Franklin County, Ohio - Chapter 38: Literary Institutions, 1858

Chapter 38: Literary Institutions

In 1830, the German Theological Seminary of the Lutheran Church, was located in Columbus. Its founder and first professor was the late Rev. AVm. Schmidt^, who for several years labored for its establishment without remuneration, and for the residue of his incumbency as professor, up to his death in 1839, at a merely nominal salary. By the exertions and under the agency of Judge C. Heyl, some $3,000 were contributed by the citizens of Columbus, for the purchase of the site, etc., at the south end of the town ; and the residue was donated by members of the Lutheran Church, throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania. The Seminary was chartered by the Legislature, January 30, 1831, and still exists under the same charter, as the Theological Department of Capital University. Its principal buildings were erected in 1833. Hon. G. Swan delivered the address on the laying of the corner stone. This property, south of the town, was sold by the Board to Mr. P. Hayden, in 1851, and some $16,000 was donated by it towards building Capital University ; into which the Seminary has apparently merged, though each institution still retains its separate endowments, and has its separate Board of Trustees.

Capital University had its origin in a resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Theological Seminary of the Lutheran Synod of Ohio and adjacent States, adopted in December, 1849. On the 7th of March, 1850, it was chartered by the Legislature. Its present President is Bev. Prof. W. F. Lehman, who is also the head of the Theological Department. Dr. L. Goodale, who donated the present site, north of the city, and one thousand dollars towards erecting the buildings, is the President of the Board of Trustees. The buildings were erected in 1852 and '53, and opened Sept. 14, 1853, on which occasion addresses were delivered by Hon. "VVm. II. Seward and Rev. Dr. Stohlman, of New York.

Starling Medical College

This Institution was chartered at the session of 1847 and '48. A lot was then procured and other preparations made, and in the spring of 1849, the building was commenced - Mr. R. A. Sheldon, architect. At the ceremonies of laying the corner-stone. Dr. Hoge delivered an address suited to the occasion. The work progressed regularly under the direction of Mr. Sheldon ; and in the fall of 1850, the building was ready for the reception of students. The first session of lectures was opened and held during the winter of 1850 and 1851. The building at this time had cost about $45,000; of which Lyne Starling, Esq., one of the original proprietors of the town, generously donated $35,000. The building, however, in all its parts, was not completed until some years after. The total cost has been about $55,000, being $20,000 over the Starling donation ; of which last sum of $20,000, the Faculty advanced $13,000, and citizens the balance.

The building is situated at the corner of State and Sixth streets. The material of which it is composed, is brick, with a large proportion of ornamental cut stone. Its greatest length is one hundred and thirty-five feet.

and its height to the top of the tower, is about one hundred and thirty-eight feet. Its arrangement is said to he well adapted to the purposes for which it was designed ; and its outward appearance is admired by the lovers of modern architecture.

Faculty Esther Institute

Rich street, in October. 1852, with twenty-one pupils. Its present splendid and commodious building on Broad street was erected in 1853, and opened the 28th of September, of that year. It now numbers near one hundred and fifty pupils, of whom about one third are non-residents of Columbus. It is under the exclusive management of L. Ileyl, Esq., its founder.

Common Schools

The first attempt to introduce the common school system in Ohio, was the passage of a law on the 22d of January, 1821, entitled, "An act to provide for the regulation and support of common schools." Then on the 5th of February, 1825, " An act to provide for the support and better regulation of common schools," was passed, and on the 30th of January, 1827, an act was passed entitled "An act to establish a fund for the support of common schools." About this time the system was first reduced to practice in Columbus.

On the 21st of November, 1826, the first school meeting under the act of 1825, for the district composed of the whole town plat, and part of the toAvnship, was held at the old Presbyterian Church on Front street - Orris Parish, Chairman, and Wm. T. Martin, Secretary ; at which meeting Dr. P. Sisson, Rev. C. Hinkle, and William T. Martin, Esq., were chosen directors. A Mr. Smitli was employed as teacher. For some years the school funds were too limited to support a school more than about one cjuarter in a jesiw

In 1830, John Warner, C. Heyl, and William St. Clair, were chosen directors. In 1831, Wm. McElvain, Horton Howard, and Nathaniel McLean, directors. In 1832, J. M. C. Hasseltine was first employed as teacher.

In 1836, at a public school meeting, it was resolved that the directors should cause two schools to be opened at the same time, one to be taught by a male teacher for the instruction of the advanced scholars, and the other by a female for the instruction of young children. There were then no public school houses, and the schools were kept in rented rooms, and were not properly classified, and no regular or uniform course of instruction was pursued.

On the 3d of Februar}^, 1845, a law was enacted authorizing the election of six directors to constitute the " Board of Education of Columbus," to whom is committed the management of all the public schools in the city. Two members of this Board are elected annually, to hold their offices for three years. By the same act, the City Council were authorized to appoint three examiners of teachers.

vote of seven hundred and seventy-six to three hundred and twenty-three, to levy a tax of $8,000, for the erection of school houses. Three hrick buildings, containing six rooms each, were erected, and the schools were commenced in them on the 21st of July, 1847. Previous to organizing the schools under this late regulation, the Board appointed a Superintendent, to whom they intrusted the general direction of the course of study and instructions in all the schools, and who entered on the duties of his ofiice on the loth of May, 1847.

The schools are divided into four grades. Primary, Secondary, Grammar and High ; and the scholars are classified in each with reference to their advancement in the prescribed studies.

In 1852, the building for the German School was erected, and in 1852 and 1853, the High School building, on State street, Avas erected. The Board of Education in their report of July 1853, say : The cost of the school buildings, exclusive of the ground, may be stated as follows :

The free school system had its friends and its opposers from the first. The opposition, however, gradually gave way, until now, the system generally has no opposers. But there are those who very seriously doubt the propriety of that part of the plan embracing the High School, which continues about one-twentieth of the scholars four years longer in school than the other nineteen-twentieths, and that in a costly school, too, while the parents of the nineteen-twentieths are annually taxed to give a superior education to the favored one-twentieth.

The following is the number of teachers, aggregate of salaries, and average daily attendance of scholars for the ten years ending June 30, 1857 :