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202
<br />
<br />October 16, i~i7.
<br />
<br /> Ayes--~nting, Claud, Herbert, Culpepper,
<br />
<br /> Er. Claud moved that the books o£ the ~mmissioner of the Revenue ~ changed
<br />form to the plan ~o~ same" ~uEg~ste:d by th~ina4uce Bepartment. The me,men w~s aaopmea.
<br />
<br />On motion, ~djournsd.
<br />
<br />October
<br />
<br />At s~u adjourned regulmr meeting of the Cit~ Council October 2End there were preser~t:
<br />
<br />Eessrs--T. A. Bunting, .~,~, P. Cl~ud, J. T. Harvey,
<br /> C. H. Herbert, W. H. Culpepper, 5.
<br /> Also the City ~n~ger
<br />
<br /> The first m~tter considered w~s the selection of a site for m new cemetery, mhd the fol-
<br />lowing report w&s read from the Public Welfare Dep~rtment in connection with same:
<br />
<br />"To the President and Nsmbers of the City Council,
<br />
<br /> "Portsmouth, Virginia.
<br /> "Gent!emen:--
<br /> "You= committee begs leave to submit the following report on the purchase
<br />of a cemetery:--
<br /> "The need of ~ new cemetery and a permanent one is very p~essing. The m~t-
<br />~er has been before this Council since its ir~uguration into office, ~and was for several years
<br />up before the old Board of Aldermen and Common Council. Therefore, much time and thought has
<br />been given to the subject.
<br />
<br /> "M~ny mites, more or less suitmble, h~ve been offered ~or the purpose, ~t there seems to
<br />be m desire on the pmrt of the Council and the people to select a site somewhere around the
<br />Western Brmnoh section. There are three offered in that locality, any one of which would do
<br />for the purpose, bu~, with the development around the City of Portsmouth now going on, and in
<br />contemplation, it seems Portsmouth will practically do~ole in population withl~ the next few
<br />years and everything points to the development o£ the eastern shore of the Western Branch ms
<br />m high class residence section, a~d for that reason, when any one trmot is in contemplation
<br />the owners of the adjoining property object seriously ~o the establishment of a cemetery there,
<br />and this is nmtur~l since there is no doubt a cemetery would reduce values in the immediate
<br />neighborhood for residence purpose~,
<br />
<br /> "Your committee has, therefore, delayed its recommendations until it is no longer possible
<br />~o do so by reason of the reml necessity ~f a cemetery ~t the present time.
<br />
<br /> "Reviewing ~n m few words the sites offered in that @ection,a~be~inning with the Armis-
<br /> · e
<br />tead F~rm:- In this tract there are ~approxmmmt ly 200 acres, and the price $100,000.00, seems
<br />~emsonable, still, the proceeds from the probable sale of lots could h~rdly take care o£ the
<br />interest a~ud pay the City a profit. The use of this place as a cemetery would~ of course,
<br />prevent the growth of the northwestern section o~ the City, which, in most cities, is consid-
<br />ered best for residence purposes.
<br />
<br /> "The Beaten Tract is reasonable in acreage and could, be hs~udied profitably, but High street
<br /> ~nd the other main streets of the City would be prevented from going through to Western Branch,
<br /> s~ud the s~me thing applies to this as that of the Armistead tract.
<br />
<br /> "The same objection applies also to the Eayn~rd Farm some distance South, and still
<br /> reot~y West of the City, throagh which the City streets should some day pass, but this would
<br /> noz interfere with the growth of the City as much ms the Armistead or Beaten tracts.
<br />
<br /> "In going over the ground carefully ~ tract of ia~ud has been dis-~ov~red, which, ~t first
<br />gl~nce~ seems ~ little fa~ diste~ut f~om the City, but upon m~ture thought mhd by comparison
<br /> with the other sites offered, we believe the Pa~er Fsmm~, which is immediately West and sepa-
<br /> rated from Westhmvcn, o= Rodm~n Heights by this Creek, would be the most suitable site
<br /> the cemetery.
<br />
<br /> "We found upon i~vestigation that the lmnd wms owned at present by ~. T. A. Bunting, but
<br /> that mn option had been given on the ss~me to Er. N~sh Bilisoly some months before. I went to
<br /> Er. Bilisoly and he showed me m~ps and surveys of the tract s~ud plats looking to its develop~
<br /> ment for residential ~nd ~oun~ry Club purposes~
<br />
<br /> "According ~o the pi~t ms, is by ~v. T. Judson Wright', this tracts contains ll3 mores.
<br /> ~igh a~d well d~ained peninsuim f~ci~g down Western Branch, with m creek on each side,
<br /> ~ivin~ it a very Io~ w~ter front~ and if this is pur~nase~ by the City for Cemetery purposes
<br />
<br />
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