(Page 56) CHAPTER VI
The Complete History of Our Schools
In October 1714, Governor John Hart declared that the Queen had ordered the laws of the Providence to be revised. He urged the enactment of laws for the improvement of providing means of education. "He said that there is no school on the "Eastern Shoar," and only a slender support for one on the Western." He advised, when the Assembly dissented in matters, the members would "express themselves in such a manner as will rather Evidence the Clearness of your Judgment than the warmth of your resentment."
The town of Chesapeake has always had its schools, ever since there was but one row of houses there has been at least one public school, where the children of Chesapeake City and vicinity, could receive an education free. However, for the most part the early schools of Chesapeake were private. The public schools were provided by the county and there were very few books, in fact only those that were necessary for text books. There were no libraries at all in the schools at this time. The children were much pleased to think they had books that were absolutely necessary for receiving an education at (Page 57) all. The children that were able to pay for their education usually attended the private school, as the education received in them was much better than that of the public school.
One of the oldest citizens of Chesapeake City explained the schools of her time as follows. The first public school she remembers and attended was an old frame building located on Canal Street. This building stood directly across from the present residence of Mr. Buchanan. She attended this school in the year of 1848. The teacher in charge was a Mrs. Harris. This building was very crude on the interior. There was but one room. The walls were whitewashed and perfectly bare, as there were no pictures at all hung upon them, this being contrary to the prevailing idea of what a school was. There was not even a clock on the wall that the children might know the time, the only time piece, which was a watch, was kept by the teacher. There were no blackboards at all in the building. The pupils used pens made from quills, which were made by the teacher. The only writing they were required to do was that of writing in a copy book and their alphabet upon slates. They used slates which were supplied by the school. They sat on benches which were plain old wooden ones with no backs at all. The stove was located in about the middle of the room.
(Page 58)This building was just for the beginners, therefore, they took up only Spelling, Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. The day was started with chapel exercises by repeating the prayer and by the singing of one hymn. They did not have any musical instrument in the schools at this early period, and the singing was lead by the teacher of the school. They all recited their lessons together as we do today. Their spelling was heard by the class standing up along the wall and spelling the words as they were given out. If they missed a word they would "cut up and down," as they do in some of the schools of today. Spelling was the favorite study of the majority of the students. Their chapel exercises were the only pleasure they had to look forward to as they did not have any entertainments of any kind, not even on holidays. The Christmas entertainments were held in the churches, and some of the school children took part in these. They did not have any holidays, except Christmas, when they had just a day or two. School was conducted the twelve months and five days in a week. They had noon hour and a short recess period in the morning and afternoon as we do at the present time.
The teacher seemed to take interest in all her students and they all seemed to enjoy going to school and were eager to learn in spite of the fact that all were (Page 59) subjected to a rigorous discipline. If a student missed a lesson or did anything he was not supposed to do he never failed to receive his due punishment. The little boys were punished by putting them under a cheese-box and making two other boys sit on the top to hold it down. This penalty was imposed principally upon the boy who persisted in talking to the girl upon whom fell his admiration. The little girls were punished by being hit on the hand with the ruler or "slapped" with a copy book.
In 1850 the old school building was torn down and a residence built where it had stood. The next building this old lady remembers having attended was a public school that stood on the ground now occupied by the Methodist Church. This was in the year 1851. The teacher in charge was a Mr. Noland. This building was also a frame building and not much better constructed than the one on Canal Street. There was but one small room, which was very much like the one described above. This school was not run by grades and only the children who were not any further advanced than our third grade attended. She only attended this school six months, when the Old Academy was erected immediately across the road part of it was in front of the Park Hotel and part in front of Kaufman's Store. This building contained two rooms, one on the first floor and one on the second. Mr. Scale was Principal. He con- (Page 60) ducted his classes on the first floor. He taught Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Geography, and Grammar. A lady gave painting lessons on the second floor.
There was quite a large attendance in the "Old Academy" at this time, as both young ladies and young men attended besides all the smaller children. A great many of the older students took up painting lessons, Grammer, and Geography, but the little children were not taught any of these.
This building was later moved to its present location, as the state wished to build a road and their plans were so laid that the road would have to take the course in the direction of the "Old Academy" thus this building being in the way was moved. This building was used as a public school up to the year of 1913, when it was closed and is now not used for anything at all.
Before taking up the modern schools it will be necessary to mention some of the most important private schools. These schools were very largely attended in the early days of Chesapeake City. One of the very earliest private schools was the one conducted over the present Warehouse, facing the canal on Canal Street. It was conducted by Miss Jennie Reeder and later by Miss Ella Macklin. Miss Mary Porter had charge of several private schools at this period, one being conducted in the old printing office on (Page 61) George Street and one in the building now used as a store by Mr. Harry Bungard, the third at the Pool Room Corner in the house now occupied by Mrs. Thos. Price. Mr. Martin a well known private school teacher later taught two different schools, one over the store now occupied by Mr. John Reed and one in the house now occupied by Mr. William Brown. A school over Pencil's store at one time was taught by a Miss Rena Poole and also by Miss Ella Macklin, as has been mentioned. All the above named were well known private schools besides the various others of less importance.
There was a public school building on George Street, which stood on the ground where Miss Mary Miller's house now stands. This was a frame building containing two rooms one of which was a very long and narrow room the other just a small room. This school was taught by three teachers, the Principal and two Assistants. The Principal at one time was Mr. J. E. Taylor and his first Assistant Miss Ella Griffith. The Principal and one of the other teachers conducted their classes in the long narrow room and the third in the small room. Just the primary students attended this school, as it was not taught by grades and the studies did not presume to go to any depth. This building was torn down about the year 1885, when a residence was built where it had formally been.
(Page 62)In the year 1886 a brick building was erected on Third Street. This building contained four rooms two on the first floor and two on the second, which is not part of our present High School. Some of the first Principals of this public school are: Messrs. Frank E. Williams, Martin Eaton, T. B. Bowers, and N. S. Harper. These lead us up to the former Principal of the Chesapeake City High School Mr Hugh W. Caldwell, who came to Chesapeake City in the year 1898 teaching two years in the public school, when in 1901 it was decided by the Board of Education to start a High School in Chesapeake City and Mr. Caldwell was appointed Principal. The High School was conducted in the room now occupied by the Academic Students. Mr. Caldwell and his Assistant Miss Alice M. Perry were both college graduates, Mr. Caldwell was a graduate of the Jacob Tome Institute and his Assistant Miss Alice M. Perry was an alumna of Wilson College and had taken her Master's Degree. There being only the one room for the high school students, Mr. Caldwell taught his classes in the front of the room and Miss Perry her classes in the rear. The curriculum was just about the same then as now, there being only a few slight changes and that of the commercial course, which was not added until several years later. The course of study was arranged to prepare the students for (Page 63) college, teaching, or business. The aim of this school was to fit the boys and girls to become good and useful men and women by means of a training, that gives them the principles that are necessary for good citizenship as: self-control, self-respect, industry, and perseverance. In 1901 the total enrollment of both the Public and High School was 236. The total number of High School students being about twenty-six. The first graduating class consisted of three young men and one young lady namely: Leroy H. Bloomer, Harold Steele, Roger Williams and Mary C. H. Walters.
In 1902 two rooms were added to this building. The room occupied by the Principal today and the one directly under it. This improvement was very greatly appreciated, as the High School was then given two rooms instead of one, and making one more room in the public department. The public school consisted of six grades, as the 3rd grade was taught in the Old Academy.
The Public School faculty in 1901 consisted of Misses A. Laura Jones, Carrie P. Wright, Bessie Walworth, and Alice B. Settle, and Mrs. Emma Willis. In 1904 Miss Perry resigned her position as Assistant and Miss Mary Gooding was appointed. After teaching two or three years Miss Gooding resigned and Miss Mary H. Cooper was appointed assistant.
(Page 64)In 1907 one of the best things that ever happened for the young men and women of Chesapeake City and vicinity was added to the Chesapeake City High School and that was the commercial department. This department was conducted by Miss Helen H. Windle a graduate of Goldey College. The instruction received in the Commercial Course was the same in many respects as was received by the students attending Goldey College, as the same text books were being used. The following Commercial Studies were taught, Bookkeeping, Typewriting, Stenography, Commercial Law, and Commercial Arithmetic.
The chief purpose of this department was to give the young men and women a good business training free, so that they could be prepared to hold a good position without having to go to the expense of attending college. This course seemed to be appreciated by all who showed their appreciation by taking up this course and their eagerness to learn. This department was taught in the room now occupied by the 6th and 7th grades.
In the year of 1913 still another addition was made and that is that of the two rooms, which are the present Commercial Room and the room occupied by the 4th and 5th grades. The two main ideas of this addition were that of doing away with the teaching of grades in the "Old Academy," thus saving the expense of keeping up an extra school and uniting the public school and thus having it (Page 65)all in the same building. The other chief idea being to make an assembly room, by having folding doors so that the Principal's Room and the Commercial Room could be thrown together. A small stage was built in the Commercial Room, so as to complete the appearance of the assembly hall.
Until the year 1913 the school was heated by means of a stove in each room. In 1913 a furnace was installed in the cellar and radiators in all the rooms so that the entire school building might be heated by steam. This proved to be more satisfactory and less expensive than having a stove in each room.
In the year 19____ the Chesapeake City High School became a credited school of secondary instruction. In order to be on the accredited list of schools this school has to have an enrollment of thirty-five students. The graduates of an accredited High School have a better chance for entering a college than the graduates of similar schools.
The curriculum of the High School today takes up classical and vocational instruction. The present High School faculty consists of Mr. Robert L. Bates, Principal, and Miss Ruth B. Mill, first Assistant and Miss Dorothy M. Taylor, commercial teacher. The Public School faculty consists of Misses, Carrie P. Wright, Mary C. H. Walters, Sadie T. Nichols, Linda R. Anderson, and Mrs. Emma Willis.
Our High School has had an improvement every year since it was built, and we hope that it may continue to be improved. The total number of students in the High (Page 66) School in 1901 was twenty-six, this year it has an enrollment of fifty-one, which shows almost twice as many attending. The Public School has also increased quite a great deal in the number of those attending. At present one hundred and sixty-seven are enrolled in the grades and fifty-one in the High School.
s/Margaret Ellison
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