Fairmont Public Schools, Marion County, West Virginia This file was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm Source: History of Education in West Virginia Prepared under the direction of the State Superintendent of Free Schools 1904, Charleston: The Tribune Printing Company, 1904 pg. 168 - 172 Fairmont Public Schools BY SUPERINTENDENT JOSEPH ROSIER The first public free school in the town of Fairmont was opened in the fall of 1864. The teachers for the first term were Misses Nannie Boofh, Maggie E. Turney, (now Mrs. Eli Musgrave), and Mary J. Steele. The schools were ungraded and the term was only three months in length. There was no building, and rooms in different parts of the town were used. In 1865 the schools were graded, and placed under the supervision of Col. J. C. Lininger, who occupied the position but a short time. Upon the resignation of Col. Lininger, Dr. D. B. Dorsey was chosen principal, and had charge of the school until the close of the term, which this year was six months, the schools, four in number, again being held in different buildings. In the summer of 1866 the Board of Education purchased the brick building, corner of Adams (Main) and Madison streets, which was later partly torn down, and fitted it up for school purposes. Prof. A. S. Cameron, of Connellsville, Pa., was chosen principal, and had charge of the schools for two years. Prof. Cameron had four assistants, the enrollment being nearly two hundred. When the Legislature located one of the State Normal Schools at Fairmont in 1867, provisions were made whereby the pupils of the district could be formed into model training schools for the benefit of the Normal students, and the principal of the Normal School was, by virtue of his position, superintendent of the public schools. This plan continued nominally until 1875, when the public schools were entirely separated from the Normal department. Prof. W. R. White was the first principal of the Normal School, and was consequently superintendent of the public schools for one year and part of anofher. He was succeeded by Prof. J. C. Gilchrist, who held the place for one year. Dr. J. G. Blair was then selected for the position, and had control of the schools until the close of the term in 1875, when Prof. J. W. May was chosen principal of the public schools alone for the term of 1875-76. In the fall of 1876 Prof. Thos. C. Miller was chosen principal of the schools, and he continued in the position until 1893. Prof. Miller was connected with the schools as teacher and principal for twenty-two years, and under his supervision the foundations for the present system were laid. In 1872 the large front building at the corner of Adams and Quincy streets was erected, and this was occupied jointly by the Normal and public schools until March, 1893, when the Normal School was moved to the new building on the South Side, erected for its use by the State. Under the provisions of an act of the Legislature passed in 1891, the Board of Regents of the Normal School was authorized to sell the State's interest In the old building to the Fairmont Independent District for the sum of $15,000, which transaction was completed on March 2nd, 1892, the district having issued bonds for-the sum necessary to make the purchase. In the fall of 1893 Dr. W. R. White was again chosen as principal of the schools, but in the second month of the term he was removed by death, and Prof. J. S. Stewart was elected to fill the position for the re- mainder of the year. At the opening of the schools in the school year 1894-95, Prof. J. C. Gwynn was elected as superintendent of all the public schools in the Fairmont Independent District, which position he filled until the close of the school year 1896-97. In July, 1897, Prof. C. W. Evans was elected superintendent to succeed Mr. Gwynn, who resigned to accept the principalship of the Madison school, in Wheeling. In the summer of 1900 Joseph Rosier, the present superintendent, was elected to the position. In the fall of 1899 the handsome new building in the Fourth Ward, South Side, was completed for school use. The equipment of the district in buildings is as follows: Main building, corner of Adams and Quincy streets, 16 rooms; South Side building. Fourth street, 8 rooms; Fleming School, Fairmont Avenue, 3 rooms; West Fairmont, Locust Avenue, 2 rooms; Barnesville, 2 rooms; Colored School, Porter Place, 4 rooms; be- sides one room rented for school purposes. A site for a new building In the Fifth Ward has been purchased, and a modern building of eight rooms will be erected there the coming summer. It is also expected that a new High School building will be erected in the next year or two. Since the graduating system was established in the High School in 1880, one hundred and sixty-five young men and women have completed the course, and are now filling useful and responsible positions in society, or pursuing higher courses of study in colleges and universities. The principals to whom credit is due for the success and efficiency of the High School, are Miss Sarah Meredith, Prof. E. E. Mercer, and Prof. T. J. Humphrey, the present principal. The High School course of study is arranged to cover a period of four years, and the elective system is permitted to a limited extent. There are sixty courses offered—course in this connection meaning one term of twelve weeks in a single subject with five recitations per week. The work offered is as follows: English, 6 courses; Literature, 6 courses; Arithmetic, 3 courses; Algebra, 6 courses; Geometry, 4 courses; Book- keeping, 3 courses; History, 6 courses; Latin, 9 courses; Physical Geography, 2 courses; Bofany, 2 courses; Zoology, 2 courses; Physics, 2 courses; Civics, 2 courses; Political Economy, 1 course; German, 3 courses; French, 3 courses. The completion of fifty courses is required for gradua- tion, thirty-six of which are prescribed, and fourteen of which are to be chosen from the remaining twenty-four courses. The following courses are prescribed: English, 6 courses; Literature, 3 courses; Arithmetic, 3 courses; Algebra, 6 courses; Latin, 6 courses; Physics, 2 courses; Physi- cal Geography, 2 courses; History, 3 courses; Civics, 2 courses; and Geometry, 3 courses. The High School is on the accredited list of the State University, and its work is accepted for admission to many other institu- tions of higher learning. For those who do not go to higher institutions, the High School offers an excellent preparation for life. The elementary school course covers a period of eight years, and tha aim is to make it thorough and practical by inculcating habibts of regu- larity, punctuality, obedience, neatness, and accuracy in work. The sub- jects in the elementary course are Reading, Orthography, Drawing, Writ- ing, Arithmetic, Language, Grammar, Geography, United States History, Mental Arithmetic, State History, Civil Government, Physiology, and Vocal Music. The total enrollment for the year will be about 1,425, of which 101 are enrolled in the High School, and 1,324 in the elementary schools. This shows that the school enrollment in the last ten years has more than doubled, as there were 700 pupils enrolled in 1893. The enumeration in 1892 was 845, and last year it had increased to 1823. Excellent progress has been made in providing libraries for the schools. Within the past two years an aggregate sum of $625 has been expended for this purpose, this sum having been raised, excepting a small appropriation by the Board, by means of public entertainments. The High School library contains 1,050 volumes of well-selected books while the libraries for the elementary schools contain about 1,000 volumes. These libraries are in charge of the teachers, and books are given out to the pupils in such a way as to supplement the work in the different subjects studied, and to arouse a permanent interest in good literature. In school room decoration, work of permanent value has been done in the past year. Reproductions of the masterpieces in art and sculpture to the value of five hundred dollars have been hung on the walls of the rooms in the different buildings. The presence of these works of art has stimulated an interest in the great paintings of the world, while a perceptible improvement in the personal appearance, neatness and order among the children can be observed. Two traveling art exhibits were held within the year, and from the receipts of these exhibits, and the donations of public spirited citizens the above result was attained. The Board of education is now composed of the following named gentlemen: E. M. Showalter, President; M. J. Lantz, O. S. McKinney, Com- missioners; T. V. Boydston, Secretary. The Following is a list of the teaching force now employed in the schools: Joseph Rosier, Superintendent. T. J. Humphrey, Principal High School. Jennie M. Fleming, Assistant High School. Laura Lewis, Assistant High School. Grace Brahm, Assistant High School. Jeannette Carter, Assistant High School. E. A. Hunt, Principal Second Ward School. Agnes Connolly, Seventh Grade. Ivy Schriver, Sixth Grade. Amy Eliason, Fifth Grade. Clara Reinheimer, Fourth Grade. Eva Brand, Third Grade. Bessie Clayton, Second Grade. Sara Morgan, First Grade. P. Y. Debolt, Principal South Side School. Belle C. Wilderman, Seventh Grade. Georgia Staats, Sixth Grade. Alice Neale, Fifth Grade. Helen Fleming, Fourth Grade. Jeannette Lake, Third, Grade. Evelyn Prickett, Second Grade. Ida Amos, First Grade. W. A. Crowl, Principal Fleming School. Mrs. C. H. Hayhurst, Third, Fourth and Fifth Grades. Susie Humphrey, First and Second Grades. A. J. Kern, Principal West Fairmont School. Minnie Bunner, First, Second and Third Grades. Cora Kinkead, Principal Barnesville School. Ella Patmon, First and Second Grades. Clara Reinheimer, Jackson Addition School. E. L. Morton, Principal Colored School. Mary Jordan, First and Second Grades. Florence Brobst, Teacher Vocal Music.