Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-01
PLANS FOR LAYING
STONE At CENTRAL
Dispute as to Whether the
School Had Its Origin in
1876 or 1877.
CONTRACTOR NOT CERTAIN
IF WORK WILL. BE READY

TIL. Central High School Alumni AS
sociation is planning to lay, before the
closing of the schools for the Christ
mas holidays, the corner stone OF the
new high school being erected at 18TH
and Clifton streets northwest. William
Dali. the contractor. cannot say posi-
lively that the building Will be ready
for the corner stone by that time, but
IL. fully expects that it will be, and is
doing all he can to have the structure
in readiness.
There are thousands of graduates OF
the school in Washington who are in
terested in the plans for the corner
stone laying The school now known
as the Central High School, having
been the only high school in Washing
ton for many years, was known for a
long time as the Washington High
School, and many residents OF WASH
fngton completed their education there
First Graduation in 1878.
The first class was graduated from
the school in June, 1878. Much interest
was aroused among the graduates of
this class, now living in Washington
In the Alumni Record that the date
"1s7s~ would be placed on the corner
stone of the building now under con
struction. as indicating the date or the
beginning of the school, Dut many
graduates of the school have never con.
.sidered the year 1875 as tne Yea. and ID
have always regarded the year 1871"
as the proper date
This was considered by some MEM
beers Of the Alumni Association to nave
been settled long ago. at the time the
Alumni Association raised funds for the
monument at the grave in ROCK creek
cemetery of Prof. Edward A Paul,
which bears upon 1T the inscription.
First Principal of the washington
High School, and the oaees'
1885,"
MANY graduates have expressed sur
prise that there should be any 1oea
of placing on the corner stone or the
new building the date 1870. ana are
insistent for the sake of historical ac.
curacy that the date should be lSii.
Fred i. Fishback, graduate OF the
class of 1888, who has always nam,
tanned a deep interest in the central
High School, is president of its Alumni
Association He states that he has
never heard the year 1876" suggested
as the year of the founding of the
high schools of Washington, and was
surprised when he learned that date
be put on the corner stone
Not Known as High School.
ON the other hand. DR.. Howard l..
Hodgkins dean. College of Engineering.
George Washington University, who is
the secretary of the class of 1873, the
first class graduated from the high
school, says that 1t was not legally
known as a high school when 1T was
started, although the students called
it that among themselves.
DIR. Hodgkins said yesterday: THE
class of 1873 was established in the
fall of 1871 II was a one-year class.
and was the first class established.
The school was called by the authori-
ties AN advanced grammar school 1t
was made up of boys from all parts
of the District, who had examinations
in the fall. and those who passed high
four scholars when it was opened.
Glasses were held in the old Thompson
building, on 18th street between X and
il streets.
we always called the school the
Washington High School among our
selves. but the authorities did not.
They called 1t an advanced grammar
school for two years after its inaugu-
ration. The reason for that was that
the temper of Congress was such in
those days in regard to school matters
that no appropriations could have been
obtained for anything called high
school There was a prejudice against
high school
Notwithstanding the fact that it was
called an advanced grammar school.
however. it was really a high school
Two years before 1877 there had
been a girls advanced grammar
school. and that held it's classes in the
Scaton building, on l street near I'd
street. So there were really advanced
-. g.
both 3cys and girls for some time be-
fore the high school, legally known as
such, began work"
Survivors of First Glass.
Bertis B. Thompson. law clerk in
the Was Department, is at present the
president of the class Of 1878 of the
high school. The full list of surviving
members of the class. who meet an
nuslls a. January, is as follows:
Cavour o. Bohrer. assistant superin
tendent. Northern Liberty market
Henry b. Bolton; Frank Il. Chapman
patent solicitor; Cornelius w. Clum
editor. Kensington News: John +. Con
Company; Daniel A. Edwards, witt
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company; John b. Espey. hardware
merchant: Frank E. Ferguson, assist
printing; John H. A. Fowler. store
keeper, government printing office; Al
vim T. Gregory, clerk, United States
Treasury: Alexander 7: Hensey, swartz
ell. Rheem & Hensey Company; How
ard L. Hodgkins, dean. College of En-
gineering. George Washington Univer
sity: Charles w. Holmes, treasurer
George Washington University: Charles
Jones. United States weather bureau
Charles r. Luce, physician: a. T. Mau