The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-26
DUNCAN VI. BROWN SCHOOL,
Wythe Street.

poor children" and was conducted by
board. chosen by the Council. Like
wise in 1856 another free school for
the poor children" MAS established in
| Biandford, Methodist chapel being
nrst used ana then building wus
erected on the courthouse lot Thi.
was later TO become. on another site,
East Ward ScAool" So FAR /; seems
| there had Seen no schools for negro
children. but the three schools above
i continued through the ,var and after
! TO train the boys and girls OF Peters.
burg.
or these schools OF seventy-nye years
| ago very full records have been pre-
served, and curious and interesting they
are: very strange to US of to-day do
tne'r rules seem, their studies. etc.
out out OF this distant time come some
stirring names. Suffice /; to mention a
Grass register of 1916. which shows the
anne of Jno D. Kelley, as teacher, and
| under him his three boys y NJ e NJ
John .. From this trio were 10 come
Mayor Of Richmond. minister to
Turkey and Judge at Cairo and a
Bishop of Savannah.
| And again from ls6o-6s. we ma as
printiPal Of Anderson Seminary the
! virginia historian. Charles CampbelI
lhese dates suggest the horrors of
!
! n!ied "lth illusions to battles, fast
| days. etc.
| City System Merged Into State.
ne pluck OF Petersburg s IL emery
.ed from the siege and suffering of war
should be a lesson OF encouragement
Forever Within less than three years
we hnd the city authorities planning
Tor a schol system. for both the negro
and the white. providing full elcmen-
tary and high school instruction; for
The whites three elementary and one
high school were established; for the
| negroes four elementary schools, and
| IN all OF these the length OF session
| was forty-two weeks. Instead of
! separate trustees for each school there
i was created by an ordinance of the
Council in 1858 q Board of Education
consisting OF nine members who should
care Tor all the educational work Of
the city In 1871 an act OF the Cen
| e!al Assembly created the present
state system of education, into which
the local system easily and promptly
became Incorporated. The city was d.
vided into four districts. as they have
ever since existed, and board OF
twelve members was elected. Andrew
kevan became the first president, Will
liam H. Baxter clerk and treasurer,
| and Sidney II. Owens, the first city
superintendent.
Growth Under the State.
For forty years now the present
| system has directed public education.
Definite local and State appropria-
lions as liberal as could be secured.
took the place of private bequest. Pea
body. and Freedman Bureau funds
Definite and uniform curricula develop.
ed In the elementary schools. and
good high school courses were pro-
| vidcd for both races
! Popular support and use Of the sys-
TEN began to spread. and in advance
| Of, or in step with popular interest,
the board provided Increased facili
ties. While through all these years
there has been gradual growth and
abundant pre- offs OF the effectiveness OF
the schools, space permits us to men
tion briefly only two eras
In 1873 were erected Anderson and
Peabody schools. the former to be for
| a generation one OF the best school
buildings In the State and the very
| backbone for the white schools, and
\