Two weeks later, on July 22, the vote was taken and the purchase of the Pearson property from funds from the city treasury was approved by a three to two vote of the board of aldermen.
Keene Evening Sentinel
July 27, 1909
Page 3
VOTE TO BUY LOT
Aldermen Decide to Take Pearson Property, 3 to 2.
State Lot Will Have Main Street Frontage of 454 Feet – Pearson House Will Be Used at Once for Principal’s Residence – Aldermen Act on Several Other Minor Matters.
At the adjourned special meeting of the city councils held Thursday evening to decide on the purchase of the Pearson property on Main street to add to the normal school, the board of aldermen, before whom the joint resolution was pending, passed the bill by a vote of 3 to 2. Aldermen Pierce, Carleton and Smyth voting in the affirmative and Aldermen Applin and Kennedy in the negative. The board also received and referred some petitions and authorized the street committee to cover the Roxbury street paving if they see fit, probably with tar or cement concrete that will make it much less noisy….
In board of aldermen a petition of Richard M. Barry for a sewer extension to connect his new house on Beaver street was referred to the water works and sewer committee; a petition for the replacement of a section of 2-inch water pipe on Vernon street with a larger pipe was referred to the same committee and a petition of Horatio Colony and others for the renewal of the dam on the Ash swamp drainage ditch was referred to Engineer Wadsworth, with instructions to make a proper assessment on the land owners to cover the expense. The work done on this dam, which is a small affair, a few years ago, was evidently of a decidedly temporary nature. It was made of cobbles and earth not well secured and has washed out.
The joint resolution appropriating $7,000 from any monies in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the purchase of the Pearson place, including all the property bought by Mr. Pearson from the Thayer estate, the money to be given to the state to be used in connection with $5,000 which the Normal school trustees will contribute for the purpose, was then taken up. The Thayer lot has a frontage on Main street of 211 feet, and is 436 feet deep, while the Hale lot has a frontage of 243 feet and is 476 feet deep.
Alderman Pierce moved that the bill now pass and Alderman Carleton seconded the motion. Alderman Applin said he was not in favor of the resolution on the ground that the city would be involved in an added expense for the construction of streets, etc., and should vote against the bill. A vote on the resolution was then taken, Aldermen Pierce, Carleton and Smyth voting in the affirmative and Aldermen Applin and Kennedy in the negative, and the bill was passed to be engrossed….