Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-01-29
COMMUNITY BUILDING.

Al meeting OF a Joint committee
appointed to represent the council, the
citizens and the fire company, il was
decided To make the following state
ment of facts and appeal 10 the citi-
zens of Shepherdstown and COM
munlty in the interest of worthy
cause Some years ago the Shep
herdstown Fire Company, feeling the
need of a permanent home and after
much work, aided by the public with
generous contributions, purchased
lot and built the firemen's hall at a cost
OF about S9,0O000. Six thousand of
TINS amount, after years of struggle,
was raised and paid, but owing 70 tho
coming OF the war with its demands
upon the community, all efforts 10
1iSenaree the remaining debt were
discontinued, and there remains in
Guiding interest yet to be paid about
SS,70000, and the Indebtedness will
have to be met in the near future or
this splendid building, now valued AZ
ABOUT SlS,OOO.OO, will drift into pri.
vate ownership. The property is now
held by trustees elected by the fire.
men, but II is agreed TO deed the prop
erty TO the corporation of Shepherds
town and the firemen to have n room
on lower floor for a place of meeting,
to store the fire engine and Equipment
they as usual TO keep in good order the
property Of the town.
lhis is the third building erected for
the use OF the community, two of
which have drifted out of the hands of
the people OF the town. The old. col
lege hall was given TO the town by the
VIII OF the late r. ID. Shepherd, and
the Ladies' Town Hall Association
nuilt the adjoining structure, to which
| the public contributed about Sd. 600
both OF these buildings have been
turned over to the Stater and IL .t,,e
present building in question passes
into private hands $4,000 all told will
be lost and the people of the com
munity. will have no place of their own
TOT public meetings, and the fircmen
VIII nave no headquarters, which Is
absolutely necessary to keep alive an
organization for the protection OF the
iiVes and property OF our town and
community. No town is safe withou.
hre department and no fire depart
ment is efficient without the co-opera-
tion and encouragement Of the public,
lhere are two classes Of citizens to
whom we appeal, those who are ad
Iacent to the town and whose home,
can be reached in case of fire, and the
community AT large who are interested
in having free hall for public as
sembly. On this account there are
plans under consideration for raising
the necessary funds to liquidate this,
debt, by calling on the public outside
the corporate limits of the town for
contributions, and the town to raise
the remainder BY issuing bonds upon
the corporation Of Shepherdstown. n
the bond issue carries at the election.
your. contributions can be paid. This
public hall will be under the cara of
three trustees elected by the people.
with restrictions that they cannot lease
or sell this building without a two.
thirds vote Of the. people. II is the
hope that all citizens will have the
towns interest and welfare at heart
and will respond to this opportunity
OF securing a public building of its
own, that the people can have the free
use OF. The people of our communi.
ty, always liberal. have contributed TO
many causes that have taken large
sums OF money to other sections. to
which there was but little local good
AS this is cause that will directly
benefit every citizen of our communi-
ty, II is hoped that the public will re-
spond with their usual liberality when
the committee calls upon you.