The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-01
HISTORIC INTEREST CENTERS
AROUND SAINT P.AJL SCHOOL
Third Largest of Its Kind in the United States 1t Has De-
veloped From What Was at One Time Small Parish
School on Plantation OF General Cox

The circumstances of the evolution
Of tho st. Paul Normal and Industrial
school, LAwrencevtile, from a small
parish school to the third largest In
stitution OF it, kind In the United
States u one Of those human fntereet
stortss that appeals TO every ono. Tne
narrative has tust enough OF the his
toric ana romantic about 1t to form
4 good setting. Like most events
southern. II has an antebellum exist
ence. This was in the form of . slave
plantation, one Of the extensive as.
tates OF General Cox, wealthy plant
er OF Charlotte county. who used the
plantation AZ q sort OF supply ana
training station for his other plan
tations In the county ana the Tar
south. The general resided in his
home county, making periodical WIS.,
its to Brunswick to look after his IN
terestA One of the peculiarities OF
the school plantation and Meherrin'
another of the generals farms. were
the dirt houses. These were slave
quarters built OF mud. hardened Ia
the sun and then whitewashed. orig
lnaily there we're a dozen OF these
on the schools plantation and
herrin. Quite one hundred years
have elapsed since the bull ding or
these dirt houses, yet on the scheof
farm there are still standing In
fair state of preservation three OF
these houses On the Meherrin there
are several in an excellent condition,
being still habitable. due to the 1act
that some one had almost always
lived in them. On Rose Creek, the
school farm. il was difYsrent--no one
lived in them and there was nothing
tn stay the unspartng hand OF time.
This historic liking Of the last ana
present Is one Of the features OF a
visit TO st. Paul On one hand are
the electric lighted and steam heated
buildings of tho school. ana on the
other. hand the dirt houses, old gr'En,
gray and silent. mute but eloquent re-
minders of the long past
- sr,ntst,u ,ssssf -ksasaFeasssRnt-
I.awrencevilie. the county seat OF
ur,,nswfck il one of the livest anti
nos, progrsssfye towns In Southside
Virginia. The county In one OK tna
rich agricultural counties OF the state
and has the largest prepondera nee OF
negro population. In fact, the senooi
ts right In the heart OF ths niacA
belt All the surrounding counties
have heavy negro populations. ~
fact. a line drawn ab.#heFe WtAlh
a radius of nifty miles Of the scnoo'
would embrace 5e.e0e negroes. ~
will be seen that the school Is Ideally
situated with reference to carrying on
ira work of uplift The environment
~ the school ia one Of homes ana
churches There are no hRrrooms or
othar communicating influences In tue
town. Being far removed from the
great centers OF population the schooi
Ia most favorahly situated for the Tor
nation of character and stualouS
habits.
Founding and Growth.
Twenrv-eiSh> years ago. Archdea-
co,, lanes .. Russell. then d young
minister fresh from his ordination 10
,ha a,aconats. came TO Lawrencssiiie
AZ Yatystonary for Bruhswaek anu
MecA nhurg counties, he Induced tae
cc,,ndh OF Virginia TO give him s-oo
~ .reo. a chapel. In the vestry room
a. this he opened parish sehooa- "a
tsr~e usars the building became m
se.nuia and threeroomed struS-
20 called the saul Building sHes
Ia. principal donor, Rev, Dr. saul.
Yh.s, delphia, Pa. Was stsetea'
500. became inadequate s4so' al"
new and larger BUILDINGS we're :
sary. Then il WAS the afehoe ~
determination upon plan over which
he rad praved and meditated LOT
snuettr,e the starting of hefh'a'
school, Hls practical eye NAG se s's
yor some time the necessity OF ah ="
stitution 20. s,apgis >tae means ~ Spsa-
fional training as well as academic to
,ha children OF the thousands OF ihs
negroes adjacent 10 the school ne
had mo- money nor tieh. mn uos i "a
ertends. but he had Astounding iAtti,
in God. and In the tusf1ee OF
cause A piece OF land came On ."e
market about this time. Nitnous
dollar in hand or cent pieagea he
negotiated for It's purchase gaNans .'tis
own notes in payment a.o
later the first contribution or 70 came
raats~eta for lumber and nullalns
material we're let on July j, 1898, a'G
Santembar "a. 1888. the Normal sehooi
was formally opened with tntee
teachers and eight noarders- tna'
was twenty-five years ago. Today ths
school has 500 Students 81 teache ~
ana instructors and employees ivy
sraauates over 2,5o9 under graduates
81 sehoal huildings. !. 600 a cres OF lanu
ana students from twenty-six States
OF the Union. Cuba, Porto hie" aao
sven far off Africa. The school has
&c endowment worth speaking OF, .ns
r,onev necessary to ran Ii Is aTouhu
$50 oee annually over and above re-
CENTS from students for poaru- ~
schools assured income Is apou. ~ a.
eno annually The balance OF sso.ooe
must he raised by voluntary eoh.''
h,,,ions. The. work at raising sa&h =
rum annually Ia a great tax upon ~.
energies -resoArGfs az my = ~ =
nsl and the trustees, The school ap.
meals to all who are friends OF nekrs
education for their support ana go,
pathy The school Is enanieo TO go
because of the generosity OF trienus
both North and South
Course Of Study, Terms. Etc.
tn school has three general de.
n.rtments. normal. Industrial, ane
sric,,ltural. Instructions In all o.
snase departments are free. the oni,
charca being for board, So per month
tht. Includes furnished room. neat
tights. ana laundry. Even with these
r,naerate rates many are too poor e
avail themselves OF 1t. So the schoo
overs opportunities Tor deserving poy'
ana girls to work their way through
In fact. lack OF money need not de-
har any boy or girl. who desires I'll
education. and Is not afraid OF WORK
S,o,n school. There are sixteen trades
taurht Tar boys and six for girls VIII
trea elementary training IN music 10
iii Realizing that religious trasnins
!. tho base for the highest type o
c,tfzanship and enlightened soelefs
vooa Religious influences are fnroWi
arc,,ra the students in various reii