Evening star., 1937-09-26

HISTORY OF SCHOOL HOUSING
Modern Structures Introduced Period of Educational Develop
ment Under Noted Teachers Whose Names
Have Permanent Place.

Louise Fenwick. Maude E. Noyes.
Walter G. Clephane. Charles S. Domer,
Victor Kaufman, Eva Shuster, Abner
Proctor and Carl A. A. Droop.
THE next school building of i'm
portance erected was the Seaton,
completed in 1871, and still standing
on street between Second and Third
streets northwest. Then came the
Jefferson, on the Island" or, more
definitely Cfor the benefit OF the
younger generation), on the corner
Of Sixth and D streets southwest.
How very interesting must this old
block be to many an old-timer of
South Washington and even the
youngster for that matter, for the
Jefferson Building, together with a
number Of portables, located between
D and School streets and Four-and-
a-half and Sixth streets, Is still being
used for public school purposes.
The first school built in this block
was erected in l845. It was of brick,
two stories high, q feet inches in
width by ~ feet 10 inches in length.
and had l2-foot ceilings, and evi-
IDENTIFY faced Sixth street. The site
was known as lot No. 8, and was pur-
chased from Thomas and w. w. Cor
coran for $3.50, the deed being dated
March 13, l845. Subsequent purchases
In this block included part of lot g.,
from John M. Springman, May IL,
1860, for $3,525; part of lot 8, from
Patrick O'Brien, May "a, 1860, for
$l,100; part Of lot 8, from George
Wright, May %. 1860. I~r 1928; lot
No. 10, from Richard Barry, May IL,
1860, for 1890.
FOR many years the South Wash
ington schools were In what was
called the fourth district, now desig-
mated As the fourth division, and the
elementary schools of that section are
now q part of it. The first teacher in
School Square-where the Jefferson
Building stands, now a junior high
school-of which the writer has record,
was Henry Hardy. In 1849 Mr.. Hardy
resigned and John E. Thompson sue
ceeded him as principal of the school.
being assisted by Mrs. NJ A. Hinton.
In this district Mr.. Thompson re-
mained for nearly 40 years, always
in a high capacity. He resigned his
position in October, 1884, and died
March 20 Of the following year. He
was regarded as one. of the most sue
cessful instructors of his time, and the
scholars who graduated with honor
from his school were well equipped
to enter life's battle for a respectable
livelihood.
There was more rivalry in the early
days between the four districts than
apparently exists today, due no doubt
to the number Of prizes then annually
awarded to the pupils. Chief among
these were the Kendall, King and Co.
lumbian College scholarships.
The first Of these was provided for
by Amos Kendall as scholarship in
Columbian College now George
Washington University-in which he
stipulated that 1t was to remain oper-
ative only so long as Calvary Baptist
Church was represented on the Board
of Trustees Of that institution.
The King scholarship was the gift
Of Horatio King, Postmaster General
during Buchanans administration,
and provided . scholarship in Dick
inson College.
THE Columbian College scholarship
was provided for direct by that
college in 1866, and the successful
scholar that year was James E. Bangs
OF the Male Grammar School in the
first district-Strong John Thomson's
School-the runners-up being Giles A.
Heilprin, w. r. Brown and Henry
Simpson.
In 1870 the Kendall scholarship was
first awarded to Theodore w. Noyes,
who lived with his family on the
island" and went to school to John E.
Thompson. The report Of the Exam
lining Committee for the public schools
was dated July 80, 1870.
In 1912 this scholarship went to
William H. Luff, also Of the Male
Grammar School of the fourth school
district, presided over by Mr.. Thomp-
son, Strong Johns" able rival in
educating prize pupils. The King
scholarship went to Daniel Foley of
the third district. The following year,
the Kendall prize, a six-year course
in the university, went to Edwin L.
Scott Of the third district, the King