Evening star., 1935-11-03
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

THERE is no more SIrlhln9 III
- stance of post Civil War school
architecture IN the District of Column
bia than is to be seen In the Curtis
School. on o street between Wisconsin
avenue and Thirty-third street
Like Georgetown itself. it has an
individuality and personality all its
own, even to the shiny surface OF
the worn brown stone baluStrades
which confine its broad entrance
steps. One glance at them tells you
their smoothness is the result of fric-
tion induced by generations OF little
boys shredding their trousers against
them as they have taken forbidden
slides down them on their way home
from school.
Across the street is historic ST.
Johns Church. Georgetown, with its
boulder memorial to Col. Ninian Beal.
commander in chief of the Provincial
Forces of Maryland.
Erected by the Society of Colonial
Wars "in grateful recognition of his
services upon all incursions and dis
turbances against neighboring In
dians," it links a glamorous past to
a twentieth century present.
The Curtis School is the only school
In the District of Columbia ever to
be built without any funds being
available for its erection in the mu-
nicipal treasury.
New Government Set Up.
BY act OF Congress February, 1871,
territorial government was set up
ir, l,a nicfriot m toinh
ceded various local municipal govern
ments heretofore existing for Wash
ington, Georgetown and the county.
Gov. Cook found himself with a
treasury destitute of funds for public
works because of the financial disar-
rangements caused by the legislative
set-up. That the leanness of the ad-
ministrative cupboard extended into
1874 is evidenced in the records of
the School Board of that year. where
it is shown that w. w. Corcoran,
through Supt. of Schools Wilson. Of
fered to advance to the municipality
two months pay to teachers and
janitors without interest, which Of
fer was accepted by the board with
thanks, and Mr.. Corcoran advanced
S25. 500"
In the whole of Georgetown there
were but three Inadequate poverty
stricken buildings in which were
housed 10 schools, five for boys and
five for girls Highly esteemed pri-
vate schools flourished, on the other
hand. under the patronage of dis
tinguished citizens with the result
that there was a certain disparage-
ment in connection with having chill
dren attend public schools.
Plaint Almost Modern.
This plant of the period in regard
TO then existing school conditions is so
familiar that it might we'll be current.
There is need of more school houses,
but there is great difficulty in interest
ing the authorities through whom the
necessary appropriations are available
to provide the means for the erection
OF these school buildings"
William Wallace Curtis, whose home
at 140l Thirty-firSt street, Georgetown,
is now owned by Justice Roberts Of
the United States Supreme Court, was
of New England ancestry and
product Of the public schools of Ohio
"A partisan of Georgetown against
the world" for the betterment of the
public schools of Georgetown, he de-
voted his particular attention and in
fluence to what he regarded as a need
paramount above all others. The Curtis
School is the monument to the labor
Ing oar which he lent to this cause
The conception and erection of the
q Curtis School is tribute to the vision
and cooperation of the first Governor
of the District. of James Ormond Will
son, superintendent of the white
schools of Washington and George
town, the trustees of the Edward
Magruder Linthicum and George Pea
body funds, and the members of the
Georgetown School Board of which
Curtis was a member. Anthony W.
Hyde, William Laird Dunlop, Fred
w. Moffat and George Beall, associates
Of Curtis. backed this union of minds
Conditional Loan Made.
William A. Gordon, secretary, signed
the covenant for the Linthicum In
stitute trustees. agreeing to loan to the
School Board $4,000 on two condi-
tionS. One, that Potomac street be
extended to Third street, and second,
that an opinion be obtained from
Walter S. Cox showing the power
OF the School Board to mortgage
school property. Hyde. whose name
Is commemorated in the school which
today adjoins the Curtis, as secretary
for the Peabody Library Fund. signed
the communication which authorized
the borrowing of $1,000 for term of
60 days from the Farmers and Me-
chanics' Bank of Georgetown, now
branch OF the Riggs National Bank.
AS a result of this coalition the
hitherto unused funds of the Linthi-
cum Institute and the Peabody Lii
brary were pooled and set to work in
the erection of the Curtis School which
under one roof was to provide a room
for the Peabody Library, one for the
Linthicum Institute and an audi
torium and eight class rooms.
To this school there came the chill
dren of Georgetown's representative
citizens. Today they will tell you with
enthusiasm of their early school days
at the Curtis. Among this number is
Harry B. Meem president of the Wash
ington Loan g. Trust Co., descendant
OF six generations of native George
townians. who is an eighth-grade pupil
at Curtis was taught by Mrs. Laura
Bradley and Dexter Smith. The latter
was not only teacher, but companion,
Meem says, and fondly called "Dex
Smith" by the boys.
Institute Gets Own Quarters.
The municipality entirely discharged
It's obligations to the two funds that
had made possible the existence of the
Curtis School. After q time the Lin
tficum Institute, requiring greater ex-
pansion than was possible under the
original set-up, withdrew from the
combination and built its own quar-
ters, where the GEORGETOWN Assembly