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<br /> A fa
<br /> To the Citi.zexis of Lexington :
<br /> The evolutiox, of the school building in the last
<br /> forty years is a notabl e. indication. of genera] progress.
<br /> They modern schoolhouse is more than, a cella.r, four walls ,a roof,
<br /> a few. bee ches ,a blackboard and a big stove:. . It is much more elab-
<br /> orate arid . cost12r. A community nay r;ot,a.s in old time s ,follow its
<br /> own notions of construction but must comply with state laws cc ncern-
<br /> o,g ver:tilati on :hea.ting., sari ita.r:r conve:n:iences , fire stops,etc . .
<br /> Ever, the kind of laths for the ce.iliY,g and of flues for bleating
<br /> axid ventilating is prescribed by the State Building Inspectors {
<br /> Aepnrtrnent . They are wise regillatftens of course brit, comp- i.ance
<br /> acid's to cost . Again,modern .artistic taste dema,ids some degree of
<br /> architectural beauty acid a harmony of iiiiterior finish. This also
<br /> requires skill that must be paid for.
<br /> Your bui3dirtg Committee: agreed iri the deterr�iriat ton to pro-
<br /> vide the best buildi:x g possible for the appropriation, to employ
<br /> Lexir.gto�ri labor, r to l uy material of Lexington dealers whe7ie ver
<br /> Oossible acid to� limit the cost to 627,000 .
<br /> The second article of the specification reads : "Preference,
<br /> will be given by the Ccnrt nit.tee to Lexington sub-coritra.ctors and
<br /> labor acid xio si�bcontra.cts are to be awarded without the: e.l,,proval
<br /> of the ror,unittee .
<br /> hi all our d:isctissions as to expenditure the limit of the axle--
<br /> propriati oij was remembered ,rievertheless ,in carving out our desire
<br /> for a first class building.and favorable loca,tion ,we were compelled
<br /> to expend a little more money. The committee were beseiged at
<br /> first by people here artcl elsewhere who had labor or Yliix, ,erial to
<br /> sell . We could get, every thing neode d "From turret to fc� ;r dati car.
<br /> store."but i_o one offered the once thing i,ecessa.ry at first,,a suit-
<br /> able birild ing lot . Those who owr.ed eligible property,within the
<br /> j nrescribed terri.torywoi4ld riot se] l or only at -a prohibitive price .
<br /> 'The guest-ions"VThere are -you going to locate the new building? "
<br /> "Have you secured a lot Bret?"bega.n to be erabarrassixjg. We hoped
<br /> that. some public spirited c tizer: would donate the: 3ard or sell
<br /> at a. nomirja.l price... We were cOmost discouraged, as time was getting
<br /> shorn ai d were ready to call a special meeting to get authority to
<br /> take; -arid by l e fail process when Mr.Heiiry W.Lewis , of the committee ,
<br /> brought the gr-a,tefO news that he had induced Mr.acid Mrs.R .J .Harr;s
<br /> to favor the towli by selling a desirable lot . "If you do not at
<br /> first succee,,d , tnr, tr r agai.rf`. was evidently the motto followed by
<br /> Mr .Lewis . He succeeded ixi bivrixig where others had failed .
<br /> Mr.Wil ]a.rd O .Rrown,Architect ,of Lexi.iigton was among those who
<br /> had submitted desi.g2is arjd Mr.Brown's plans,after some medifica.tions,
<br /> were accepted . He ,tried to please the town in his careful and core
<br /> tixtuous supervision of the work and his efforts were satisfactory
<br /> jj to a.l l concerried . The wisdom of appointing Mr.Fraricis W-Deax, a
<br /> menber of the building committee was obvious at this tirie as his
<br /> ]uiowl edge of contractors., the building trade and material was of
<br /> advantage to the t ovni
<br /> j Mr.E.W.Pitman,of Lawrerice,11rass .was the lowest bidder ard ,as
<br /> investi.gat_lon proved his respoxisibil it<< and his ability to do
<br /> V-1a work irj the short time al l owed ,your committee signed a con-,
<br /> tract with. him June 2,I904, for �I7,290 .
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