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This history is from the original compilations of
the late Louise B. Goodwin, vice principal of Franklin Elementary
School, 1930-1959, and a longtime local historian. It was published
in 1978 in the booklet "Franklin's Century of Progress 1878-1978."
The official history of the Franklin Academy began January 10,
1820 when, by an act of the General Assembly of Maryland, John
Tolly Worthington, J.T.H. Worthington, Garrett. G. Worthington,
Charles Worthington, E.S. Johnson, Nimrod Cromwell, Richard Johns,
Adam Shoevers and Dr. Thomas Walker were appointed trustees of
the Franklin Academy with power to appoint teachers and to hold,
sell, buy, or lease any property for use of the said Academy.
The original records of the Board of Trustees began May 21, 1821.
A constitution was adopted and a course of instruction drawn
up and immediately put into operation. Also, we find an outline
of the courses offered and even the name of the textbooks with
their authors.
The first teacher and principal was Dr. Francis Hunter who expected
respectful behavior toward the teacher, steady attention to all
duties, perfect order, and decorum as indispensable obligations
on the part of every pupil. Fines were made for any defacement
of the school property, and pupils were not allowed to trespass
on neighboring land.
Up to 1823 the school occupied property owned by Miss Marty Richardson
for which $120 was paid annually.
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Continued dissatisfaction with the school accommodations forced
the trustees in 1824 to appoint a building committee for a new
schoolhouse. Dr. Silas Larsh was a most active member of the
committee. The funds for this building were raised by public
subscription which amounted to more than $1200. Subscriptions
ranged from one dollar to fifty dollars. Others not able to contribute
money, donated their labor and building materials. Among the
largest subscribers were Daniel Forney, Charles Larsh, Dr. Hall,
Mr. Ducker, Samuel Harryman, [and]Samuel and Harry Reister.
The new building was completed in 1826. When it was nearly
finished, a barbecue was held, at which time several candidates
for office made their appearance and enlisted votes. Money was
collected from them and others and their money was used to build
the cupola on top of the Academy.
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The hours of attendance were eight in the morning until
noon and from two until five in the afternoon. In winter months
it was nine until twelve in the morning, an hour for lunch and
then from one until half past three.
Two vacations were given during the year, one of three weeks
that started the first Monday in August, and two weeks or less
that started on Christmas Day. There were only two holidays which
were Good Friday and Fourth of July.
Oral examinations were held twice a year, in the presence of
friends and relatives.
Between 1824 and 1848 there were at least twelve men principals.
The salary was meager, never exceeding $600 a year. Until 1835
every student paid for his education. 1847 marked the beginning
of female teachers.
In 1848 the General Assembly of Maryland passed an act establishing
public schools in Baltimore County. The first step toward making
Franklin Academy a part of the newly organized school system
was taken January 1849 when the Trustees rented the Academy and
its premises to the County for a small annual sum. Because of
unsettled conditions brought about by the Civil War, the school
did not come completely under public control until 1874.
In 1874 the property was conveyed outright by the Trustees to
the School Commissioners for the purpose of making it into the
finest schoolhouse in the County. Now it was known as the Reisterstown
High School, the first high school in Baltimore County.
The first class graduated in 1878 from the Reisterstown High
School with the following boys: O.E. Weller, Edward Gies, Rozell
Berryman, Charles and Alpheus Whitefords...A member of the Class
of 1878 said, "There were no grades in school, we went by
classes, and were called up before the teacher to recite. Corporal
punishments were the rule and not the exception then."
In 1896 the name Resisterstown High School was changed by the
Board of School Commissioners to Franklin High School. The average
daily attendance varied from thirty-seven in the summer term
to sixty in the spring term.
In 1897 Franklin really became a high school with the addition
of another grade.
Mr. Z.C. Ebaugh became principal in 1884. It is to his efforts
that the very existence of Franklin High School is preeminently
due. By this time the school had greatly increased as this was
the only high school in Baltimore County, serving children from
many sections of the county as well as having in attendance children
from Carol County.
Franklin High School moved over to the
new building in 1905 which was erected on a lot across from the
old Academy building, leaving the old Academy to the elementary
school.
It was through the generosity of Mr. Fairfax S. Landstreet, Class
of 1879, who contributed $5000 and through the efforts of Mr.
Reister Russell, School Commissioner, and Mr. Frank Zouck, President
of the Reisterstown Bank, who secured an appropriation of $15,000
from the Board of School Commissioners that the new school was
built. One hall was named for Mr. Landstreet and another hall
for Mr. Russell. |
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Upon the death of Mr. Ebaugh in 1907, Mr. Herbert Murphy became
principal.
The increased enrollment in 1914 caused the erection of another
building, equal in size to the previous one and joined directly
to it. It was at this time that the elementary school left the
old Academy and moved to the first floor, leaving the second
floor and the basement for the high school.
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After Mr. Murphy left, Dr. Samuel M. North became principal.
He was followed by Mr. Addison J. Beane.
1908 marks the year of the first Dial [yearbook]. This
was published for the first time by the graduating class of that
year.
Between 1907 and 1914 Manual Training, Domestic Science and
the Commercial Department were added to the curriculum.
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In 1913 the school erected the memorial tablet to Mr. Z.C. Ebaugh.
It is of bronze and marble honoring the man who gave twenty-two
years of his life in service to Franklin. This tablet is in the
Reisterstown Room of the Reisterstown Branch of Baltimore County
Public Library which is the old Franklin Academy building.
In 1915 the Tillard Memorial Free Library was moved to Franklin
and people in the community went there for books.
Many of the Franklin graduates were in World War I. The plaque
is in the high school listing the boys who served. It is called
Franklin Honor Roll, World War I.
In 1920 the Founding Centennial year was celebrated by a pageant,
parade and homecoming. Miss Marguerite Zouck, vice principal,
worked very hard in making this a success.
In 1927, one of Franklin's own boys from the class of 1917, Raymond
S. Hyson, became principal.
The fall of 1929 saw the Franklin High making another move. This
time the new home was the 1930 building. By this change the elementary
school had all of the 1905 and 1914 buildings which they really
needed as consolidation of several of the nearby elementary schools
had swelled the enrollment so that in the two schools the enrollment
was eleven hundred or more. This big increase in pupils caused
many changes.
The old Academy building had been used as a garage to house the
school buses, but now it was remodeled and became the home for
the Agriculture Department of the high school.
The new 1930 building, costing $265,000, was Baltimore County's
most modern and best equipped educational plant.
This new building was formally dedicated November 21, 1930.
The large structure contained the widest variety of educational
equipment ever seen in this section, making it possible for the
school to offer courses of instruction in practically every phases
of academic, cultural, commercial and industrial secondary education.
Construction of the school was one of the most rapid pieces
of work ever seen in this section. Ground was broken in March,
leaving only five months for the work before the opening of school
in September. About a month was lost for construction work when
it was found that a slippery mica soil condition, almost resembling
quicksand, required the driving of piles to obtain a solid foundation
for the building. Even with this unexpected delay the building
was so far advanced by September that the high school was able
to occupy part of it when the term began.
Executives of the Consolidated Engineering Company, general contractors
for the new building, were complimented on the exceptionally
fast work done in getting the new building ready for occupancy.
The new building housed high school pupils only. The old building,
which was renovated and fire-proofed, housed the elementary grades.
The two buildings formed a consolidated center for various communities
of the Fourth and Fifth Districts.
Enrollment in the consolidated school, as well as in the high
school, was the largest in the history of the institution. The
high school enrollment especially was expected to grow rapidly
because of the diversified courses of instruction offered, particularly
in vocational agriculture and in industrial arts.
Former teachers of the smaller schools consolidated at Franklin
were brought in to continue their work in the consolidated school.
Several new instructors were also added to the high school staff.
One of the most interesting phases of the dedication ceremonies
was the opportunity offered visitors to inspect the new building.
The rapid strides made in educational methods and equipment during
the previous decade were strikingly illustrated when a glimpse
was obtained of the amazing variety of laboratories, shops and
classrooms grouped at Franklin.
The Franklin High of 1930 continued in this building until 1956
when another change took place.
In 1956 the Franklin Elementary moved into their new school on
Cockneys Mill Road next to the old Academy building.
The junior high moved from the 1930 building into the one just
vacated by the elementary school. Now the 1930 building became
known as the senior high.
Principals in the 1930 building following Mr. Hyson were:
Reade W. Core 1937, Horace W. Wheeler 1937 to 1945, Alfred G.
Helwig 1945 to 1949 and L. Lee Lindley who came in 1949 and was
still principal when the school moved to Reisterstown Road in
1960.
Mrs. Mollie Saffell Eykler was vice principal of Franklin High
from 1928 to 1936, [and] Mrs. Helen Tovell Reese from 1936 to
1964, being the vice principal when the school moved in 1960.
The high school principal had been principal of both the high
and elementary schools until 1955 when each school had their
own principal. Mrs. Louise Bland Goodwin was vice principal of
the elementary school from 1930 until her retirement in 1959.
The following continuation of the history of Franklin High
School was adapted in part from Franklin Alumni Association Past
President C. Robert Beach's history in the Community Times
on October 18, 1995.
Franklin Junior High started using both buildings in 1960 with
Hammond D. Cantwell as principal. In 1965 the old elementary
buildings of 1905 and 1914 were demolished and a new addition
was built. Interestingly, the multi-million dollar addition was
constructed by the Henry H. Lewish Contracting Co., headed by
Henry Lewis, a 1947 Franklin graduate. In 1978 Frank N. Treuchet
came as principal of the junior high. He followed Virginia Wagstaff
who served from 1970 to 1977. In 1983 during Treuchet's service,
the junior high was reorganized to become Franklin Middle School.
The origin of Franklin Senior High School began when it became
apparent in the early 1950s that the area was growing rapidly
and additional school buildings would be required. The first
relief was in 1956 when the new Franklin Elementary School on
Cockeys Mill Road next to the old academy building opened. Even
so, classroom space grew to a premium in the 1930 building with
the combined junior-senior high school.
In 1960 the new, modern senior high opened with expanded facilities
and equipment - except for the absence of an auditorium. This
was added four years later, probably hastened because of considerable
community and faculty pressure put on the board of education.
This too was built by '47 Franklin graduate Henry H. Lewis' company.
Principals at the senior high included L. Lee Lindley, '60-'64;
Dr. D.B. Wheeler, '64-'66; Dr. James P. Hackman, '66-'70; Dr.
Robert J. Krabbe, '70-'73; Dr. James Kennedy, '73-'78; Kenneth
Flickinger, '78-'91; Evelyn Cogswell, '91-'96; Dean Terry, 1996-2007. The present principal is Kathy Schmidt.
A new school had arrived in the second half of the 20th century
to continue serving our community and its children, retaining
much of the fine tradition and unique heritage that belongs only
to Franklin High of Reisterstown.
In the late 19902, Franklin officially became the most crowded
school in Baltimore County. In January 2000 a new, 600-seat,
$11.25 million addition opened at Franklin, housing 20 classrooms,
2 chemistry labs, an art room with photography lab, a health
suite, a state-of-the-art library media center, an activities
room, a weight room, and several office areas - enabling Franklin
to carry on its tradition of excellence well into the twenty-first
century.
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