different times. when an effort
has been made to purchase adjoining
property, the price asked has been ex-
orbitant, and the board has now prac-
tically determined to give up the idea
of securing it. If the necessary money
is given land will be purchased some
where in that vicinity. and the build
ing built on that.
There were two causes" said a
| member Of the Board of Education,
(which kept the board from erecting
new building sometime ago. The
first was that new buildings were need
ed in different sections of the city,
sections in which there were no school
| houses. We believed it better to pro-
| vide for those for whom we had no
accommodation than to use the money
we had for erecting a new building
to take the place of one already serv-
| ing fairly we'll.
'The second reason has been the ex-
| orbitant prices charged for the sur
rounding land. Every time we made
an effort to buy adjoining property the
price went up, and we refused to buy
If we are given the money for building
| we shall probably be compelled to
choose another site in the same Sec
ton of the city"
oldest in Savannah.
The Barnard Street School is the old
| est public school in Savannah, and pos
sibly the oldest in Georgia. The majori-
| ty of the older native residents of Sa-
vannah received their. education in this
school. The school practically marks
| the source of common school education
in Savannah and Georgia.
The school was first opened in 1858,
| the authority to build and open the
| school having been given by the judges
| of the Inferior Court. The Inferior
| Court has since been superseded by the
| County Commissioners.
When first built the school building
| contained only two rooms, one for the
| boys and the other for the girls. There
were in all only sixty pupils in at
| till, one of the members of the pres
ent Board of Education, was one of
the first pupils.
| The school grew rapidly, and it was
| soon found necessary to enlarge it. The
additional story was then put on, and
| later the wings were added. From six
| ty pupils the enrolment has increased
! to 800, an increase of more than so
| per cent.
The principal Of the school is Mr.. T.
H. SGignilliat. The following are the
teachers now employed at the school:
Sixth grade, Mrs. E. NJ Spring; fifth
grade, Miss NJ, w. Maccaw; fourth
grade, Miss M. w. Furse; third grade,
Miss Elsbeth Schuster and Miss Amy
| Oliver; second grade, Miss Ella Mize;
| first grade, Miss Helen Laneau as
SiSfaOt Miss E,nnnna Mall