Tar Heel Spotlight
School Funds Went To Military
Nqjth Carolinians have long
been Singularly proud of their
excellent education systems
— from the early grades on
through graduate studies at
many fine universities.
However, Vw many know
that New Bern was the site of
the first publicly supported
school in North Carolina? The
New Bern School, opened the
first week in January, 1764,
became only the second
private secondary school in
English America to receive a
charter.
But two centuries ago,
establishment of a school was
not as simple a matter as
voting a school bond issue.
Time and again during
colonial years monies were
appropriated for schools but
were used for other purposes.
Among the first mention of
school in The Colonial Records
of North Carolina is the 1749
bill for a free school in
troduced by John Starkey of
Onslow County. In 1754, the
sum of 6,000 pounds was
authorized for schools, but
unfortunately, was diverted
for military pruposes.
Other funds appropriated
from time to time were
disallowed in England.
The 1758 Assembly asked
King George II that some
monies for schools and
churches be provided by the
Crown in return for war aid,
but objections were raised up
to 1763. It is reported that even
merchants objected to the use
of public funds for school.
However, Royal Gov. Ar
thur Dobbs recognized the
lack and frequently em
phasized the need for schools
and more school masters in
the province. In 1760 he
proposed to the Colonial
Assembly that each parish
vestry raise funds to pay the
parish clerk and register to
act as schoolmaster, and also
serve as substitute church
reader.
The money was raised, but
again channeled to the
military.
Another appeal -from
Governor Dobbs u for
clergymen and
school masters and repeated
requests by Parson James
Reed, the Assembly chaplain,
went out in 1762 to the Society
for the Propagation of the
Gospel. These pleas finally
brought response.
During December, 1763,
Thomas Thomlinson arrived
in New Bern from Cum
berland County, England,
and on Jan. 7 opened a school
to teach children “in such
branches of useful learning as
are necessary in several of the
offices or stations in life, and
imprint on their tender minds
the principles of the Christian
religion aggreable to the
establishment of the Church of
England.’’
The School was an almost
immediate success.
In March 1764, the Assembly
provided the schoolmaster a
residence, and a school
building for his classes in 1766.
However, the conscientious
schoolmaster, to see the
build ng completed, lent the
moP' — half his annual
salary — for the floors and
brick chimneys until he could
obtain more pledges.
The Assembly, which met in
the fall, came to his rescue.
Historian • Alonzo Dill writes
that the Assembly “passed an
act authorizing contributors to
the school to choose eleven
trustees from their number, to
be known as the Incorporated
Society for promoting and
Establishing the Public School
in New Bern, and levying for a
seven-year period a duty of
one penny a gallon on all
spirituous liquors inported
into Neuse River.”
At that time, Thomlinson
wrote of the new school, “We
have now a prospect of a very
flourishing school in the town
of New Bern and which indeed
has been greatly wanting for
several years past ...”
Soon, he needed an
assistant, and early in 1767
James McCartney, a native of
Ireland, arrived to assist
Thomlison with the school. A
year later, McCarney left for
England where he became a
candiate for the ministry.
Lack of money and other
difficulties forced Thomlinson
to give up the school in April,
1772 with the pupils heavily in
debt to him. Master
Thomlinson then moved to
Rhode Island for his health.
Dnung the Revolution, the
school was disorganized, but
was reactivated by the
Assembly in 1784, and given
the name of the New Bern
Academy
The frame schoolhouse
building, which had also
served as a meeting place for
the General Assembly from
time to time, was destroyed by
fire in 1795.
The once-beautiful Tryon
Palace was then used for a
schoolhouse for a time, since
the state capital had been
moved to the new town of
Raleigh.
Another school building,
built in 1806, is still standing.
During the Civil War, the
“new” building was used as a
school started by northerners,
and then later served as a
hospital for nothern soldiers.
The 1806 building recently
had its front portico restored.
And it is still the dream of
other New Bernians to restore
entirely the old schoolhouse,
site of many a lesson in
readin’, ‘ritin’, and ’rithmetic
for many distinguished North
Carolinians who claim New
Bern Academy as their alma
mater.
Brevard Methodist
Established In 1893
The First United Methodist
Church grew from a tiny start
in 1873 to its current mem
bership of 965 with its physical
plant located on North Broad
Street opposite Brevard
College.
A history of the church by
Jennie Taylor Orr, published
in 1965, traces the progress of
the band of Methodists from
the interest spurred by visits
from Bishop Francis Asbury
to the deeding of land to the
church in 1873.
In the booklet, Mrs. Orr
talks about the first agitation
for a school, and the coming of
Mr. and Mrs. Fitch Taylor in
1892 to open a school for
mountain girls. That school,
called Epworth School, is the
forerunner of what is now
Brevard College.
The first addition to the
church building, a frame,
whitewashed structure, came
in 1903 when Rev. C.P. Moore
was the preacher in charge.
The old church was moved
back to become the annex
and a new church sanctuary
was built, which was
dedicated in August, 1904.
Indebtedness on that
structure was paid off in the
fall of 1907 , when Rev. Robert
F. Tuttle, father of the current
minister, was minister.
By the early 1920’s Sunday
school attendance had grown
so that another addition was
required. The congregation
borrowed $8,000 and members
did much of the work them
selves.
It was during the ministry of
Rev. Julian J. Holmes from
1949 to 1953 that 360 new
members were added to the
congregation. Again, ad
ditional space was needed,
and a residence owned by Ed
M. Anderson, adjacent to the
church, was used for tem
porary classroom space.
Mr. Holmes also appointed a
building committee, chaired
by Luke Harrison, that made
plans for the current sanc
tuary on three and a half acres
of land given by the Brevard
College Trustees.
A campaign was launched in
1955, during the ministry of
Rev. Douglas Corriher, to
raise $150,000.
The first service in the new
structure was held Jan. 5,
1958.
The educational wing, at a
cost of $225,000, was opened in
May, W^O.
In addition to the programs
of the church, the facilities are
used by Brevard College, and
by many community
organizations, including
American Association of
Retired Persons, Friends of
the Library, Jaycees,
American Association of
University Women, Boy
Scouts and Cub Scouts, Girl
Scouts, Blue Ridge Technical
Institute and community
concerts.
Urban Animal Agriculture
Animal agriculture sounds
rural, but most of the jobs it
creates are in metropolitan
areas, such as packing house
workers, retail meat cutters,
truck drivers and scores of
other jobs in both blue collar
and white collar designations.
Most of the money agriculture
spends for supplies, equip
ment and machinery goes into
the economic stream of urban
areas and helps pay the wages
of urban workers.
VITAMIN C
500 mg. 100’s
250 mg. 100’s
2 for $2.39
SUPER B-Complex
With Iron Houle ofl 00 j]
2s619
Plain. 100’s i
2 for $5.98 I
VITAMIN E
100’s 400 mg.
2s998
1000 ms. - 50’s
2 for $11.99
200 ms. - 100's
2 for $6.69
Circus Mates
Chewabie Vitamins
Flavored, 100’s
2s298
With Iron - 100’s
2 for $3.25
Choice of NBA PLAYERS Association !
AYTINAl
mat
(Mas miKials
Buy 100 Tablets
Get 100 FREE
»e.se vab>
•>128
^L.nily
formula
FOR
SAVE “J.29
AYTINAL
Vitamins ft Minerals
Family formula.
Bottles of 100.
.2:4
29
Orange Flavor Chewahle
VITAMIN C
TABLETS 250 mg.
Bottles of 100
Ct"'A^lc
SUPER Geriatric
High potency fonnula to
aid the “over 40” needs,
Bottles ot 100
ipeutic formula of
vitamins and minerals.
BY
MRS. ADA REED
Let us remember beginning
on Jan. 12, we’ll be having our
January Bible study, which
will be the book of Acts, at our
church.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Reed
and son, Michael, of North
Charleston, S.C. virited with
his grandparents, Mr. and
Mrs. John Reed last Saturday.
Mrs. Hilliard Stepp is
visiting her sister and brother
in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Thurman
Docker a few days.
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard
Nesbitt visited with their
daughter’s family Mr. and
Mrs. Thomas Prichelle of
Marietta, S. C last Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Setzer
of Candler, visited with
relatives in this section
recently.
Mr. and Mrs. Earl Owen
spent last Sunday with his
mother, Mrs. Lee Owen of
Greer, S. C.
)
We are glad to report that
Mrs. Alice Dockery is feeling
letter after being ill.
We extend our sympathy t4
he family of Vernon Huggini
>f the Big Willow section ol
Henderson County, who die^
ast Monday.
When you think of
irescriptions, think of
EARNER’S, adv
(Patterson* s
-of 'Beenanf
Annual After Christmas Sale
IS NOW IN PROGRESS!
Patterson’s After Christmas Sale is an annual event that many of our
customers look forward to from year to year. Plan to attend this sale and
we feel you will understand why—one good reason is that Patterson’s does
not bring in specially purchased sale merchandise for these events. All of
our reduced merchandise is from our regular stock of nationally known
brand name clothing and accessories. This includes all our Men’s , Ladies’
and Little Shop’s seasonable Fall Clothing. Men’s, Ladies’
Since this is our regular stocky sizes and color co-ordination are sometimes
broken, but you can always be sure the values are genuine and everything is
first quality.
The Savings Are Great — And They’re
All Yours When You Shop Patterson’s
Men’s
Fall Fashions
and discontinued
styles include such
Famous Brands as:
Pendleton
Palm Beach
Johnny Carson
H.I.S. Sportswear
Thane
Arrow
Jantzen
Higgins Slacks
Norris Shirts
Beau Brummell
Mr. John Ties
Buxton Belts
Swank Belts
THERE WILL BE
A NOMINAL CHARGE f
FOR ALTERATIONS ON f
SALE MERCHANDISE
Some typical examples
of price reductions
on Men’s and Ladies’
Fall & Winter Fashions
WERE
$3.50
5.00
6.00
9.00
13.00
17.00
27.00
34.00
39.00
47.00
55.00
66.00
75.00
87.00
99.00
NOW
$1.99
2.99
3.99
5.99
8.99
11.99
18.99
22.99
27.99
32.99
37.99
45.99
51.99
58.99
67.99
V.V.V.|.V.V.*.V.V.V.^J
Ladies'
Fall Fashions
5
and discontinued styles
include these Famous
Brands among others:
Koret of California
White Stag
Act III
Butte Knits
Dalton
James Kenrob
Pendleton
Country Miss
Alfred Dunner
Center Stage
Alex Colman
Bodin Knits
Kay Windsor
Kollection
Young Innocent
Garland
Shadowline
Vanity Fair
Hollywood
Vassarette
Plus Many Other Items For Men And Ladies
Also Reduced During This Sale — So Hurry!
Use Mas ter charge, Bankamericard, Or Patterson’s Own
Convenient Charge Plan For Easy Shopping!
Shop Patterson’s For All First Quality Famous
Brand Merchandise
AU Sales Final No Refunds No Exchanges