The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02
WOODLAND SCHOOL CENSUS SHOWS GAIN Great improvements Under Way
 In Thriving Suburb NEW CITY HALL BUILDING Twenty Thousand Dollars Worth of Cement Sidewalks Have Just Been
 compIeted-Recent Reports [
 of City Officials.
NEW CITY HALL BUILDING


 the population of children within the l school age is 2o24.
 1 The school population in 1906 was 1641. l The increase in the two years is a frac- tion over 2S per cent, which is consid- cred to be most excellent showing The actual population of the town, based on i these figures is about 10000.
 1 Mayor Perryman, as well as the other | officials of the municipality, is very much ! pleased with the report and the evident growth of the town. Woodlawn has,
 perhaps, a larger percentage of white
 population than any other town in the 1 district.
 School Improveme ! The town is making extensive improve 1 ments in its school facilities. The Gib-
 son building is being enlarged by the 1 erection of two large wings, making this l the largest school building In the town. 1 Sewer connections will be completed in
 all the school buildings of the town be- 1 fore the opening of the next term. There are three brick buildings for whites and l two wooden structures for negroes. | Woodlawn has made wonderful strides | in every line during the past two years
 and the public spirit of the town officials
 and the public generally deserves much credit. No municipality in the Birming- ham group has done more for the pub | lie welfare and comfort of it's people Improved public buildings, miles and
 miles of cement sidewalks, cherted streets, improved schools and what is vqta in the state of Alabama are among the numerous progressive things that have been accomplished in this enterprising
 suburb of Birmingham in less than two
 years And the work is not yet com
 pleted.
 New City Building. The contract for the erection of the
 new city hall and fire department build
 ing at the corner of First avenue and Fifty-hfth street has just been let to Charles w. Hall and the work of re-
 moving the old buildings on the lot has already been about completed. Work on
 the building itself is to begin at once. This building will cost when completed about $22, 900 and will be one of the hand somest and most complete for it's size and cost in the state. It will be of brick and stone and will be set back from the street and avenue far enough to admit of parking on both exposed sides. Mayor Perryman has the eye of an idealist and
 will look closely after the beautifying Of every available spot in the city. new fire engine has been ordered and will arrive by the time the quar-
 ters in the new building are ready Wood
 lawn has an efficient and well organ
 ized fire department and large improve
 ments are being planned for the service. There are two paid men supplemented
 by a well organized volunteer body, the members of which are paid well for actual
 service.
 Cement Sidewalks. A contract for s2OOOO worth of cement sidewalks has just been completed and turned over to the city and there is now in the bank s5O,OOO for additional improvements of the same kind. This additional work is to be done at once and when completed practically every street in the town will have been i'm
 proved
  system has just been put in at the total cost of s65, 900. This is said to be the best sewerage system in any town in the state of Alabama and the citizens are justly proud of the improvement and the distinction.
 The total value of buildings, public and otherwise, under course of construction
 in Woodlawn at the present time is more than s125,OcO One of the most conspic- uous buildings under construction Is the brown stone structure for the Woodlawn
 Baptist church, which will cost when completed $50,OOO This will be one of the finest churches in the Birmingham district and the people of Woodlawn of all denominations are justly proud of 1t. Handsome residences and commodious business blocks are going up all over the place and almost daily there are reports of other improvements being planned Woodlawn is almost exclu- sively a residential community and the
 people take pride in providing public utility comforts and beautifying the
 streets and grounds.
 Bank Is Planned. One of the most amb itious enter prises that is just now being planned by leading business men is a bank which will probably be organized dur ing the next few months. The institu- tion will probably occupy quarters in the new city public building and will be equipped with all modern appli- ances and conveniences for legitimate banking purposes.
 A general idea has gone out that the city officials of Woodlawn are fight ing annexation to Greater Birmingham This is not true. The officials are will ing and even desirous of coming in un- der the provisions of the King Greater Birmingham bill, or even at the end of the present fiscal year, which is but d | few months ahead of the statutory date l for annexation.
 Thousands of dollars worth of public improvements have been completed, are | now under way and provided for for immediate consummation and the presen. 1 administration desires to complete all this work before turning over the town and it's assets to another government. Has $8o,000 In Bank. The town now has something like $80,000 in bank for the completion of improvements in the municipality and the officials feel that since the ex- penditure of this money has been au-