The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1917-07-27
HAMPSTEAD CONDEMNATION
CASE.
Kenny Lester Allowed $l.OOo Dam-
apeS Against School Board

Tuesday and Wednesday of this week
the Circuit Court, Judge Brashears
string. was engaged in the trial OF
Tho condemnation case at the suit of
the Board of Education OF Carroll
Conntv against V. Kenny Lester, for
the purpose of condemning a lot OF
land belonging to Mr. Lester in the
town of Hampstead to be USED LOT
nnh1ic school purposes. The lot Is
about in the center of the town anu
fronts ON Main street at the Black
Rock road. 1t was shown to be val
uable lot and the jury in assessing
the damages allowed MIR. Lester the
sum of $1,000.
Mr.. Lester had recently purchased
the property from which this lot was
taken at $500 a front foot, and the
land condemned was 81 feet and about
10 feet back, making an average 'front.'
age of 80 feet and the jury fixed the
value at the price Mr.. Lester paid Tor
the land, or $4,000, it would seem
from the verdict, and awarded him
$3.50 90 consequential damages to the
remaining portion of his land for the
taking of the part included in the con-
demnation proceedings.
Inc ClLlL6LlS Vi AIoAAAp1I~%~~
had provided a large sum of money
and purchased a valuable lot of land
adjacent to the old school lot in that
town and had decided same to the
School Board. The lot condemned by
the iurv this week was needed to COM
Dlete the corner of the parallelOgram
which will be the shape of the pre-
sent Hampstead School lot and Will
give 4 total for school purposes OF
about 3 acres of land.
Mr.. Lester had contemplated Dullu-
ing a residence, and intended to occupy
the same. on the lot that has been
condemned. in conjunction with the
garage which he has prepared 10
erect on another portion of his pro-
Derty next to the school lot, and for
that reason he was unwilling to state
to the School Board any price at
which the property could be bought:
The School Board deemed that it was
necessary to have this lot for public
school purposes in Hampstead anu
when they were unable to obtain 1t
by purchase they were Obliged 10 re-
sort to condemnation proceedings
which resulted in the jury awarding
the lot to the School Board and fixing
the damages accordingly. Inc jury
was taken from the last regular panel
at the May term and was composed OF
the following citizens of Carroll COun-
tv: Oscar d. Gilbert, Ira K. Englar,
Harvey Z. ShOrb, Dennis A. Smith,
Harry C. Blizzard, Winter d. Jones,
George A. Barnes, Walter l.. Rented,
Ohio A. Fleming, Ralph S. Reifsnlder'
John T. f. Hess, Oliver c. Erb.
There were a great many witness
ses who testified on each side or the
case and in the course or the trial IL
was brought out that real estate IN
Hampstead has very much increased
in value during the last few years,
indeed it was shown there Is a land
boom" on in the town. This is a very
prosperous and growing community
and the present school facilities are
wholly inadequate to the demands OF
the community. The School Board has
been making every effort to be ready
with site for the school building
when it shall be found possible to pro-
vide sufficient money for the erection
Of the same.
This was the first case, so far as
we know, in which the law OF 1916 has
been invoked whereby school boards
of the several counties of Maryland
are authorized to condemn land for
school sites whenever same shall be
reasonably necessary up to five acres,
including the site on which the school
buildings are placed.
The jury that sat in this case was
an exceptionally able and we'll quail
fed one, and it is believed that the
verdict is generally satisfactory to
the citizens of Hampstead.