The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-09-27


This building, which is pride as we'll as an
ornament to our city, is now about completed,
and to-day the teachers and scholars of the
several schools which have been assigned
apartments in the building will meet to make
arrangements for the formal opening of the
edice on Monday next. We are indebted to
the Star for description Of the building and
for the new system adopted by the School Com
mittee in the classification and arrangements
for the schools that are to occupy it,
The building is designed for the Grammar
and Primary departments, and the former sys-
TEN in regard to the classification of the schools
named in the advertisement has been succeed
ed by more thorough and effective method of
graGation, especially in the upper department.
Heretofore there has been a Boys Grammar
School under the charge of a male teacher and
a Girls School of corresponding rank under
female teacher, each school being sub-divided
into four or five classes. These two schools are
now to be united under a male Principal, with
female assistants, each having control of a class
composed of pupils of both sexes. The Pri-
mary department has also been newly organ
lied, the pupils advancing by regular steps
from rank to rank to the Grammar School. and
thence TO the High School. This system gives
employment to twenty four teachers. includ-
ing the Principal, who, though he has but one
class under his direct instruction, has gener-
al supervision over all the others in the build
ing, and is responsible for the fidelity of his
subordinates, the police regulations of the
building and the execution of the rules of the
experimenting School Committee. This sys-
tenn is a new one here, but the committee were
induced to establish it by the success which
had attended it in the larger cities.
The school house is Of brick, three stories
with Mansard roof the stories being fifteen
feet high, and the attic twelve feet high, max
ing total of fifty-eight feet in height to the
pinnacle of the roof
The dimensions of the main building on the
ground are 81 by 1856 feet. There are three
towers, on the east, south and west sides, 15by
80 feet, the principal one being 20 feet in
height. Entering the building through ope OF
the towers the visitor passes into a hall run,
ming across the breadth of the building, about
IL feet wide. Four spacious ante-rooms open
out Of the hall; also passages to the school
rooms, eight in number, four in the front and
four IN the rear. These rooms are divided by
glass partitions, which can be raised and throw
the entire suite into one room, as necessity OF
convenience requires. The second and third
stories are arranged on the same plan; making
in the entire building twenty -four school rooms
% by 26 feet in size. The fourth or attic story
will at some future time be finished as a gym
nasium.
The arrangement of the schools is TO be as
follows: The lower class of the primary schools
occupy rooms in the front on the lower floor
then as the pupils rise in rank they pass to the
rooms i'll the rear; the next step is to the front
rooms of the second story; then to the rear
rooms, and finally they ascend to the grammar
department; and so on through its classes.
The whole interior finish is of black ash
handsomely wrought and finely polished. The
stairs are broad and very easy, the rise of the
steps being only six inches The balusters are
massive and strong and of elegant pattern. In
building SO large this, accommodating
1900 children, the most careful measures should
be adopted for their safety, and the architect
has not overlooked this, but has given six
methods of egress through the three towers
All the doors of the interior swing outward
into the halls and towers, and no fire whatever
will be in the building excepting under the
boiler; SO, in all respects, 1t seems almost i'm
possible for any casualty to occur inside. Ar
engagements have also been made in reference
to supplying the building with water when
ever it shall be introduced into the city
The whole will be heated by the circulation
of hot water, carried from two of Harrison's
boilers in the cellar to all parts of the build
ing, the pipes connecting in the halls and
school rooms with portable registers. Iu the
cellar are also three immense cisterns, which
can be used by the Fire Department in cases
of great emergency.
Taken altogether it may be regarded as one
of the most perfect school houses in the coun-
try; and we can challenge comparison with
any city in the country; and we believe that
our citizens, after they shall have visited and
examined it, viii agree that it is almost perfect
in arrangement and will award the highest
praise to the committee the architect and the
builders.
The architect, as is well known. is Mr.. L.
Newcomb; the contracting masons Messrs T.
e. Stuart & Co.; VIM. Ell. Stewart, master car
penter. The seats, of Maine production, are
from the works of Swasey & Sons, of Liner
ick.
On Monday the Mayor, School Committee
and members of the City Government will be
present at the opening of the schools and in
formally install the teachers. On Wednesday
and Saturday afternoons Of next week the
building will be thrown open to public inspec-
ton.