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PLANS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF THE STATE NORMAL AND TRAINING SCHOOL AT OSWEGO, NEW YORK.

THE accommodation provided for the Normal and Training School at Oswego, New York, is a large and commodious building, with ample grounds, located in a pleasant section of the city, and commanding a fine view of the town, lake, and surrounding country. The entire front is 153 feet, and its depth 130 feet, with ample accommodation for 600 pupils in the Model and Practicing Schools, and 300 in the Normal Department.

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FIRST FLOOR.-1, Hall and Main Entrance to Normal School; 2, 2, Recitation Rooms for Nor mal School; 3, Laboratory and Chemical Apparatus; 4, Philosophical Apparatus and Cabinet; (Between rooms 2 and 3, and 2 and 4, are sliding doors so that two rooms can be thrown into one when required;) 5, Office; 6, 6, Assembly Rooms for Practicing Schools; 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, Recitation Rooms for Pupil-Teachers; 8, Model Graded School-Room; 9. Girls' Hall and Main Entrance to Model and Practicing Schools; 10, Boys' Hall and Main Entrance to Model and Prac ticing Schools; 11, Entrance from Court-Yard; 12, Covered Passage Way to Water Closets; 13, 13, 13, Girls' Cloak Rooms; 14, 14, 14, Boys' Cloak Rooms; 15, 15, 15, 15, 15, Teachers' Closets; 16, 16, 16, 16, Piazzas; 17, 17. Sinks for soft water.

SECOND FLOOR.-1, 1, 1, 1, 1, Halls; 2, Assembly Room and Hall, capable of seating from 800 to 1,000

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persons; 3, Lecture Room; 4. Natural History Room; 5, Ladies' Dressing Room; 6, Teachers' DressingRoom; 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, Recitation Rooms for PupilTeachers, with children from Practicing Schools; 8. Model Ungraded School-Room; 9, Cloak Room for Girls; 10, Cloak Room for Boys; 11, 11, 11, 11, Teachers' Closets; 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, Ventilators, (Robinson's;) 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, Piazzas; 14, Stairway and Covered Passage; 15, 15, Janitor's Rooms,

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THIRD FLOOR.-1, 1, Halls; 2, 2, Recitation Rooms; 3, Library and Reading Room; 4, Gentlemen's

Dressing Room; 5, Apparatus Room; 6, 6, Janitor's Rooms; 7, 7, 7, 7, Rooms for the solitary confinement of refractory children. These rooms are properly warmed and lighted.

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MICHIGAN STATE NORMAL SCHOOL

AT YPSILANTI.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT.

THE importance of making early and efficient provision for a sufficient number of well qualified teachers, for the public schools of Michigan, was pointed out by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Hon. John D. Pierce, in his first Report, dated December 27th, 1836, in which he remarks that "The most perfect organization of the entire system of schools in all the varied departments of instruction, must fail of securing the desired results without a sufficient number of competent teachers. Whatever system may be adopted and however perfect in form, it will prove itself essentially defective, unless it provides a sufficient number of teachers well educated and learned in the profession, men qualified and competent, men who can elevate and leave their mark upon their pupils. And such teachers may be had-efficient measures will soon furnish us with a full supply unless indeed intellect degenerates in this Western world. Such schools for the education of teachers as exist in Prussia and New York will furnish them." In the same Report, the Superintendent recommends that in "each county of a sufficient number of inhabitants, a school or branch of the University be established, with a department for the education of teachers for primary schools, and a course of instruction be provided for the same, which would occupy three years." Several of these departments were established, and Mr. Pierce in his report for 1838, recommends that more ample means be set apart for sustaining them on account of their importance to the success of primary schools, "being as they are, the sole means of obtaining a full supply of competent teachers." And again, in 1841, in alluding to these departments, he says: "We can look to no other source for educated, well qualified, and competent teachers."

His successor, Francis Sawyer, Jr., in his report for 1842, reiterates the importance of these departments, and also recommends that a regular school for teachers, with a model school connected, be established.

The successor of Mr. Sawyer, Hon. C. C. Comstock, in his report for 1853, refers to this subject, and recommends the establishment of Normal and Model Schools. Hon. Ira Mayhew, Superintendent in 1843, in his annual report, says: "Normal Schools, designed expressly for the education of professional teachers, are indispensable to the perfection of any system of national education." In subsequent reports he still further recommends the establishment of a Normal School.

After the presentation of this subject in official documents and in other ways, for twelve years, the Legislature in 1849, passed an act establishing a State Normal School.

This act provided that the Normal School should be under the direction of a Board of Education appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Board were to procure a site and erect buildings, appoint teachers, and make all the regulations and bylaws necessary for the government and management of the school. Ten sections of salt-spring lands were appropriated for the purposes of a building fund, aud fifteen sections for an endowment fund.

In accordance with this act, a Board of Education was appointed, which held its first meeting in the city of Detroit, in May, 1849. Provision was made for locating the lands granted, and for securing a site and the necessary buildings. At the next meeting of the Board in September, propositions were received from the citizens of Ypsilanti, Jackson, Marshall, and some other places; each tendering to the State a site for the buildings, together with subscriptions in money. After a full consideration of the liberal offers, the Board decided to locate the institution at Ypsilanti, the citizens of that place having tendered a suitable plat of ground for a site, and a cash subscription of $13,500. The citizens also engaged to give the use of temporary buildings for the Normal and Model Schools, until a suitable building could be provided, and to pay the salary of the teacher of the Model School for five years.

The site consisted of four acres, beautifully situated upon the high grounds on the border of the village-now city-of Ypsilanti.

By an act of the Legislature of 1850, the ten sections of land appropriated for a building fund were consolidated with the other fifteen sections, to be denominated the Normal School Endowment Fund, and made inalienable except so much of the same, not exceeding ten thousand dollars, as might be required to complete the buildings, purchase necessary books, apparatus, &c., after exhausting the amount of donations.

The minimum price of the lands was fixed at four dollars per acre; but the Commissioner of the Land Office was required to procure an appraisal below which none could be sold. An appraisal was made in 1850. A large portion was appraised below the minimum price. Some were valued as low as $1.50 per acre. These, of course, must remain unsold until they rose in value, or till the minimum price should be reduced.

In the same year, the Board added four acres more of land to the site for the buildings, and contracted for their erection for the sum of $15,200, of which $12,000 was to be paid by the citizens of Ypsilanti.

An act was passed by the Legislature of 1853, appropriating to the Endowment Fund the moneys arising from the Swamp Lands previously sold by the General Government, not exceeding $30,000. From this the school receives no benefit.

The Legislature of 1853 also appropriated $2,000, annually, for two years, from the State Treasury, to the Endowment Fund, and $3,000 to

the same, to be applied to the purchase of books, apparatus, and improvements upon the grounds.

But the income of the Normal School Fund, notwithstanding these appropriations, was inadequate to the wants of the institution. At the beginning of the year, 1855, it had exhausted its funds, and had contracted a debt of $2,000. In this embarrassment, it encountered the evils that have attended the first years of every State institution, of whatever kind, from the organization of the State. It was found that the School must have further aid, or its usefulness would be so circumscribed that it could not accomplish half its work.

The Legislature of 1855, appropriated $7,700 for that year, and $6,000 for 1856. This gave relief for those two years; and in 1857, upon the recommendation of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the same sums were appropriated for 1857 and 1858.

The income from the Endowment Fund has increased so as to amount to a little more than $4,000 annually, and the appropriation from the State Treasury is $7,500, making an aggregate income of $11,500.

The original building for the Normal School was of brick, three stories in height, with rooms for the Normal and Model Schools. It was dedicated October 5th, 1852, when addresses were made by Hon. John D. Pierce, the first Superintendent of Public Instruction, Hon. Isaac E. Crary, Hon. C. Joslin, and Hon. Ross Wilkins. The dedicatory exercises were followed by the holding of a State Teachers' Institute for three weeks. This Institute was attended by two hundred and fifty teachers, and was organized and conducted as a temporary Normal School. The regular opening of the Normal School took place in the spring of 1853. In October, 1859, the Normal School building was destroyed by fire, but it was rebuilt and enlarged, and re-opened with appropriate exercises in April, 1860.

The cost of rebuilding, with the exception of the alterations and additions, was covered by the amount received from the Insurance Company. The furniture and ventilating apparatus were not included in the insurance, and were replaced from the funds of the institution.

On the first organization of the Normal School, in 1852, A. S. Welch was appointed Principal. He continued in charge until 1865, when he was compelled to resign on account of ill health. D. P. Mayhew, for many years a Professor in the school, was appointed to succeed him.

PRESENT CONDITION.

Admission.

The ages at which applicants may be admitted to the Normal School proper, are, for gentlemen, eighteen, and for ladies, sixteen years.

It is, however, in the discretion of the Principal to suspend the rule in favor of applicants under the required ages, if they manifest sufficient maturity of mind or advancement in study.

Those intending to finish the course before teaching are also received at an earlier age.

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