Queens University of Charlotte - Coronet / Edelweiss Yearbook (Charlotte, NC)

Page 17 text:

What is now known as the old College Building, had some¬ what the appearance of an Italian Villa. It was erected in 1855-6, and was designed by Mr. Williams, a bachelor, who faced the building on Ninth street, for the reason, some say, that the only railroad then in North Carolina went along the present tracks of the Southern and Seaboard on A street, and that Mr. Williams wished the young ladies to see the passenger train leave the depot at Ninth and A streets. In 1857 Dr. Robt. Burwell was elected to the presidency of the institution, and the name of the institution for a long time was the Charlotte Female Institute. Mrs. Margaret Anna Burwell, whose memorial tablet has been placed in the walls of the New Auditorium, was known far and wide for her great ability for edu¬ cating and training young women, and from her the college gained a reputation that has kept it among the higher institutions for the education of women to this day. The school has had many presidents and principals in its history since ’57. The plans which lead to the erection of the present building were laid in 1896, when the college was owned by Dr. W. R. Atkinson. The purchase money paid him was some $15,000. The old building was torn down in 1900, and the present handsome and modern college building was begun. It has been completed at a cost of something over $100,000. Thus this institution, through its long history and struggles, first with the hardships of a new country, and then with the blight and devastation of war, finds itself today among the best equipped and handsomest institutions for the work of education in the South. It is a very conservative estimate to value the building and grounds at $150,000, which emphasizes the wisdom of that exhortation which encourages us not to despise a day of small things. 7

Page 16 text:

The subscription for the proposed building reads as follows: “We, the subscribers, promise to pay the sum severally annexed to our names, for the purpose of erecting a Male and Female Academy in the town of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County; which sums we promise to pay to the trustees in the following installments, viz: One-fourth on the 1st of December next, and the balance in two annual payments, that is to say, one-half in December, 1823 and the other half December, 1824. Witness our hands this 28th day of February, 1821. N. B. It is agreed by the trustees that those who pay their subscriptions in advance shall have a discount of 10 per cent.” If there were any doubt as to what race of people dwelt in Charlotte town at the time the above document was subscribed to, all doubt would be removed by a close scrutiny of the N. B. The Scotch-Irish cannot resist the temptation to make 10 per cent. They will even give away their money for the opportunity so to do. While they are strict believers in the teachings of Moses, and are strict observers of the law of the Sabbath, they continue to violate the law in the matter of interest. The Academy was first located on what is now known as Mr. James H. Carson’s resident lot, on South Tryon street. Subse¬ quently the Male Academy was moved to the lot upon which now stands the residence of Mr. John B. Ross, on th e corner of North College and Eighth streets, and the Female Academy to the present site of the College for Women. The fathers, somehow, imagined that proximity of the Male and Female Academy was too great, and so the property now owned by J. B. Ross was traded to Mr. Rudisill for a lot on North Davidson and Ninth streets, and the Male School was conducted there until a comparatively recent date. The trees now standing on the Davidson street lot, may be observed leaning in all directions, there being none perfectly straight among them. This phenomenon is due to the inclination of boys to pull small trees to a position where they may be mounted and ridden as horses, and possibly this boisterousness may have determined the fathers on removing the Academy, that the bad example of the boys might not influence the girls, and as the trees of the College Campus retained their perpendi cular, they possibly thus saved the trees. l 6

Page 18 text:

GJalrndar September nth—School opened. September 12th—Reception at Dr. Stagg’s. September 13th—Y. W. C. A. Reception. October 12th—Music Teachers’ Recital. October 3rst—Juniors’ Halloween Party to Seniors. November 10th—Miss Foil’s Recital. November 26th—Thanksgiving—Davidson boys entertain a number of “ P. C.” girls. December 10th—Dr. Fisher’s Recital. December 23d—Christmas Holidays began. January 5th—School opened. January 16th—Orange Roll. January 19th—Perry’s Recital—Reception afterwards. February 5th—Miss Watkins left for Europe. February 14th—Davidson Reception. February 17th—The fate of the Annual was decided. March 5th—Field Day. April 12th—Easter. May 1st—Seniors’ Break Ride. May 15th—Reception by Societies. May 16th—Commencement. May 17th—Baccalaureate Sermon. May 18th—Senior Class Day. May 19th—Annual Concert. May 20th —Farewell to “ P. C.” 18