USA > Tennessee > Davidson County > Nashville > History of Nashville, Tenn. > Part 47
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The Nashville College for Young Ladies was started by Rev. George W. F. Price with the assurance from the friends of the enterprise in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, that should the movement prove successful means would be provided for the enlargement of the school. When the success of the school became apparent Dr. D. C. Kelley upon solicitation undertook to raise the funds necessary to provide the institu- tion with adequate grounds and buildings, provided the school was freed
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from personal control, and placed under the patronage management of the above-mentioned Church. This proposition was agreed to, and ar- rangements were made by which the young lady pupils of this college were to have the benefits of the museum, library, apparatus, and lectures of Vanderbilt University. A site was purchased on Vauxhall Street near Broad, upon which a large, commodious building was erected, four stories high and one hundred feet by one hundred and forty feet in size. It contains about one hundred rooms, each of which has outward open- ings to the light and air. It was afterward found necessary to provide additional space for the enlargement of the college, and accordingly a large part of the Woods property on the corner of Broad and Vauxhall Streets was secured. This lot is one hundred and eighty feet on each street, and the buildings upon it were remodeled and fitted up for the purposes of the school. Two years afterward, in 1887, it was found nec- essary to secure additional room, and Broad Street Amusement Hall was rented and fitted up for chapel and recitation-rooms. In June, 1888, the foundations of a new building designed to be used exclusively for school purposes was laid, and the building itself completed January I, 1889. It was formally opened February 8 following. This building is one hundred and ten feet by fifty feet in size, and is five stories high, in- cluding the basement. At the opening of the institution in September, 1880, there were present fifty pupils. The annual attendance at this col- lege has been for 1881, 104; for 1882, 147; for 1883, 203; for 1884, 209; for 1885, 243; for 1886, 250; for 1887, 284; for 1888, 304; for 1889, 326; for 1890, up to May 7, 400. The college is organized in de- partments as follows : Kindergarten, for the youngest scholars; Primary, for children next older; Intermediate, for children from ten to thirteen years; Academic, girls from thirteen to fifteen years; Collegiate, girls from fifteen to nineteen years; Post Graduate; Music; Art; Physical Culture; Kindergarten training-class, for teachers and mothers; and the Boarding Department. The property is worth $100,000, and the number of graduates in the past ten years has been one hundred and twenty-seven.
Goodman & Eastman's Business College was established in 1865, as Earhart's Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College. It subsequently be- came one of the international chain of commercial colleges. In 1874 Professor Frank Goodman was appointed Principal of the college, and has occupied that position ever since. The course of study comprises both theory and practice. The branches pursued are single and double entry book-keeping, commercial arithmetic, business penmanship, com- mercial law, and such other studies as are needed in an education of this
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kind. The college is now conducted by Goodman & Eastman (F. Goodman and R. Eastman), and is located at the north-east corner of Church and Cherry Streets.
Jennings's Business College was established in 1884 by R. W. Jen- nings, who has had many years experience in various kinds of business. His teaching is largely from his own experience. The branches of study pursued are similar to those in other business colleges in the country se- lected with a view of preparing young men for the business activities of life. It is located at the north-east corner of Church and Summer Streets.
Belmont Collegiate and Preparatory School is the latest organized edu- cational institution in Nashville. It is located in West End, some dis- tance south-west of the new reservoir and a considerable distance south of Vanderbilt University. It consists of the Acklin place, upon which had been expended in making it a beautiful suburban residence about $450,000. This place was purchased in July, 1889, by Miss Ida E. Hood and Miss Susan L. Heron, both of Philadelphia, but of ten years' suc- cessful experience as teachers in the South, the last five of which were in Pulaski, Tenn., in connection with Mr. W. T. Glasgow, of Nashville, who is the business manager of the school. The design of Miss Heron and Miss Hood is to establish a high grade school for young ladies, in which they will enjoy, in addition to first-class educational facilities, all the advantages and comforts of an elegant home. Belmont Place, as this location is called, has its own water-works, gas machine and appli- ances, and electric light plant, and is thus independent of the city in these modern conveniences. The source of water supply is a never-fail- ing limestone spring. The faculty of this school will be composed of members of the faculty at Martin College, Pulaski, and others from Wellesley College and Cornell University. The gymnasium is being thoroughly fitted up by Dr. Sargent, and the house is being furnished throughout by the Robert Mitchell Furniture Company, of Cincinnati.
Public education, or the education of the young at the public expense, the method which now finds most favor, theoretically at least, in all the States of the American Union, began to attract attention in Nashville in 1821. On the 28th of February of that year, a paragraph was published in the Clarion to the effect that in consequence of the high rates of tui- tion in this place, many persons were unable to educate their children. In order to remedy that evil and to afford the means of education to all classes of the community, the corporation had then recently appropriated a considerable sum of money for the purchase of a lot and the erection thereupon of a house for a common school. A liberal sum had also been
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subscribed by the citizens for the same purpose. James Condon was mayor of the town at that time, and he advertised for a teacher for the Nashville English School, one who was qualified to teach English gram- mar, writing, and arithmetic. The school-house was ready for occu- pancy about September 1, 1821. This school-building stood near the corner of High Street and Cumberland Alley, from ten to fifteen feet east of the former and forty feet north of the latter. There was a door in the north and near the level of the ground and also one in the south end from four to five feet above the ground, and there were windows on the sides. According to Hon. Edwin H. Ewing, the name of the first teacher who taught during the years 1821-23 was Heron. The school did not last long as a corporation school, however, for the reason that only the children of the poor attended, and by their attendance they were brought out in contrast with the children of the wealthier classes, and thus their pride was wounded, as well as that of their parents. The school was therefore poorly patronized and as a corporation school soon abandoned. The building was afterward rented to private parties for school purposes. Mr. Stevens, who is mentioned in the history of pri- vate schools, rented this building for several years. In the City Council July 5, 1828, Mr. Johnson, of the School-house Committee, reported that the committee had rented the school-house for the coming year to Messrs. Stevens & Young for $150; that their notes had been taken for that amount, payable semi-annually; that the committee had settled with Messrs. Young & Stevens for the previous year's rent, and had taken their notes, payable one day after date, for the balance due, $110.57; that the probable expense of fencing in said school-house would be about $360; and they recommended the appropriation of a sum not exceeding $100 to be paid in four months to be applied, together with the proceeds of the notes above mentioned, to the fencing in of the said house. Dur- ing a part or all of the years 1838 and 1839 an English and classical school was kept in this house by Mr. Samuel E. Hogg, and it is believed for several years thereafter. His charges were $15 per session for read- ing, writing, and arithmetic, and $20 for the higher branches. Some of the pupils of Mr. Hogg were Crawford Arnold, " Bob" Fletcher, "Rud" and "Jack " Fletcher, "Bill" Campbell, John and Andy Hogg, " Sam" Chester, J. E. Allen, Frank Washington, and Thomas D. Craighead. The building continued to be used for private schools until the war; and since then, up to about 1879, it was used as a carpenter shop. It was then torn down, and the ground is now occupied by a private residence.
The next attempt-and the first that was successful-to establish pub- lic schools in what is now Nashville was made in South Nashville in
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1850. The Board of Aldermen of that corporation held a meeting on May II of that year, at which the Finance Committee of the Board was in- structed to confer with the Commissioners of Common Schools in Dis- tricts Nos. 2, 9, and 10, with regard to the establishment of a permanent school for the benefit of each, and of such other things that might prop- erly belong to the subject.
On July 27 a School Committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs. Murrell, Winston, and Macey, whose duty it was to consider the propri- ety of procuring a site for a common school.
On November 9 it was resolved that a committee of three be appointed to solicit subscriptions for a free school in South Nashville, Messrs. Mc- Ewen, Parks, and Murrell being appointed. Afterward the Mayor was added to the committee.
On January 7, 1851, it was decided that an election should be held on the subject of free schools on Saturday, January 18. The result showed that a majority of the people were in favor of the system.
On February 8 Mr. McEwen, from the Committee on Public Schools, reported that the committee for subscriptions for the establishment of public schools had received subscriptions to the amount of $1,840, paya- ble in one, two, and three years; and $50, payable in brick work on de- mand. He also reported that Mr. Lincoln proposed to give a lot near the railroad on which to erect the proposed school-house; and that Mr. Trimble also proposed to give a lot for the same purpose, on the corner of Franklin and Market Streets. On the same day a bill was introduced by Mr. McEwen to establish public schools in South Nashville. The Board of Aldermen finally, on February 22, passed an act to establish said public schools, which was as follows:
"Section I. Be it enacted that there shall be established within the corporate limits of South Nashville a public school, to be known as the South Nashville Institute.
" Section II. Be it enacted that at the first meeting of the City Coun- cil, in January of each year, seven persons shall be elected by the Board, who shall constitute a Board of Trustees or Visitors, who shall elect their own officers and hold their places for one year, or until their successors shall be elected ; provided that the first Board of Trustees may be elected at any regular meeting of this Board within the present year.
" Section III. Be it enacted that the trustees shall take a general super- vision of public education, and have their own times and places of meet- ing; enact their own by-laws and rules of order; keep a record of their proceedings; select sites, and build school-houses; supply teachers, determine their salaries, and prescribe their duties; visit the schools reg-
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ularly; and discharge such other labor as may from time to time be im- posed by the City Council, and report quarterly to the same; provided that in all contracts involving the expenditure of money the consent of the Mayor and Aldermen shall be secured.
"Section IV. Be it enacted that the Common Council shall appoint of their own number a committee, to be denominated the 'Public School Committee,' who shall have the right of visiting the public schools at any time, and of attending the meetings of the Board of Trustees. They shall also, when required, make reports to the Common Council, with such suggestions and recommendation as they may conceive important to the cause of public education.
"Section V. Be it enacted that for the present year the sum of I mill to the dollar be levied upon all the taxable property, and 25 cents upon each poll within the limits of this corporation; which shall be col- lected by the City Collector, and paid over to the Treasurer, for the purpose of establishing and maintaining the cause of public education.
"Section VI. Be it enacted that in the event of the death, resigna- tion, or removal of one of the trustees, the Common Council shall proceed at their first regular meeting thereafter to fill the vacancy; pro- vided that the Board of Trustees may fill the vacancy pro tem.
" Section VII. Be it enacted that the children of both sexes, between the ages of six and eighteen years, within the limits of South Nashville, shall have free access to the public schools, subject to the regulations of the Board of Trustees."
On March 8, 1851, West H. Humphreys, Dr. John B. Lindsley, Dr. C. A. Brodie, B. Winston, Charles Conger, G. W. Lincoln, and William L. Nance were elected trustees of the public schools of South Nash- ville; and on March 22 the Common Council appointed a Committee on Schools, consisting of Winston, Macey, and McEwen.
On April 12 Dr. Winston reported the selection of a lot on the corner of Franklin and Market Streets, upon which to build the school-house; and a contract was made with Isaac Paul, William L. Nance, and Charles Conger for the building of the house. The time for the opening of the school was fixed for the first Monday (4th) in August. The school- house in which the school was opened was a two-story brick, with two rooms in each story. The first Principal was Prof. J. G. Fellowes, who had been Principal of a female academy at Murfreesboro. He was assisted here by Mrs. Fellowes and Miss Elizabeth Haden. The first session of the school closed November 24, 1851. The trustees elected January 10, 1852, were: A. Anderson, William L. Nance, J. C. Dobson, C. A. Brodie, W. H. Wilkinson, Wilson Mullen, and J. H. L. Weaver.
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For the next fall session of the school Professor J. G. Fellowes was re- engaged, at $100 per month ; Joseph L. Jarrell was engaged as assistant, at $50 per month; Miss Florida Adams, at $17.50 per month; and Miss Jane K. Jarrell, at $15 per month.
On December 31, 1852, the School Committee reported that the entire amount of subscriptions to the school fund was $2,381, of which there had been paid $1,795.
On January 4, 1853, the following school trustees were elected: Isaac Paul, Charles H. Conger, J. H. L. Weaver, W. H. Wilkinson, P. F. Hardcastle, and H. Carroll.
The teachers for the school year 1853-54 were: Joseph L. Jarrell, Principal, at $80 per month; Henry A. White, assistant, at $40 per month; Miss Jane K. Jarrell, assistant, at $20 per month. On August 15, 1853, Mrs. L. J. Norton was elected principal female assistant teach- er, at $50 per month. The number of children in attendance during this session was 208.
A primary school was established September 13, 1853, of which W. N. Chandon was chosen teacher.
Henry A. White resigned as teacher March 8, 1854, and T. W. Haley was chosen in his place. The teachers were as above indicated when the two towns of South Nashville and Nashville were consolidated.
The first official action taken by the Board of Aldermen of Nashville, looking to the establishment of a system of public schools, was on Feb- ruary 20, 1852. On that day an act was passed, entitled "An Act to Raise Revenue for a Public School."
"Section 1. Be it enacted, That a tax of one-fifth of one per cent. be and the same is hereby imposed upon all property assessed in the city of Nashville, to be called the 'school tax,' and to be appropriated exclusively to the building up and putting into operation of a system of public schools.
"Section 2. That a poll-tax be, and the same is hereby imposed upon all free white males over the age of twenty-one and under fifty in the city of Nashville, to be appropriated to the same purpose.
"Section 3. That no inhabitant residing upon any property which is exempt from taxation shall be admitted as a scholar in any of the public schools which may be hereafter established by the Mayor and Aldermen of this city, unless the owner or owners of the property so exempt shall waive the said right of exemption from taxation to the extent of any school tax which the corporate authorities of this city may think proper there- after to impose, by a written waiver, which shall be registered in the Reg- ister's office of Davidson County, according to law."
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In June, 1852, Alfred Hume, who had been Principal of an excellent classical school in Nashville, was engaged by the City Council to visit and examine public schools of other cities, particularly those of Boston, Mass., and Philadelphia, Pa .; and such others as he might deem expe- dient or necessary to the organization of the contemplated public school system of Nashville. He was required to report to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen, as soon as practicable, a plan for building and for con- ducting the public schools. Two hundred and fifty dollars was appro- priated for his expenses. Upon his return he made his report in public at Odd Fellows' Hall, August 26, in the presence of a large concourse of his fellow-citizens. Two thousand copies of that report were pub- lished, and it is regarded as the basis of the system of public schools as they are known to-day. Soon afterward the lot at the north-east corner of Spruce and Broad Streets, one hundred and eighty-five by two hun- dred and seventy feet, was purchased, and proposals were received for the erection of a building. Work progressed as rapidly as possible until May 19, 1853, when the corner-stone of the first public school building was laid with appropriate ceremonies in the presence of a large audience, the oration on the occasion being delivered by Dr. W. K. Bowling. The building was completed within the year, and named the " Hume School," in honor of Alfred Hume, who had been for so long a time identified with the cause of education in the city.
On September 7, 1853, an act was passed by the City Council, entitled "An Act to Organize the High and Primary Schools of the City of Nash- ville."
" Be it enacted by the Mayor and Aldermen of the city of Nashville that, in order to carry into operation the high and primary schools of the city, the following plan of organization be, and the same is hereby adopted :
Section I. " That the system of schools shall embrace high, grammar, and primary schools, under the charge of a board to be denominated the ' Board of Education,' which shall consist of six members, one of whom shall be elected from each ward by the qualified voters thereof, at each an- nual election for city officers, except at the first election, which shall be by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen at the first meeting in October, 1858.
"Section 2. That the Board of Education shall draw up a plan of in- struction and a system of government for the high, grammar, and prima- ry schools ; and which, when adopted, shall not be deviated from unless it be so ordered by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Education, which plan shall be submitted to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen for their approval or rejection.
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"Section 3. That there shall be located in the several school districts of the city primary schools for children between the ages of four and ten years, and there shall also be established in the several school districts in the city intermediate schools, for the instruction of children between the ages of ten and sixteen years, which shall be under the charge of such teachers as may be deemed most suitable by the Board of Edu- cation."
There were several other sections to the bill, fixing the time of the com- mencement of the school year, etc. On January 16, 1854, the Board of Education was authorized to create such offices, and to fill them with such persons as they might deem necessary to enable them to govern and put in operation the public schools. On September 29, 1854, the Mayor was authorized to effect a loan or to issue bonds for the sum of $30,000, with which to erect school-houses and to get the public school system in operation; and on December 15 the public school fund was placed at the disposal of the Board of Education.
On October 14, 1854, the first Board of Education was elected, and consisted of Francis B. Fogg, Charles Toms, R. J. Meigs, Allen A. Hall, John A. McEwen, and W. F. Bang. The first meeting of this Board was held November 5 following, and the schools were formally opened to pupils on February 26, 1855. On August 23, 1855, the age at which children could be admitted to the schools was raised from four to six, and on November II the Board of Education was made to consist of eight members instead of six. The date of their election was changed at the same time to the last meeting of the Board of Mayor and Alder- men in June of each year.
In 1856 the lot on the corner of Summer and Line Streets was pur- chased with the proceeds of property donated by Colonel Andrew Hynes, and the building erected thereon was called by his name. Previously, in 1855, the Trimble School, standing at the corner of Market and Frank- lin Streets, on a lot donated by John Trimble-as stated in the short sketch of the South Nashville Schools-was taken charge of by the Board of Education of Nashville. In 1859 M. H. Howard, Esq., pre- sented to the city a fine lot on College Hill, on which stands the school- house named in his honor. In 1865 a lot was rented at the corner of Madison and North Cherry Streets, and an army house was purchased and moved upon the lot. In 1867 the Belle View house was purchased and converted into a school for colored pupils. In 1872 a lot was pur- chased at the corner of North High and Jefferson Streets, and in 1873 the Ninth Ward school-house was erected upon it.
After the war, upon re-opening the schools in 1865, the Hume building
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was found insufficient to accommodate the pupils of that district; and consequently a wooden building was purchased which had been built by the United States authorities on South Vine Street, and had been used for a mess hall during the war. This building was removed to the Hume lot and fitted up for a school-house, and used several years; and finally in its stead the new brick building which now adorns that location was erected, and was first occupied in January, 1875. It is called the "Fogg School," in honor of Francis B. Fogg, who was the first President of the Board of Education.
Following is a list of the Boards of Education from the establishment of the public school system in 1854 to the present time :
1854 .- F. B. Fogg, R. J. Meigs, Allen A. Hall, John A. McEwen, Charles Toms, W. F. Bang.
1855 .- F. B. Fogg, J. A. McEwen, Allen A. Hall, Isaac Paul, Sam- uel Cooley, W. F. Bang.
1856 .- F. B. Fogg, J. A. McEwen, R. J. Meigs, M. H. Howard, Isaac Paul, J. B. Lindsley, W. F. Bang, and J. B. Knowles.
1857 .- F. B. Fogg, J. A. McEwen, R. J. Meigs, M. H. Howard, Isaac Paul, J. B. Lindsley, W. F. Bang, and J. B. Knowles.
1858 .- F. B. Fogg, J. A. McEwen, R. J. Meigs, M. H. Howard, Isaac Paul, J. B. Lindsley, W. F. Bang, and J. B. Knowles.
1859 .- F. B. Fogg, J. A. McEwen, R. J. Meigs, M. H. Howard, Isaac Paul, J. B. Lindsley, W. F. Bang, and J. B. Knowles.
1860 .- F. B. Fogg, M. H. Howard, R. J. Meigs, Phineas Garrett, Isaac Paul, J. B. Lindsley, W. F. Bang, and W. F. Cooper.
1861 .- F. B. Fogg, J. W. Hoyte, Isaac Paul, W. K. Bowling, J. S. Bostick, J. D. Griffith, M. H. Howard, C. K. Winston, and B. S. Rhea.
1862 .- F. B. Fogg, J. W. Hoyte, M. M. Brien, M. G. L. Claiborne, J. S. Fowler, H. H. Harrison, M. H. Howard, J. B. Knowles, and M. M. Monahan.
1863 .- F. B. Fogg, J. W. Hoyte, M. M. Brien, M. G. L. Claiborne, J. S. Fowler, H. H. Harrison, M. H. Howard, J. B. Knowles, and M. M. Monahan.
1864 .- No election.
1865 .- P. S. Fall, J. W. Hoyte, T. A. Atchison, D. D. Dickey, E. H. East, H. H. Harrison, J. B. Lindsley, and L. G. Tarbox.
1866 .- P. S. Fall, J. W. Hoyte, T. A. Atchison, M. C. Cotton, R. B. Cheatham, J. H. Callender, I. P. Jones, J. B. Knowles, and J. L. Weakley.
1867 .- P. S. Fall, J. W. Hoyte, T. A. Atchison, M. C. Cotton, R. B.
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Cheatham, J. H. Callender, I. P. Jones, J. B. Knowles, and J. L. Weakley.
1868 .- Eugene Cary, R. G. Jamison, H. S. Bennett, J. Jungerman, D. Rutledge, D. W. Peabody, John Ruhm, and L. G. Tarbox.
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