Part 18 (1/2)

On Major Day's tombstone, in the burial ground of Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge, in reference to this school, is found these words: ”The Male Charity School of Fredericksburg is chiefly indebted to him for its origin in 1795, and for its prosperity to his unremitted attention in the princ.i.p.al management of its concerns, over which he presided until the time of his death.”

These tablets and tombstones furnish a history of this school that can be had nowhere else, and their transcription here will, it is hoped, enshrine the memories of these charitable men for their munificence to the poor of the town in the hearts of the present generation and indelibly impress upon their minds the solemn, but oft unheeded, words of the Master, ”ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good.” Mr. George W. Rothrock conducted this male school as teacher for many years, but upon his death, before the Civil war, it was closed and has never been resumed.

A reference to other schools of Fredericksburg, some contemporary with the Male Charity School and the Federal Hill Female College, and others of a later date, will no doubt be of interest to the numerous descendants of those who were educated in them, and will recall to many of our older citizens pleasant memories of their youthful days, as well as the labor over ”tare and tret, which made them mad and sweat.”

Among these was the excellent female school taught by Rev. Samuel Wilson, in which many of the most accomplished ladies in Fredericksburg received their early education. Mr. Wilson was succeeded by Miss Mary Ralls, who was a.s.sisted by Mr. Herard, whom she afterwards married.[68] Mr. Herard was a Frenchman, and although he could not speak English, taught writing and French in the school. Here commenced the education of a large number of girls and boys, who were afterwards well known in the social circle and business pursuits of Fredericksburg and of many other parts of the country, and some of them are to-day honored citizens of the town.

The school kept by Mr. John Goolrick, in the small, brick building on the lower end of Main street, now occupied by Mr. W. Snowden Hitt, was famous in its day, and in that school were educated some of our substantial business men and accomplished women. He was a.s.sisted in his school by his son, George, who was an accomplished teacher and cultured gentleman.

George Goolrick succeeded his father in the conduct of the school and continued it for many years.

Mr. Thomas H. Hanson, who came to Fredericksburg from Georgetown, D. C., was princ.i.p.al of the Fredericksburg Male Academy. He was a fine cla.s.sical scholar and his school enjoyed a wide-spread reputation as a cla.s.sical school. He taught in the north wing of the City Hall, and for several years on Prince Edward street, above Amelia, in a brick building, where the residences of Misses Hay and Misses Wissner now stand. The building was torn down several years ago, when residences were built. Some few of his pupils are now living. One died a short time ago, at a ripe old age, with the honorary LL. D. attached to his name.

Rev. George W. McPhail conducted a school for some years on the west side of Main street, just above Commerce. The house was a large, frame building, with a store on the ground floor and school-room above. It was destroyed at the sh.e.l.ling of the town in December, 1862. Mr. McPhail's first school-room was located on George street west of the Presbyterian church, but, it being too small to accommodate his pupils, he moved to Main street.

Messrs. Powell and Morrison, for many years, conducted a school for girls in Citizens' Hall, which stood on Princess Ann street where the Catholic parsonage now stands. It was known as the Fredericksburg Inst.i.tute, and was one of the best schools of that day. It was moved to Richmond and is now conducted by members of Mr. Powell's family.

Professor Richard Sterling conducted a school for boys in the old Colonnade building on Princess Ann street, opposite the courthouse, long before the war. He was succeeded by Mr. J. J. Halsey. The building was partially destroyed by fire during the Civil war, and finally, in 1880, was removed to give place to the Presbyterian Memorial chapel.

For a number of years a school for girls was conducted by Mrs. John P.

Little, first at her residence, on Princess Ann street, and then for some time at Federal Hill and at the Union House, which is now used for the public schools. She was a.s.sisted in her school by an accomplished French teacher by the name of Guillet.

More than half a century ago Misses Ann and Mary Drinnan conducted a flouris.h.i.+ng school for girls on Charles street, above Lewis, where the Misses Goodwin now live, and Mrs. Mary Hackley conducted a large boarding school over the store now occupied by Mr. Thomas N. Brent. For several years before the war Rev. Wm. F. Broaddus, D. D., taught a school for young ladies in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the Baptist church. These schools were all of a high order and fully sustained the reputation of Fredericksburg as a town possessing the most enlarged educational advantages. Besides the schools above referred to, schools for boys were taught by Richard Stern, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Jamison, Stephen A. Boardman, James G. Read, Edward Henry, Mr. Tchudi, Buckner & Henry, Buckner & Temple, Chas. E. Tackett, Thomas Moncure, H. W. Rhinehart, Mrs. Judith Anstice, Mrs. A. L. Magrath, Maria Woodruff, Miss Willie Schooler and others.

After the war Judge Richard H. Coleman taught a high school for boys at Kenmore, and Colonel W. Winston Fontaine taught a high school for girls on the south corner of Main and Frederick streets, and Professor Volley M.

Johnson conducted a similar school at the Union House. When Judge Coleman moved his school to Guiney's in Caroline county, Messrs. Cuthbert Buckner and Charles W. Temple opened a school of the same grade. They were succeeded by Messrs. Cuthbert Buckner and Wm. Caruthers, and they by Messrs. Charles E. Tackett, James W. Ford and Wm. B. Marye, who added a military feature to the school, which made it quite popular. These schools were located on Prince Edward street in a one-story brick house, known as the Academy, where the Misses Hay have recently erected a modern residence.

After Colonel Fontaine moved South a high school for young ladies was opened by Mr. Wm. Caruthers in the Presbyterian Asylum, known now as Smithsonia, a.s.sisted by his sisters, Mrs. Davis and Miss Caruthers. He was succeeded by Mrs. Wm. A. Campbell and daughter, two excellent teachers, but the school did not appear to prosper and was finally closed. In addition to these schools of high grade there were many excellent primary schools for girls and boys, which succeeded well until the public free schools were opened, which became popular because of their graded system and the thoroughness of their instruction. Since then most of the private schools have been abandoned, yet some few are yet conducted and are doing well.

THE a.s.sEMBLY'S HOME AND SCHOOL.

The a.s.sembly's Home and School was founded by Rev. A. P. Saunders, D. D., then pastor of the Presbyterian church in Fredericksburg, in 1893. It was incorporated by an act of the Virginia Legislature December 16, 1893. It consisted originally of a home designed for the maintenance and education of the orphans of deceased Presbyterian ministers and missionaries, and also of a college. The latter was intended as a place for the education of these orphans and also for the youth of other denominations.

The General a.s.sembly of the Presbyterian church, each year, commended the inst.i.tution to the confidence of the churches within its bounds, and by their contributions the Home was maintained. The college for some time was supported partly by contributions from the churches, but more largely by the pay students attending the school from home and abroad.

In the year 1897 the General a.s.sembly of the church separated the college from the Home and ordered the sale of the college and all the property belonging to it. The city of Fredericksburg recognizing the value of such an inst.i.tution in its midst, had subscribed ten thousand dollars of bonds, the interest on which was to pay for ten annual scholars.h.i.+ps in the college, the scholars being selected from the highest grade of the public schools of the town.

This arrangement continued until 1898, when the college and property were sold and the ten thousand dollars of bonds were returned to the city authorities and cancelled. The property was purchased by Rev. F. P.

Ramsay, who conducted the college for two years, the city continuing its patronage of ten scholars.h.i.+ps, paying the tuition in money.

In the year 1900 Mr. Ramsay sold the college and property to Rev. John W.

Rosebro, who had just become pastor of the Presbyterian church in Fredericksburg. He is a gentleman of rare ability, and, with his corps of able a.s.sistants, is making the college worthy of the confidence and support of the public. A bright and prosperous future is predicted for the inst.i.tution under the management of this scholarly gentleman.

The a.s.sembly Home is still in operation, supported by the denomination, and holds a strong place in the affections of the Presbyterian church. It is now under the management of Professor Samuel W. Somerville.

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

The public schools were established in Fredericksburg, under what is known as the Underwood Const.i.tution, in 1870. For several years they were not well patronized, princ.i.p.ally from the fact that the system was not popular with the people. When the system was first put in operation in town the schools were kept at private houses, because the city had no public school houses and was then unable to build them, and as the appropriations for school purposes were small the sessions were held only for five or six months in the year. The teachers, in a majority of cases, were selected more because of their need of the salary than because of their ability and fitness to teach.