Ellis East Elementary Walk Through, May 18th

The Principal’s Office

[ sounds of someone walking, rummaging around, A-G speaks in an informal voice]

Wait a minute… Maryann, are you there? [Beat]

I could have sworn I heard someone back here…

Well, I guess I’ll get back to my notes

[formal voice]

As I walk toward the office, I cross the threshold from the polished wood floor to the marble floor. The new floor has a light pebble pattern in the center and a blue border with similar pebbling around the outer foot of the hallway. On my left, to the west, there is the western staircase, which is bigger and sturdier than the front staircase. The stairs are marble with the same pebble pattern as the back half of the build rather than wood. The stairs in the u-shape formation going upward have an intermediate landing at the halfway point that is about six feet deep by ten feet wide, and the stairs turn to connect to the second floor. There is also a small flight of four stairs which go downward and connect to the western door. To my right-to the east-is the hallway to the gymnasium. Beyond the staircase, on the western side of the hallway is the principal’s office. The office, in its entirety, is almost the size of a classroom. It consists of two rooms--an outer office and an inner office. The outer office was the secretary’s office and the inner office was the principal’s office. 

The outer office has a high countertop lined with chessboard patterned contact paper that runs from the door of the inner office to the perpendicular wall, with a swinging half door. The secretary’s desk is behind the counter, as is a floor to ceiling wooden cabinet in the back corner. Anchored to the wall that divides the outer from the inner office is the control center for the PA system, with the microphone hanging on a hook to the side of it. On the southern wall, there is a bulletin board with the stereotypical “hang in there” kitten poster which takes up almost a third of the bulletin board. Otherwise, the bulletin board is empty except for assorted tacks and pushpins, including a number of multicolored pushpins configured in a star and a smiley face. 

(Informally, excitedly, rushed) Hydrangea bushes

(remembering herself) I’m sorry. 

(more formal) Audio diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume, Assistant Professor of Architectural History, Hollingsworth University, June 20th, 11am, recorded in my home office, formerly Classroom 1-A, over my second cup of Paris Tea.

I was saying, rather excitedly, that I think I should plant hydrangea bushes on the eastern wall of the building. There is a grassy area spanning the eastern wall of the front half of the school and the perpendicular wall of the gymnasium wing. It would be nice to have some flowers there, as I’ll be able to see them from my office and the dining room. 

And according to the internet, the best time to plant hydrangeas is in Ohio in early summer, so I need to get on that. 

Perhaps a few lilac bushes on the southern edge of the property? Note to self - research lilacs. And peonies. I have ample room for plants, and it will spruce up the place.

Speaking of plants, Billy and I visited Nana the other day and she has given me a number of ferns and a pothos plant. Apparently visitors have been bringing her plants since she moved into assisted living, and she is anxious about killing them and more than a little vexxed about the, and I quote, “old plant lady stereotype.”  Currently they are lining the bookshelves by the windows in here, enjoying the eastern light. 

[exhales]

It’s been four days since I last made a voice entry, so I suppose I should give some background. The crash in the basement was a falling desk. They had been stacked four high--though I didn’t remember them being that way the last time I was down there-- and it fell on me, landing on my left arm. Billy and I went to the ER immediately, and apparently I managed to fracture both my left radius and ulna. I also hit my head in the fall, but I spent the night in the hospital to confirm that there was no concussion or any damage there.

I have to wear a cast for the next six to eight weeks, which means that, regrettably, if  I want to make any progress on writing my monograph, my mother is going to have to take dictation for me. Starting next week, she’s coming over for two hours every afternoon except Sundays, and I think we will make good progress. 

I am still more or less able to record and review records without difficulty, and I am confident that this will not cause significant delays in my work.

Billy: A-G, someone is at the front gate

A-G: (To Billy) Okay, I’ll be right there. (To Recording) Could our visitor from a week ago have returned? The Lady at the gate? I will report back.

[spoken softly, as if a stage whisper]

Audio diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume, June 20th, 11:30 am, recorded in my bedroom

Lavinia Morgenstern apparently heard about my accident and decided to drop by. Billy is covering for me. He told her that the medicine they gave me for the pain makes me sleepy and is giving her a tour of the building. Note to Self: Bake Billy a thank you cake this evening. He really deserves it. 

Since she’s been here, there have been a number of electrical disturbances. The lights have been flickering, the PA system has turned on in this room from time to time so that I can hear what she says. Apparently, there are a lot of things about the school she finds “quaint,” which she says in a tone dripping with condescension. She also finds it “peculiar” that I would keep the carousel. Also, at least three doors have slammed shut behind her. 

I should go, I don’t know the logic behind why the PA turns on and I would hate it if it were to turn on so that she could hear me right now.  

*PA Crackle*

Billy (over PA): No, Lavinia, don’t go in there. The basement is off limits.

[A-G to herself as if no one is listening] “I die, Horatio. The potent poison quite o’ercrows my spirit. I cannot live to hear the news from England, but I do... [Phone buzzes]

Hi Mom!

I’m doing better today… Hey can I call you back later? Lavinia stopped by…

No, I’m not. I’m actually hiding from her in my bedroom while Billy runs interference. It’s what friends do.

I wouldn’t hide from her under normal circumstances, but I'm still recovering from my hospital stay and you know she’s a lot.

Well, the last I heard, they were out in the garden, so there is no danger of her overhearing, I would have heard them come back in, but still, I don’t know that I should talk

Mom, we’ve been through this. My bone density is fine. A large metal object fell from a great height, and that would break anyone’s bones

Well, no, they didn’t test for that specifically, but if it were a problem, it would have shown up on the x-ray.

[sighs]

Yes, I know what Women’s Day says about osteoporosis after the type of surgery I had, but the doctor assured me everything is fine.

That’s another thing. I found an old copy of a woman’s magazine on the table by my reading chair set out to a page about the need for bone density testing and bone health yesterday. You’ve made your point, you don’t need to passive aggressively hint at it.

Mom, denying this will get you nowhere. Who else would have set it out there? Billy? One of the dogs? 

The medicine just makes me sleepy, Mom. It’s not like I’m wandering around in a trance and picking up magazines without noticing it.

Listen, Mom, I’m really tired. My arm still hurts. I’m going to try to take a nap before I do some reading this evening.

I know I got a little snappy but thank you for caring about me. 

I love you too, Mom.

Audio diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume, June 20th, 1:00 pm

Recorded in my home office.

Lavinia left about 45 minutes after she arrived. [Sighs]

I am sitting down in my office to review my files. I do not yet have the fortitude to go through the county library files. I did get a box of documents from the historical society, and some scans from state records. 

[Formal Voice]

The Ellis Field Normal School was founded by siblings Lucy and Algernon Hobbes in 1885. Lucy Hobbes especially had ties to the progressive education movement. The siblings purchased the land on which the school sits in 1880, with construction of the building beginning in 1881. The construction was completed in March of 1885, with the first school year beginning in 1885. The school offered a three-year teacher training program for students who had completed high school. The enrollment records for the first year the school opened show 15 students in the first year of the program, and 3 second year and 2 third year students transferring from other institutions. 

At the time, the school was staffed  by 4 other faculty beyond the Hobbes siblings. Lucy Hobbes served as the dean of the school and taught classes in progressive education and educational practice. Algernon Hobbes taught classes in math and science. Additional subjects included Latin and Greek, French, Social Studies, and Literature. The school operated until 1907, at which time the normal school merged with another school located 40 miles away. All students in the school at the time transferred to that campus in the fall of 1907, as did most of the staff of the school. At this point, the building was given to the town of Ellis Field to be used as a primary and secondary school. The only staff who remained at this point were Lucy Hobbes, who served as the principal of the school and ensured that the school adhered to the values of progressive education, and the librarian, one Helena Reeve, stayed with the school. No records for Algernon Hobbes seem to exist after 1905, though it’s not uncommon for the time, especially if he lived a quiet life. Will have to follow up on that, the usual sources, Census records, Obituaries, etc.

Now for details on the physical building

The building initially had three floors, with the front half of the third floor serving as faculty offices and the back half of the third floor as a ballroom/auditorium/gymnasium. The current gymnasium was added in 1920, at which point the back half of the third floor was converted into additional classroom space. The front half of the third floor was used for classrooms starting in 1907, when the school became a primary and secondary school, as faculty offices were no longer necessary. Upon the district consolidation in 1955, the third floor of the building was decommissioned and then removed in 1958, citing both safety issues relating to large, empty parts of the building going unsupervised with young pupils because the high school classrooms housed there were no longer needed as high school students went to the West Building. There is also a vague report here which suggests someone was injured up on the front stairs to the third floor, but the documentation on the report is questionable and it cites the incident as hearsay. 

Specifically the report reads “Rumors of a student falling down the stairs and a dark-haired woman in a historical dress have led to students daring each other to go up into the abandoned parts of the building, creating further safety hazards. The rumors are unsubstantiated, though the fascination with the abandoned parts of the building justify the removal of the third floor.”

Research follow up to do list: 

1. Find more information about Lucy Hobbes. A woman founding and running a normal school in this era would have been uncommon, particularly outside of major cities on the east coast where the progressive education movement was less common. While women made up the majority of classroom educators,the highest levels of education, including teacher training were the purview of men.  In a rural area like Ellis Field, the fact that Lucy Hobbes was able to succeed first as the dean of a normal school is particularly noteworthy, as is her tenure as principal of the Ellis Field School. Also, a normal school dedicated to progressive education this far from a big city is further noteworthy. Putting this all together with the fact that despite the decking being stacked against her for the reasons I’ve outlined above, Lucy having a 50 year career in Ellis Field makes her my kind of lady… I mean, someone whose career is worthy of academic study.

2. Additionally, follow up on Algernon Hobbes. It’s not unusual that a teacher in a small town would lead the type of life that would not be recorded during this era, but I want to see if I can find anything worth noting.

3. Track down the normal school they merged with to see if it still exists as a university--some do--if so, look into getting a letter from Hollingsworth to visit and explore its institutional archives as there may be documents brought over from the Ellis Field Normal School as part of the merge.

Audio Diary of Anna-Georgina Plume,  June 20th 3:15 pm

Billy has gone down to the basement and grabbed the file we saw on top of the file cabinet on the night when I had my accident. Which reminds me. Given that the basement is, in short, a deathtrap, we should make a point of cleaning it out so that there are less risks in going down there. This can wait until my cast comes off, during daylight hours of course. I have put a padlock on the basement door for the time being.

I’m holding the folder now…. It is labeled… Anna-Georgina Plume 1994-1998.

Nope. I am not doing this today. 

It is possible that my school file is somehow still here, but I will deal with this when I have more mental and emotional fortitude to worry about that. Until then [metal drawer opening], I am putting this in a locking desk drawer [drawer closes, locking sound]. 

[To no one in particular] Enough already.

Audio diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume. June 20th. 4:22 pm

I am sitting in the informal living room, formerly the kindergarten classroom. 

Billy: A-G, there’s someone you should see. 

A-G: Yes?

Awwwwwwww Hello there 

Billy: I found her behind the dumpster. I figured I would bring her inside so JD doesn’t scare her away. 

A-G: Smart. 

Billy: By the way, have you been putting out cat food for JD?
A-G: He’s nature’s pest control, Billy. Nature’s Pest Control.

Ah, I’m recording, sorry.

A-G: [To recording] Billy is holding an orange kitten. She looks to be half grown, so probably under a year old. I’m going to call her Rooibos.

[purring sounds]

Let’s put her in the old principal’s office for now. We have food--thank you, JD, but I’ll need to get a litter box for her. I think my mom might have one. We’ll swing over there before going into Hayden’s Landing to get other cat supplies. Billy, can you drive? I don’t feel comfortable driving with this cast on my arm.

Audio Diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume, June 20th, 7:30 PM

Recorded in the formal living room, formerly Classroom 1-C

Rooibos is settled in the office with a litter box, food, and a number of cat toys. I’m going to introduce her to the dogs in a few days, but I want to make sure that parts of the school that she should not be in--especially the basement--are secured before I let her have the run of the place.  I wanted to update before I shared another memory.

Memory-Recovering from surgery.

It’s an early spring night, still cold, about a week after my procedure. I’ve mostly been sleeping all day and not going out, but a friend calls and invites me to join him at a bar down the street. I remember a misty night and rain-drenched streets. I remember foggy windows. I put a trench coat over my silk nightgown, not feeling up to wearing real clothing. We sat between the steamy windows and the billiards table in a largely empty bar. The night felt like an island of normalcy in the midst of a long recovery. We talked into the night.

People sometimes say that recovering from surgery is putting your life on hold. The reality is it is more than that. It is putting who you are, your very being, on hold, as your focus becomes your survival, getting better, getting stronger, living in the after.

I’ve been feeling this way since getting home from the hospital as well. I’ve been moderately frustrated with my recovery, as well as frustrated with myself in general for putting myself and Billy in a situation in which we could get injured like that. Which raises the question of how the desks wound up stacked like that. There really is something to avoid in the basement.

Tomorrow, I will review the file. I will plan to speak to my grandmother and Mr. Zaffre about the basement. I need to take control of whatever is happening here.

Audio diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume. June-

[Doorbell rings]

What? Who Could be here at this hour? It’s 9:42 in the evening. 

[Walking noise] I had a doorbell installed at the gate. I don’t know for sure why I would need it, as anyone expected would just call or text, but it felt like a good idea. Anyway, I’m heading out there to see who it is. I really hope it’s not a prank.

[Sound of front door opening, A-G’s steps now sound outside] 
It’s a nice night. Not too hot, It’s clear. It’s early summer so it won’t be completely dark for awhile.  Hmmm. There’s no one at the gate. I really hope it’s not a prank. [half whispered] or more of whatever is going on in the school.

There seems to be an envelope resting on the gate. Which is weird, there is a mailbox right next to it, built into the fence. 

Let’s see what it is… It’s a light blue paper envelope. Opening it now [Tearing sound]

Dear Anna-Georgina,

Have you always lived here?

-Sam.

What… is this?

Ellis East Elementary Walk through May 18 

The inner office is an empty room with large windows that look out onto a flower bed on the western lawn. There is a bulletin board with a world map on the northern wall, and another PA system control center anchored to the eastern wall. Both the inner and outer offices have faded thin blue carpet similar to that of the kindergarten classroom, but most of the floor of the inner office is covered with a red faux Persian rug. There is a small marker board on the southern wall with a drawing of two empty rectangles which overlap each other, forming a smaller rectangle between the bottom right corner of the top rectangle and the top left corner of the bottom rectangle. The drawing takes up the entire board. Having finished in the office, I exit and walk next door to the kitchen. 

End Credits

Lavender Evening Fog is a fiction podcast. This episode was written by Victoria Dickman-Burnett, directed by Ben Baird, and produced, mixed, and edited by Nick Federinko. Executive Producers are Ben Baird and Victoria Dickman-Burnett. The voice of Anna-Georgina Plume is Victoria Dickman-Burnett, the voice of Billy is Nick Federinko, and the voice of Rooibos was Pilaf G. Kittensworth Esq. The Lavender Evening Fog logo was designed by Alicyn Dickman and our Season 2 concept art was designed by Matt Lowe.  This episode is brought to you by the feeling of deja vu you get as you walk down a long hallway. This episode pairs well with a creme brulee black tea. 

Before you leave, we wanted to introduce you to our podcast friends, the Night Post. Find them wherever you get your podcasts and listen to their promo after these end  credits

Night Post Promo

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