Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Proposed Extension Of The Girls School Property.
PROPOSED EXTENSION OF THE GIRLS SCHOOL PROPERTY .
WE can well imagine that when the School of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls was removed to its present quarters at St . John ' s Hill , Battersea Rise , the brethren who arranged the transfer thought they were going far away from the bustle and activity of London ,
out into the country "where fresh air and green fields would be of benefit to tbe children who were to spend the earlier part of their lives in the School . No doubt they went far enough—according to the prospects in those days
—to keep free from the evil of being hemmed in by other buildings ; but London has made marvellous advances during the past thirty years , such as to completely upset all calculations made by our ancestors of a quarter of
a century since ; it is , therefore , not to be wondered at that the expectations of those who advocated the removal of the Girls' School to Battersea Rise should have proved erroneous , or that we to-day find our Institution there
surrounded b y houses on every side , while tbe green fields to which it was transplanted appear to have receded , until they are probably as far away from the pupils now as they -were previous to the abandonment of the old
building in favour of the new one . The extension of the great Metropolis , and the consequent lengthening of the distance between the present headquarters of the Girls' Institution and the open country has not yet ceased , nor is there
any probability that it-will cease . On the contrary , we may expect that the next thirty years will see even greater alterations than have happened during the past thirty ; it therefore behoves us to make calculations accordingly , and
to consider , before making any changes , not only possibilities , but also probabilities , and those of apparentl y the wildest character . It is no use looking to the present time alone , or even to what may be expected within the
next ten years . We must calculate rather on a radical change , something similar to what has taken place durin » the past thirty years , and if we do that we may possibly form a tolerably fair estimate of the state in which matters will be found even at the close of the present century .
We have said that the Girls' Institution at Battersea is
at the present time surrounded on every side by houses , and that the tendency is to increase the number of habitations within a short radius of it . A reference to the Report of the regular meeting of the General Committee
of the Institution on the 24 th ult ., which appeared in our last issue , will give ample evidence of this , even if those who are interested in the matter are not personally acquainted with the facts of the case . It appears that the
property adjoining the grounds of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , on the north and east sides , is to be cut up into small plots , and let for building purposes . When we say that the plots are to be of such a size as to be let at n
ground rent of some £ 7 or £ 10 per annum , and at the same time bear in mind the relative position of Battersea Rise as compared with tho Metropolis of the present day , we can imagine that the residences to be erected will not
be of a very high order , or that they will in any way add to the charms of a neighbourhood which , but a few years since , was -justly entitled to the
designation of suburban . Their erection may even afford additional reasons for considering the advisabilit y of makinoanother move , but of that we shall not at present speak ,
Proposed Extension Of The Girls School Property.
except so far as it affects the proposal under consideration The houses proposed to be erected will , under present conditions , back on to the property of the Girls' Institution , and at one point at least will come within about twenty
feet of the main building , while all along the north and past sides of the property they will overlook the grounds . This close proximity to the habitation of tho children cared for by the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls is
undesirable , from many points of view , even were thero no other reasons to urge in favour of the purchase . Having the backs of some thirty or forty small habitations immediately adjoining the grounds will be a serious matter from a
sanitary point of view , the danger to which the children in the School would be exposed in the event of the outbreak of an epidemic being sufficient to awaken grave anxiety in the breasts of those who are responsible for their charge .
Keeping these facts in view , the House Committee of the Institution have been in communication with the owner of
the adjacent land , with the view of making such arrangements as should prevent a depreciation of the Institution ' s property , and at the same time , if found necessary to extend it , to do so on the best possible terms . These
negotiations have met with success so far . The adjacent owner has slightly diverted one of his intended roads , and offers ground which it is thought desirable for the Institution to secure , —for the sum of £ 5 , 703 . This offer has been
embodied in a Provisional Contract , dated the 23 rd ult ., and a Special General Court of the Governors and Subscribers of the Institution is summoned for Tuesday next , to decide whether the Trustees shall carrv the same into effect . Wo
venture to think that the verdict will bo one of unanimous npproval in the course proposed by the House Committee , and that the additional land will be secured for the benefit of the Institution .
The price asked for this additional land is not a low oneconsidered apart from the advantages it will bring to the pi'operty already possessed by tbe Institution ; but if looked at , as it should be , as an outlay whioh will not only extend ,
but at the same time improve , the ground at present held , its advantages are apparent . If the land is retained by its present owner , and built upon in accordance with his proposal , the Institution will lose the advantage of a frontage
of about 750 feet , which its purchase would secure , and in view of the eventuality—which must come sooner or later —of being compelled to leave Battersea Rise , the variation in the value of the ground then , with or without this
frontage , would make a very sen ' ous difference in the amount it would realise . We must therefore deal with the purchase to be considered next Tuesday , firstly , as necessary , in order to maintain the value of the property at present held by the
Institution ; and , secondly , as an investment in land which will always bo worth—if not the full price paid for i ^ at least very nearly so . Under such conditions the purchase will no doubt meet the npproval of the General Court of
Governors and Subscribers , who must be aware ( hat it is to the advantage of the School to improve its surroundings as far as possible when that can be done without too extravagant an outlay .
The Special General Court to consider this question is called for Tuesday next , the Gth inst ., at Freemasons' Hall , London , at four o ' clock , but in the meantime any
subscriber can inspect the Provisional Contract on application at the Office , while a Sketch Plan of the property belonging to the Institution , showing also the ground included in the proposed purchase , may be had from the Secretary of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Proposed Extension Of The Girls School Property.
PROPOSED EXTENSION OF THE GIRLS SCHOOL PROPERTY .
WE can well imagine that when the School of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls was removed to its present quarters at St . John ' s Hill , Battersea Rise , the brethren who arranged the transfer thought they were going far away from the bustle and activity of London ,
out into the country "where fresh air and green fields would be of benefit to tbe children who were to spend the earlier part of their lives in the School . No doubt they went far enough—according to the prospects in those days
—to keep free from the evil of being hemmed in by other buildings ; but London has made marvellous advances during the past thirty years , such as to completely upset all calculations made by our ancestors of a quarter of
a century since ; it is , therefore , not to be wondered at that the expectations of those who advocated the removal of the Girls' School to Battersea Rise should have proved erroneous , or that we to-day find our Institution there
surrounded b y houses on every side , while tbe green fields to which it was transplanted appear to have receded , until they are probably as far away from the pupils now as they -were previous to the abandonment of the old
building in favour of the new one . The extension of the great Metropolis , and the consequent lengthening of the distance between the present headquarters of the Girls' Institution and the open country has not yet ceased , nor is there
any probability that it-will cease . On the contrary , we may expect that the next thirty years will see even greater alterations than have happened during the past thirty ; it therefore behoves us to make calculations accordingly , and
to consider , before making any changes , not only possibilities , but also probabilities , and those of apparentl y the wildest character . It is no use looking to the present time alone , or even to what may be expected within the
next ten years . We must calculate rather on a radical change , something similar to what has taken place durin » the past thirty years , and if we do that we may possibly form a tolerably fair estimate of the state in which matters will be found even at the close of the present century .
We have said that the Girls' Institution at Battersea is
at the present time surrounded on every side by houses , and that the tendency is to increase the number of habitations within a short radius of it . A reference to the Report of the regular meeting of the General Committee
of the Institution on the 24 th ult ., which appeared in our last issue , will give ample evidence of this , even if those who are interested in the matter are not personally acquainted with the facts of the case . It appears that the
property adjoining the grounds of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , on the north and east sides , is to be cut up into small plots , and let for building purposes . When we say that the plots are to be of such a size as to be let at n
ground rent of some £ 7 or £ 10 per annum , and at the same time bear in mind the relative position of Battersea Rise as compared with tho Metropolis of the present day , we can imagine that the residences to be erected will not
be of a very high order , or that they will in any way add to the charms of a neighbourhood which , but a few years since , was -justly entitled to the
designation of suburban . Their erection may even afford additional reasons for considering the advisabilit y of makinoanother move , but of that we shall not at present speak ,
Proposed Extension Of The Girls School Property.
except so far as it affects the proposal under consideration The houses proposed to be erected will , under present conditions , back on to the property of the Girls' Institution , and at one point at least will come within about twenty
feet of the main building , while all along the north and past sides of the property they will overlook the grounds . This close proximity to the habitation of tho children cared for by the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls is
undesirable , from many points of view , even were thero no other reasons to urge in favour of the purchase . Having the backs of some thirty or forty small habitations immediately adjoining the grounds will be a serious matter from a
sanitary point of view , the danger to which the children in the School would be exposed in the event of the outbreak of an epidemic being sufficient to awaken grave anxiety in the breasts of those who are responsible for their charge .
Keeping these facts in view , the House Committee of the Institution have been in communication with the owner of
the adjacent land , with the view of making such arrangements as should prevent a depreciation of the Institution ' s property , and at the same time , if found necessary to extend it , to do so on the best possible terms . These
negotiations have met with success so far . The adjacent owner has slightly diverted one of his intended roads , and offers ground which it is thought desirable for the Institution to secure , —for the sum of £ 5 , 703 . This offer has been
embodied in a Provisional Contract , dated the 23 rd ult ., and a Special General Court of the Governors and Subscribers of the Institution is summoned for Tuesday next , to decide whether the Trustees shall carrv the same into effect . Wo
venture to think that the verdict will bo one of unanimous npproval in the course proposed by the House Committee , and that the additional land will be secured for the benefit of the Institution .
The price asked for this additional land is not a low oneconsidered apart from the advantages it will bring to the pi'operty already possessed by tbe Institution ; but if looked at , as it should be , as an outlay whioh will not only extend ,
but at the same time improve , the ground at present held , its advantages are apparent . If the land is retained by its present owner , and built upon in accordance with his proposal , the Institution will lose the advantage of a frontage
of about 750 feet , which its purchase would secure , and in view of the eventuality—which must come sooner or later —of being compelled to leave Battersea Rise , the variation in the value of the ground then , with or without this
frontage , would make a very sen ' ous difference in the amount it would realise . We must therefore deal with the purchase to be considered next Tuesday , firstly , as necessary , in order to maintain the value of the property at present held by the
Institution ; and , secondly , as an investment in land which will always bo worth—if not the full price paid for i ^ at least very nearly so . Under such conditions the purchase will no doubt meet the npproval of the General Court of
Governors and Subscribers , who must be aware ( hat it is to the advantage of the School to improve its surroundings as far as possible when that can be done without too extravagant an outlay .
The Special General Court to consider this question is called for Tuesday next , the Gth inst ., at Freemasons' Hall , London , at four o ' clock , but in the meantime any
subscriber can inspect the Provisional Contract on application at the Office , while a Sketch Plan of the property belonging to the Institution , showing also the ground included in the proposed purchase , may be had from the Secretary of