Charlotte High School - Witan Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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TUE WIT AN 11 Literary Department Retrospect NOTE; ll it ju«t thirty year since the Charlotte Union School charter wti air anted. This lact.ntul the fact that this ia an alumni number, make .t especially appropriate that our hi(h school pa per should contain a history of the school. I he (icatcr part ot the information coocc’o'ni the early biatory ia due to Mrs. Emma Pollard Greer of Lake Avenue, who wot a teacher in the 0‘« and 90'a. The Charlotte High School is the oldest of the present Rochester high schools. East High was not built until 1903 and the Rochester Free Acad- emy, which preceded it, is now the Municipal building; but this does not signify that Charlotte is any less modern than they. Indeed the growth of the Charlotte schools parallel the growth cf common and high schools all over the country. About a century ago the first school was established in Charlotte. An exact date is not agreed upon by all, but it would be safe to say that it was built between 1817 and 1825. It was located just south of the Union Trust Company on Lake Avenue. The first teacher in this school was Miss Ade- line Holden. It may be interesting to know that this old school, which was a small, low, one-roomed frame building, after two changes of s ‘te, is still in use, though built over, as an Italian restaurant on Latta Street. The poor little structure served its purpose until 1837, when a new build- ing was er: ted on the north side oi Stutson Street, just about on the old village line. There is now, near the sidewalk, a small slab of stone over which the pupils used to step. This new building was of brick, but was little 1 otter than the o-d one. Indeed, when asked about this old school, one of the Id res.dents exclaimed, “Bah, fit for the pigs! This opinion must have been shared by many of the other people of the village for there was always at least one private school in the days of the ‘old brick’ as the building on Stut- son Street was termed. A teacher would rent a room in a private house and there hold school. On one occasion a new bam, which was not to be used im- mediately, was fitted up for school. At another time an unrented store made a much more artistic school than the ’old brick In the school on Stutson Street the stove was located in the center of the room, and in w ntcr everyone faced the stove. Thus the pupi’s spent then day, with their faces scorching and their backs freezing. Their fingers would be numb from touching the frigid slates, for the use of paper to write on in a school was unheai d of. In those days there were no grades. Graded schools were an innovation which did not even come into use in Rochester until about 1875. There were roughly, three classes: the small children, the intermediates and the older boys and girls. They went to school until they got tired of going; that is, until they thought they learned all they needed, or until they were compelled

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10 THE WIT AN In Memoriam fciimarft jfrrrklrtnti BORN DECEMBER 26. 1905. DIED MARCH IS. 1922. FOLLOWING AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT Suddenly, without warning, he turned from a life pulsing with happiness, ambition and endeavor, to meet face to face that messenger whom the bravest of us cannot regard without a qualm. Mortally stricken, his first thought was of the safety of his comrades, his mind, sorely stunned, yet resolutely cleared itself until he could absolve his companions of all blame. The courage, tenderness and unselfishness which marked his life, illumined his death.

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12 THE W1TAN to leave. Besides the three RV they had spelling (writing the words was a fad which did not come into use until after the grading of the schools), geography (in which wall-maps were unheard of), and some grammar. In- telligence was graded according to the Readers which the pupils had been thru. For example, those in the First Reader received some of the funda- mentals of arithmetic and a few simple rules of grammar, probably about capital letters or some like thing. Every time a new teacher came, the class had to start its books all over again, unless some show of great ntelligence or much persuasive argumentation could prove that they had been so far and knew that much thoroughly. Thus, some probably never reached the end of their books. For, with sometimes eighty in one small room (for not every one could afford private schooling) attention must have been hard to give or receive. In 1859 there was a change for the good, although it probably did not effect the pupils themselves. The schools were made free. It may surprise some to know that for every day a pupil attended school, the parent had to pay a certain amount. Thus the schools were supported in three ways: First, the state paid some, some was paid out of the property tax and the rest was paid for by the rate-bill which was the amount the parents paid directly for their children s education. Among the teachers who taught in the ‘old brick’ were E. Franklin Hol- den, Benjamin Davis, Robert J. Fleming, George Edgecombie, Eliza Walker, Josephine Wilder and Mary Wheeler. Also it might be interesting to know that the deed to the property on which the school house stood stated specific- ally that if the grounds or the building were not used for school purposes only they were to go back to the original holders. In 1863, the people achieved that of which they had reason to he proud. The triangle on which the school is now situated was purchased. The sum of 5400 was paid for the lot, which was no mean price in those days. It was, however, war time and the building of the school was put off, end put off, on account of the rising prices of materials and labor, until 1867. Even then the vote was scarcely passed. The structure itself cost about $9,000, or as it is worded in a record of the affair, “$4,500 were paid to the carpenters and joiners, and $1,500 to the masons.' Of course the job was done on contract 80 the workmen furnished the materials. There was no water in the build- ing; furthermore, there was none put in until about 1898; but this Is not strange, for even in Rochester, until about the same time, everyone had his well. From i860 until 1894 the number of pupils increased greatly and the latter year saw the present south wing of the grammar school completed. The addition may still be noted by the rise in the floor by the doors of Room 21 and Room 24. W. M. Richmond was the first principal of the present grammar school; the increase caused two teachers to be appointed to assist Mr. Richmond.