The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-10-27
Elizabeth CITY
HAS FINE SCHOOLS.
--,--------------
Was the Birthplace al the
Public School y
System. $50
BENJAMIN. sYMEs FOUNDER
-----------------------
Brass Tablet to His Memory Is
on Exhibition at James
town.
BENJAMIN sYMEs FOUNDER

For Its Sunday Educational Page
The Times-D Dispatch has been gather
Ing and printing from time to time
some Interesting data from the county
school records now on exhibition at
! the. Jnmestown Exposition.
In tho picture printed in connection
With this story will be seen tho eY-
bibit from Accomac and Elizabeth
City counties. Here attention Is called
to the brass tablet which was taken
from the symes-Eaton Academy in
Hampton. 1t is seen just below the
sign and bears the following inacrip-
ton:
BENJAMIN -sYNEs.
Founder. of the First Free schooi
IN America, ,.s
who devised two hundred ucres
OF land ON Poquoaon Riser With
learned, honest. man to keep upon
me said ground a free school.
land on Back River, with other
properties. for the support OF a
Tree school and an able school.
children born within the county Of
Elizabeth City,
The two schools were united on the
present site of the Symes- Eaton AGad-
eral Assembly.
The old schooihouse and the present
emancipation Academy are shown In
the cabinet below, while on the top OF
another cabinet a map showing the
land grants OF Symes and Eaton for
public schools Is shown.
Virginia from the exhibit OF Elizbeth
City county as shown by the dona-
tons OF symes and Eaton, and the
aahbit n sorfdlk County ssow When
public school feea, through the fnflu-
ence of Thomas Jefferson and others
FIRST took firm hold upon our people
educational history.
Whit Cabinets Contain.
The cabinets OF Elizabeth city county
contain pictures OF Symes- Eaton Acad-
envy. i63i-IG59; the present building,
erected In 1900: the symes- Eaton libra
ry and an interior view of the school,
rooms There is also seen illustrated
history work. primary paper cutting.
writing, sewing and weaving. knitting.
wnr I'd ard raftia work. illustrated
SEVENTH grade work IN English third
and fourth grade work in history. ge-
ography from grades FIVE, Six and seven
and arithmetic work.
a second cabinet contains pictures
OF the Phoebus school. the playground.
the old school and interior views of
schoolrooms, also pictures of boys and
girls In the gymnasium The curricu-
linn of the primary and grammar
grades are further shown by primary
sewing. paper cutting, weaving and
illustrated language; Ian guage = a e iad
grade English and production maps
with specimens OF history from hftf
z grade. 8s5F n
Library shown.
Still another cabinet shows the libra,
~, interior views OF high school, tbs
merclal law. business methods. type
writing. zoology. chemistry, agricul.
ture, nature study, mathematics and
illustrated English. The oyster au6
the crab as nature study and as com.
mercial geography have received due
attention.
In the bases of these cabinets are
found paper cutting. sewing. ratfia
weaving and relief maps. nature study
and types of work in agriculture. Rliz.
abeth City county also. shows bount
volumes OF school work from ever!
grade Of the Symes- Eaton Academy anc
the West End Academy. They havt
volumes of work In mathematics, higt
school work. composition work an,
primary work, and volume OF ~ori
in forestry and agriculture.
On the walls are relief maps In sal
and -four. colored. and map of Ellz
nbeth City county showing land dona
tion by Symes and by Eaton.
Perhaps 1t is not generally know,
that Virginia was first in public schoo
work. and that Elizabeth City COUNTY
= to-day challenges comparison with tn
best schools of the country.