Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-18
SKETCH OF SYSTEM
BEGAN WITH NINTH GRADE IN
GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.
Central High School the Beginning
Business and Technical Branches
OF Present Day.

The development Of the high school sys-
tenn as part of the public education Of the
District OF Columbia has been a matter of
study by the various principals during the
past summer Each principal has prepared
history of his own building, but the story
OF the development of the Central High,
the parent school. covers the origin of all.
The system is now under the direct guild
ance OF Mr.. e. NJ. Wilson, Central; Mr.. M.
F. F. Swartzell, Eastern; Miss e. c. West
colt, Western; Mr.. Allan Davis, New Bust
ness; Mrs. Anna J. Cooper, NJ Street; Mr.
A. J. Gardner, Mckinley; DIR. w. B. Evans,
Armstrong; Mr.. Percy NJ. Hughes, for
academic schools, and Mr. j. A. Chamber
lain, for manual training schools. have gem
eraI supervision.
Demand for Higher Grade.
Previous to 1915, in response to a grow
Ing demand throughout the city that the
public schools should give instruction of
high school grade and better prepare the
young people of Washington for college.
ninth grade had been added to the va
rtous grammar schools. To these Few
children in each division returned to study
Algebra and some other more advanced SUD-
jects.
of the Washington High School was taken
in September, 1876, when the more ad-
vanced and better prepared girls of the va
rious division grammar schools were
brought together in what was known as
the Advanced Grammar School for Girls.
The sessions were held in the Seaton
School under the princtpalship OF MISS
Georgia Lane, who had been the principal
Of the girls grammar school OF the second
division.
A similar school for boys, known as the
Advanced Grammar School for Boys, was
ganized December 3, 1877 under the prin-
civ CHI in nf y a
graduate who had been for year principal
OF the Franklin Grammar School for Boys.
The sessions were held In the Thomson
building, on 18th street between X and l.
streets northwest, for the remainder Of
the first school year. In September, 1879,
the school was moved to a building once
used for church purposes, on G street be-
tween 4th and 9th streets northwest, where
its sessions continued to be held until IN
September, 1880, its increased enrolment
necessitated the use Of the top floor of the
, Franklin School,
Practically Identical.
Both schools were similarly organized
and gave practically Identical courses Of
instruction Entrance was conditioned upon
passing an examination held in the various
divisions. The course In each at first was
completed in one year. but in September,
1879, pupils were permitted to return for
a two years course. Instruction was given
metic, algebra, plane and solid geometry,
physics and physical geography. Trigo-
nometry was added in 1879.
During these years under the able direc-
ton of Principals Lane and Paul the gram
mar schools high schools they soon came to
be called, attracted the favorable attention
of the press and people of Washington.
Very soon there arose demand for single
modern high school building centrally locat-
ed, In which these schools could be united.
In this demand no citizen Of Washington
labored more zealously and effectively than
did Gen. William Birney. and In February.
1881, about thirty-five gentlemen responded
to call for meeting at the Seaton School
to urge the erection of q suitable building
for District high school,
Among those present were Commissioner
Dent, Superintendent of Schools ]. o. Will
son, School Trustee Lovejoy ex-School
Trustees Wilson, Atlee and Randolph, ex-
Mayor Emery and General Birney. Ex-
Mayor Emery presided and General Birney,
as chairman of the committee on resolutions
reported resolution recommending the APP
plcation of what was known as the WASH
ington school fund, then amounting to
about $4,000, to the erection of building
for the highest grade and further recon-
mending that said building be erected in
square 446 Corner of 7th and streets
northwest), which had previously been ac-
quired by the District for municipal pur-
poses.
Appropriation Secured.