Page:A history of the Michigan state normal school (now Normal college) at Ypsilanti, Michigan, 1849-1899 (IA historyofmichiga00putniala).pdf/32

 22 HISTORY OF THE

CHAPTER II.

Grounds and Buildings. THE ORIGINAL PLAT AND ORIGINAL BUILDING.

After the decision had been made to locate the school at Ypsilanti the Board of Education were allowed to select any one of several sites placed at-their disposal. Among these the lot now occupied by the Central city school, with the building then upon it, was offered to them for the sum of seven thousand dollars. Their choice finally fell upon the site where the main building now stands. This plat, to the extent of four acres, was donated by the citizens of the then village; subsequently the Board added to this by purchase, so that the original site, after some reduction by the opening of streets, contained nearly six acres (5.%Mooe). Upon this they proceeded to erect a three-story brick building, 102x56 feet, which was formally dedicated, as elsewhere described, on the fifth of October, 1852. The cost of the building, according to the terms of the contract, was $15,200. Twelve thousand of this amount was paid from the proceeds of the subscriptions of the citizens of Ypsilanti and vicinity. The remaining three thousand five hundred and the cost of furnishing were paid from the fund derived from the sale of salt spring lands. The amount drawn from this fund for this purpose was $8,096.64. The total expenditure for the building and its furnishing, not including the sum paid for land, was $20,296.64.

The interior arrangement of the house provided, on the first floor, a room for the model school, with seats and desks for eighty - eight pupils, a room for the department of physics and chemistry, a small reception room, a library room, and cloak rooms; on the second floor the main school room, with seats and desks for two hundred and eight students, and several recitation