The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1914-03-03
PUBLIC LIBRARY
TO REOPEN SOON
Room in Parker Studio Build
ing Rented for Purpose.

thg n6ilt5u iui IutpuS6.
The public library will be re-opened
as soon as arrangements can be per-
fected. A room in the Parker studio
building has been rented by the trus-
tees and will be equipped with many
new books as we'll as all the period
icals. Miss Caroline o. Lounsbury,
librarian, will be in charge.
With all the members present ex-
cept F. v. Pitnex. who was i'll, the
Board of Directors of the Library and
Lyceum met Friday afternoon in the
office of former Judge A. e. Mills, and
decided to ascertain the sentiment of
the public before settling on the re-
building of the Library, burned on
Washington's Birthday morning. The
committee, in charge of the rebuild
ing, decided to ask the advice of coun
sci as to whether or not the directors
are in any way obligated to make a
lecture hall and school features of
the new building. They also decided
to test the feeling of the general pub
lie on whether it wished the new
building to be just a library or IL
brary and school combined, or Ii
brary and lyceum or as it was before,
a library, school and lyceum.
This committee, which is a special
one on rebuilding and is headed by
Gordon e. Sherman, is working to
secure an adjustment of the insurance
and, as soon as this is done, will be in
a position to do something definite
The Board of Directors is composed
of John E. Taylor, president; former
Judge A. E. Mills, P. B. Pierson, Rev,
Franklin B. Dwight, DR.. f. w. Owen,
and G. e. Sherman. The committee
on rebuilding is as follows: Gordon
e. Sherman, chairman; A. E. Mills,
F. v. Pitney, and DR.. F. w. Owen,
with J. e. Taylor ex-officio.
The association, the Morristown Lii
brary and Lyceum, was Incorporated
in March, 1866, and Alfred Mills, John
Whitehead and William G. Caskey
were appointed commissioners to re-
ceive subscriptions to the capital
stock which was restricted to a sum
not exceeding $4,000. With $4,000
subscribed board of directors was
appointed and they started to look for
site. There was none on the green
available at reasonable price and
when the Morris Academy property
ON South Street was offered the di-
rectors as a site for the proposed
building with the proviso that a room
in the building be reserved for a clas-
sical school it was accepted The
owners of the old academy exchanged
their stock in that concern for Lyceum
stock and turned in the property at
valuation of $4,000.
Plans by Col. George B. Post, of
New York, and who died recently at
his country home in Bernardsyille,
were submitted. A beautiful speci-
men of stone found on the property of
Hollow road was selected and was
donated by the water company.
Ground was broken in February, 1875,
and the foundation started the follow
ing May. Luther M. Baird & Co. did
the mason work and Schenck &
Youngs the carpentry, the stone was
cut by George Brown, of Newark. o.
j. Burnet, of Morristown, superin-
tended the construction.
The stone used for the building was
what is known as gray gneis or strait
fed granite, and with sandstone, brick
and tile trimmings the building pre-
sented a striking appearance. The
dimensions of the building were 78 by
98 and the walls were A feet high.
The weight of the walls, exclusive of
mortar, was thirty thousand tons.
The common council met for several
yearsdn the building The cost of the
building was about $65,000.
The Morris academy has secured
quarters in the Young Mems Chris
tian association building and has
opened for school
Boys of Morris academy who an
ticipated a prolonged vacation be-
cause of the fire were disappointed
for the academy lost just one hour.
Instead of opening at nine O'Clock
Tuesday morning the school did not
get under way in its new quarters
until ten O'Clock. A complete new
equipment of school books was on
hand for use Wednesday morning
and the school has resumed the even
tenor of it's way
A part of the schools equipment
has been recovered, at least few
of the books and some of the lab
oratory apparatus. The remains of
the bell that hung on the old acad-
emy building, the forerunner of the
library and lyceum, was found in the
ruins by Harold VanDoren, of the
academy faculty.
The burning of the building has re-
called to the minds of some of the
older citizens happenings of days
gone by. 3Heyward G.. Emmell says
that the first "show, to play in the
lyceum after it's construction was an
Uncle Toms Cabin company. The
hall was crowded to the doors but
the production did not please the
audience, Mr.. Emmell sold the tick
cts for the play at his store that at
that time was located in the build
ing on Park place now used by D.
P. Mcclellan for his carpet depart
ment.
James R. Voorhees,, an active mem
ber of Independent Hose company,
recalls that in April, 1860. he dis
covered a fire in the Morris acad-
emy building that formerly occupied
the site. He was boy then attend
ing the school. In those days hoop
poles weree made by the prisoners
in the county Jail and citizens pur-
chased the shavings for kindling
fires. 1t was "a pile of these shaw
ings in the old academy building that
was ablaze.