Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-05-07
Woodside School Dedicated.

The new eight-room brick school build
ing, dimensions rs by SO feet. at Wood
| side, this county, was dedicated with cere-
monies on Saturday last. The exercises
consisted mainly of speeches and singing.
Senator Blair Lee was one of those who
addressed the audience.
II is modern structure throughout, with
especially good facilities for lighting and
heating, and will be used as an eieht-grade
school,
The project for building the school oriei-
mated with the Home Interest Club. COM
posed entirely of women. The club raised
$500 in various ways, and the men of the
community raised $4,000 more.
The land on which the school stands was
given by Mr.. B. F, Leighton. Senator Blair
Lee secured the passage of bill through
the Maryland legislature authorizing the
board of county school commissioners to
accept school building subject to mort
gage.
The program was opened by DIR. George
II. Wright, president of the board of trus-
tees of the school. Addresses were also
made by Mrs. Frances M. Gregory, presi-
dent of the Home Interest Club; George II.
Lamar, president of the board of county
school commissioners b. +. Leighton,
president of the Woodside School Associa-
ton.
A history of the school was read by Mrs.
l.. b. Thompson. The pupils of the school
sang America" and Maryland, My Mary
land"
In reading history of the school Mrs.
Thomson went into details to show the
growth of the movement. She said in
part
"In the summer of the year 1905 Pc
titiOn was circulated by Mrs. Barber, of
Linden, former teacher. asking for a
graded school, to be comprised of the va
rious schools of Wheaton district. About
seventy-five signatures were obtained and
it was sent to the county school commits
sioners. This was the first impulse toward
that which afterward developed into a
strong local sentiment.
THE matter lay quiescent for long pc
riOd and finally came up for discussion in
the Home Interest Club. proposition
was made to this club by Mr. Cassidy. the
popular proprietor of the Forest Glen Semi
nary, through Mrs. Cassidy, member of
the club to donate generous sum of mon
ey, provided that suitable lots for a new
school building could be obtained and an
additional sum of money sufficient to in
sure desirable building
This resulted in the appointment of a
committee which waited upon Mr.. Leigh
ton. of Woodside, in regard to land. That
gentleman responded by promise of land,
and more land than the committee had
dared to hope for.
"Mr, Leighton is founder Of Woodside.
Lives there only during the summer. He
Is practicing lawyer in Washington and
director in the Columbia Bank. Is ma
tive of Maine. His Gift to the county was
six well Located lots, right on the turnpike,
overlooking the beautiful Noyes farm.
THE committee consisting of Mrs, Little,
Mrs. Getty. of Forest Glen, and Mrs. Burket,
of Linden, reported this to the Home In
terest Club. 1t was voted to accept Mr..
Cassedy's proposition.
1.-THE other clubs of the neighborhOod
having become interested through members
belonging to the Home Interest Club a joint
committee was formed to wait upon the
county school commissioners. The encOur-
agement given by the commissioners re-
suited in the formation of an association
to take charge of all business connected
with the school.
I'VE meet to-day to see the results OF
the combined efforts of the association and
the Home Interest Club"