Westminster High School in the 1920s

Westminster High School, Westminster, MD, in the 1920s

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/westminster-high-school-in-1920s.html

http://tinyurl.com/kmgez3

Catching with some old friends today, coupled with some recent reader questions, reminded me of a piece I wrote in March 2007 on the Westminster High School building on Longwell Avenue in Westminster.

The image above is from 1908, is the first Westminster High School building, 1898-1936, at Center and Green Street in Westminster, MD. Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/d936f

This image is a 1977 picture of the second Westminster High School building, 1936-1971, at Longwell Avenue in Westminster, MD. Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/d92z2

Westminster High School in the 1920s

March 28th, 2007 by (c) Kevin Dayhoff

East Middle School, located on Longwell Avenues just north of Westminster City Hall, originally opened as a new “Westminster High School” on November 30, 1936. It is one of two buildings in Carroll County built in the Art Deco style. The other is the Carroll Arts Center which opened as the Carroll Theatre on November 25, 1937.

Art Deco was all the rage from 1920 to 1940 but some argue that the style had a significant presence in architecture and art from 1900 to 1950. A highly decorative and elegant style, it was considered ultra-modern in its day.

The 1936 school building was not the “first” Westminster High School. The first was located at the corner of Green and Center Streets in Westminster and was built in 1898. By all accounts it was the first “public” high school built in Carroll County. It is accepted that the first “public” high school in Maryland started in Talbot County in 1871. By 1907 there were still only 35 public high schools in the entire state.

It was not too long after the 1898 structure was built that complaints began about the inadequacy of the physical plant. As with so many infrastructure improvements in Carroll County, getting a new high school built was fraught with a great deal of acrimony and dissent. In 1921, the Westminster High School yearbook, “The Mirror,” editorialized the increase in enrollment since 1898 with alarm. It had increased from “less than fifty” to over 260 students.

In those days the school housed all 11 grades. There were 7 students in the graduating class of May 1900. Compulsory school attendance was not passed into law until 1916; however, Lisa Kronman reported in an account entitled a “History of Public Schools in Westminster,” “the attendance rate was 93.8 percent of school age children.”

The Mirror lamented “we have seen the school out-grow its surroundings. The present building and equipment are entirely inadequate to the needs of the school…” The editorial explained dire consequences would result if the school were not replaced quickly. Of course, “quickly” in Carroll County took another 15 years.

According to historian Jay Graybeal, there were 139 schools in Carroll County in 1920. 107 had only one teacher. There were approximately 7500 students and 208 teachers. 158 of the teachers were female and only 9 were married as marriage was strongly discouraged for the county’s female teachers. As a matter of fact, a resolution, passed by the school board in the 1928 – 1929 school year, barred female teachers from getting married unless a special exception was granted.

Mr. Graybeal explained that high school teachers were paid an average $903.70 and “elementary teachers in white and black schools had average salaries of $537.85 and $431.87 respectively… Teachers who had served twenty-five years, reached the age of sixty, were no longer able to continue their duties in the schoolroom, and had no other means of comfortable support received $200 per annum” from a state financed pension system.

In 1920, the Carroll County public school budget was $204,000 and the school administration was a staff of four; Superintendent Maurice S. H. Unger, Miss L. Jewell Simpson, Supervisor; G. C. Taylor, Attendance Officer and Charles Reed, Clerk. In 1916, the state board of education was run by three individuals.

The Union Bridge Pilot reported on February 18, 1921: “Teachers' pay are being withheld owing in lack of funds and it appears the county has reached the limit of its credit.”

It is in this air, atmosphere, and environment that the county unsuccessfully tried three times, May 15th, 1922, September 26, 1927, and April 3, 1934, to get the voters to approve bond bills for roads and schools – to include a new Westminster High School.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.
E-mail him at: kevindayhoff AT gmail DOT com r visit him at http://www.westminstermarylandonline.net/
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http://twitpic.com/d92z2 2nd Westminster High Sch bldg 1936-1971 Full story: http://tinyurl.com/kmgez3

http://twitpic.com/d936f 1st Westminster High Sch bldg 1898-1936 Full story: http://tinyurl.com/kmgez3

Carroll Co Schools Westminster H S, Carroll Co Schools Wster HS Class 71, Carroll Co Schools History, Dayhoff writing essays history, History Westminster 1920s, History Westminster,

20070328 WE Westminster High School in the 1920s
20090808 sdsom

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1040426835 Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/ Blip.fm: http://blip.fm/kevindayhoff_soundtrack

Daniel L. Selby, 58, of Westminster

Daniel L. Selby, 58, of Westminster

(June 13, 1950 - February 21, 2009)

Danny is the older brother of Westminster High School class of 1971 classmate Dave Selby.

I have fond memories of Danny, especially how he enjoyed cutting up catalogs and magazines. It is a behavior that I copy to this day…

Daniel L. Selby, 58, of Westminster, died Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009, at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.

Born June 13, 1950, in Gettysburg, Pa., he was the son of Sterling and Geneva Ohler Selby of Summerville in Westminster.

He attended Change Inc. and The Arc of Carroll County.

Surviving, in addition to his parents, are brothers David Selby, of Silver Spring, and Dennis Selby, of Houston.

A private graveside service will be held at Mount Pleasant United Methodist Cemetery in Taneytown.

Memorial contributions may be sent to The Arc of Carroll County, 180 Krider’s Church Road, Westminster, MD 21158; or to Change Inc., 115 Stoner Ave., Westminster, MD 21157.

Online condolences may be made at http://www.myersdurborawfh.com/.

Arrangements are by Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home in Taneytown.

http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2009/02/24/public_record/obituaries/obits354.txt

19500613 20090221 Daniel L Selby obit

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

20070406 East Middle School Selected As Finalist In National Character Education Competition

East Middle School, Longwell Avenue, Westminster, Carroll County Maryland – pictured here from December 1977

EAST MIDDLE SCHOOL in Westminster, Carroll County Maryland SELECTED AS FINALIST IN NATIONAL CHARACTER EDUCATION COMPETITION

March 27^th, 2007 – Posted April 6^th, 2007

Winners to be selected in May

March 27, 2007 . . . Washington, DC – The Character Education Partnership (CEP) has selected East Middle School as a National Finalist in its National Schools of Character awards program. CEP, the nation’s leading advocate for quality character education initiatives, chose 25 finalists from 133 applicants across the United States. CEP is conducting site visits to all finalists throughout the end of April. A team of evaluators will visit East Middle School on April 17. CEP’s Blue Ribbon Panel will then meet to select 10 winners in late May.

“CEP is pleased to recognize these schools for the important work they are doing for our country,” CEP Executive Director Joe Mazzola said.

Should East Middle School be selected as a National School of Character, it will receive the award, national recognition, and a $20,000 grant at CEP’s 14^th National Forum on Character Education, Investing in America’s Future, to be held November 1–3, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. Having demonstrated the success of their initiatives through the rigorous NSOC application and screening process, winners use their grants to serve as national leaders and models for other schools and districts seeking to improve their character education efforts.

“The NSOC application process is a rigorous one,” NSOC Director Janice Stoodley said. “The finalists are to be congratulated for all the hard work they have put into their applications. CEP’s Site Visitors are eager to see the work of each finalist first-hand.”

Finalists are selected on the strength of their written applications, having demonstrated outstanding work in encouraging the ethical, social, and academic growth of their students through effective character education. CEP’s Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education, which defines excellence in character education, guides the evaluation and selection of finalists and winners. East Middle School works diligently to reinforce positive behavior creating an environment that focuses on what students are doing well. Through classroom activities, school-wide programs, and community service learning projects, students practice positive character traits.

Jeff Alisauckas, Principal, states that, “At East Middle School, Bulldogs rule with Respect, Responsibility and Relationships. These 3 R’s are the school motto and provide the foundation of our total school character education program. They have helped us to develop a campus that is safe, orderly and committed to academic achievement while instilling lifelong values that ensure success in school, home and the community.”

Each year since 1998, the NSOC awards program has recognized K–12 schools and districts that provide exemplary comprehensive character education programs that consistently yield positive results in student behavior, citizenship, school climate, and academic performance. The national awards program is sponsored and administered by the Character Education Partnership and made possible by generous support from the John Templeton Foundation and the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources.

The Character Education Partnership, based in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to developing young people of good character who become responsible and caring citizens.

For additional information - Contact: Jeffrey J. Alisauckas, Principal, East Middle School, jjalisa AT k12.carr.org 410-751-3656

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A Profile of Carroll County Public Schools

Downloaded April 6^th, 2007

http://carrollk12.org/about/profile.htm

The Carroll County Public School System lies near both the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas. The region can best be characterized as a rural area, rapidly becoming suburban.

Today, over 28,000 students are enrolled in our schools ranking us as the 9th largest school system in the state of Maryland. The system is governed by the Board of Education which is made up of five elected members and a student representative.

The Carroll County Public School System ranks as one of the top performing school systems in the state of Maryland according to the Maryland School Performance Program Report which is released annually by the Maryland State Department of Education. Instructional staff are continually recognized at the state and national levels for their performance with numerous awards.

The educational programs developed in the Carroll County Public School System are also recognized statewide and nationally for their high standards and innovative approaches. For example, the elementary science program has been adopted in hundreds of school systems across the United States and in many other countries around the world. The system’s economic education program has been recognized by the Joint Council on Economic Education as one of the top ten programs in the country. The Career and Technology Center’s Computer Technology Program has been recognized as the most outstanding Career and Technology Program in the state by the Maryland State Department of Education.

Carroll County students consistently score above state and national averages on the Scholastic Aptitude Test and other standardized tests. Carroll County also has one of the highest college attendance rates in the state. This factor, combined with the success of the outstanding Career and Technology Program, the involvement of the business community, and the involvement of parents in the county, helps Carroll County to produce students who are well prepared for whatever path they may choose after graduation.

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Carroll County Middle Schools

http://carrollk12.org/schools/middle.htm

Carroll County has 9 middle schools. Some middle school students also attend The Gateway School, an alternative school. The middle school organization in Carroll County includes grades 6 through 8. Students are organized into interdisciplinary teaching teams which provide instruction in the academic subjects. Instruction in the nonacademic areas is provided by separate teachers. Students are grouped and regrouped for instruction by teams of teachers.

Education for students in their middle learning years nurtures intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth. Schools are organized to accommodate these unique developmental characteristics and needs. Curriculum, instruction, assessment, student activities and support services, as well as the environment, organization and administration, are designed to promote the improvement of academic skills, encourage individual student interests and talents, and foster social competency and personal success. The total school program enhances the quality of education and the personal lives of early adolescents, facilitates the successful transition from the middle learning years to the high school learning years, and lays an important foundation for life.

For more information contact Don Pyles, Director of Middle Schools at 410-751-3157 or email dmpyles AT k12.carr.org.

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20070309 My 2nd Grade Class picture

My 2^nd Grade Class picture

March 9^th, 2007

A few months back my wife and I had dinner with my 2^nd grade teacher, Mrs. Griffin. I borrowed our 2^nd grade class picture from her and I need to return it so I just got around to scanning it in this evening.

This picture was taken in March 1961 at East End Elementary School, in Westminster, Carroll County Maryland. At the time, East End was located at the corner of Green Street and Center Street in Westminster in the old Westminster High School which had been built in 1898. East End School closed quite a number of years ago.

The picture above depicts the school as it looked in 1908.

The old 1898 high school, in which East End was located, had moved in 1936 to the building on Longwell Avenue in Westminster. That building ceased to be high school in 1971. I was in the last graduating class.

When I attended East End, I lived about two blocks away at the corner of Washington Road and Green Street and walked to school every day – the source of many great memories to this day.

Schools located in the community are a wonderful thing and it makes me sad that so often they are now located on huge tracks of land in the middle of a cornfield outside of town.

In 1961 my family lived in an apartment in back of Samios Food Market.

The picture above is from the 1930s when it was then Ensor’s. Samios Food Market and the apartment where we lived was made into a Joni Mitchell song many years ago; “they tore down paradise and made it into a parking lot…

Across the street was the old Newark Shoe Factory which opened in late May 1925. When I lived on Green Street, it was the Westminster Shoe Factory and many folks in the neighborhood walked there to work.

Community markets, schools, and community employment were some of the main reasons for the quality of life that was Westminster when I was growing up in town.

Nowadays, schools located right in town are a thing of the past and community markets and employment are near impossible with this thing we call progress, err, Euclidean Zoning which most often will not allow the overlay of residences, markets and stores and work places. The again, perhaps it is not progress at all.

The corner of Green Street and Washington Road was essentially the site of Corbit’s Charge, a Civil War engagement on June 29^th, 1863 in the days just before the Battle of Gettysburg – which is one of the reasons for my continual fascination with that aspect of Westminster history – and history in general.

Someday – I’ll have an extra minute to sit down and keyboard all the names in the March 1961 photograph…

Meanwhile, enjoy the photos of a Westminster long ago, when we really had a wonderful quality of life and sense of community.

Oh – we still have a great quality of life in Westminster; it’s just different these days.

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Dayhoff personal, History Westminster 1920s, Westminster File Ensor's Grocery, Westminster File Samios Grocery, Westminster File Green St E, Westminster Planning Zoning, Carroll Co Schools History, Carroll Co Schools Westminster H S, Carroll Co Schools East End ES, History Westminster, History Westminster old photos, Westminster File Newark Shoe Factory, Westminster File Westminster Shoe Factory, Urban planning Euclidean Zoning, Music Mitchell Joni, Dayhoff photo gallery