The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-01-22
STILL WITHIN
MANS MEMORY
Origin Of the Lyceum Building,
Now Running the Gaunt-
let Of Criticism.
A FTY-YEAR-OLD CRITICISM

A FIFTY -YEAR-OLD CRITICISM
Benjamin Lindsley's Donation to the
Educational Needs of Morristown.
Well Enough in their Day, but now
Obsolete. Agitation for New
school building, and what Came of it.
A Sarcastic Reference.
An adjourned meeting of the
Trustees of the Morristown Library
and Lyceum was held on Monday
night to hear the report of the special
committee on improvements. The
report was read by Henry G. Pitney,
chairman, and was to the effect that
after the present contracts for engage
ments in the hall had been fulfilled
the doors would be closed. There
were present at the meeting, John
Whitehead, A. B. Hull, Henry G.
Pitney, Alfred Mills, John E. Taylor,
V. B. King, f. W. Owen and Henry
@. Pitney, Jr.
The Library and Lyceum was built
in the year 1876 but the institution
was chartered as a stock company in
1866. Considerable difficulty was
experienced by the company at the
time to secure the property from the
trustees of the old Morris Academy.
There was an obligation upon the
trustees as to the future use of the
ground that prevented their making
any disposition of the property. A
remedy was sought in the State
Legislature by having bill passed
legalizing the transfer of the property.
The act was passed in 1860 and the
preamble reads as follows:
"The proprietors of the Morris Acad-
emy have by petition represented that
the building situated on the Academy
lot in Morristown has become so di-
lapidated as to be almost useless and
that the lot is so small and so situated
that no suitable house for a school can
be rebuilt thereon and have petitioned
for an act authorizing the lot to be
sold and the proceeds thereof applied
to the purchase of a more suitable lot
and the building of suitable academy
thereon
In speaking of the premises, an old
resident of Morristown told a Chronicle
reporter that the property was owned
by Benjamin Lindsey, one of the
first settlers of this city, and was
given to MorriStown over century
ago. Mr.. Lindsley, who lived near
Washingtons Headquarters and was
owner of the headquarters property,
was a large property holder. Seeing
the need of a free school he donated
to the town the Academy property
with the provision in the deed that
it should only be used for public
school or else revert to his heirs.
His stipulation was faithfully car
ried out for many years. When the
building became dilapdated and no
longer fit for a school it was sold and
rebuilt into what is now the Park
House.
The Apprentices Library which
was then in existence started an
agitation for a building on the old
school property, and through it's
efforts the odd Academy building was
erected. The library was run ia con-
nection with the school which was
co-educational The structure was
not prepossessing or alluring, and at
one time was singled out by gang of
barn-burners to be destroyed. In
writing of the building in 1850, a
resident said: "Look at the Academy
venerable with age such age as
wood-eoated in brown paint-wood-
framed in the homeliest style-with-
out taste or architectural adornment
lis it not a credit to the town +?
Within its walls not map, nor a
chart, nor apparatus; desks supported
on pondemns props which might have
served the Farnese Hercules for legs.
though devoid of shape and symmetry,
and stoves which for their primitive
shape and utter absence of calorific
power, as well as for their vast powers
of consumption, deserve a place in
some museum where antediluVian
curiosities are preserved. What must
be my feeling, identified with our
town as l am, and with love of
literature, when | hear strangers in
passing say, old barn' That build
ing is our Academy and Library"
When the present Library and
Lyceum building was completed the
hall was first used by the congrega-
tion of the South Street Presbyterian
Church, whose editice had been de-
stroyed by fire. 1t is said, the safety
of the building against a probable
fire and panic was than spoken
This subject was continually dis
cussed until 1886 when the trustees of
the building employed several New
York architects to inspectit. A report
was made and published in the town
papers setting forth that there was
no danger of catastrophe.
At the meeting of the Trustees
held last Monday, different view of
the matter was taken. A synopsis of
the report is follows:
Nothing has been done toward
carrying out the plans and specifica-
tions which were reported to the
Board Of Directors and adopted by
them October 10, 1903"
"Had confidently expected funds
xuonld ho raicad for that ournnca hv