The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-10-02
the PEOPLES SCHOOLS.
Dedication Of he Franklin school Building.
A Description Of The Building.

interest lust at this time'
Tho prominent position accorded 10 this
structure in the school architecture Of the
country by all the leading educators and eI-
perts Of the land 10 source Of sincere con-
graduation 70 the citizens Of the capital Of
the nation.
Situated al the intersection Of Thirteenth
and X stseets-two wide roads-it presents
picturesque aspect from every point OF ap-
proach, and assumes an air Of importance
commonly not accorded to brick buildings,
thus showing that the want OF appreciation
OF this material does not proceed from Its In
trinsic ugliness, but from association OF the
Imagination with ideas Of coarseness and
meanness OF construction. In Lombardy,
ssths great country Of brick" as Hope calls
it-brick has been moulded, during the prev
alence OF the Renaissance style, into forms 90
exquisite as TO have been raised TO 0 stan
dard of value and dignity.
From this golden age Of the art In Italy
springs the pervading spirit Of the design OF
the "Franklin school building" Unity Of
idea has been combined In Its facadcs with
variety Of line and proportion, while wise
eobriety Ia observed In the use OF modest,
severe and delicate ornaments, coupled with
q scrupulous care TO apply them only where
the style calls for them, 90 ~ to attain that
seemly comellness, that elegant exterior
which 10 powerful 10 difruse good taste among
the people at large, but prc-emincntly among
the growing generation.
The expense incurred In decorating ex-
ceeds but little the cost Of ordinary bricks,
for this style Of architecture il Of the ut.
most imaginable simplicity, yet pleasing the
eye by varied lines at different heights and
thicknesses, whether intersectlng, straight or
curved, producing an outline pictorial and
justly pyramldal In Its proportions. Monot-
ony Is also avoided, and the general design
Is rendered more Ineligible by the little In.
terfuptions Of alternating the mass Of red
bricks by courses Of stone Of warm, light,
| complementary color. The upper part Of
the centre building Ia crowned by q Mansard
roof, nankcd by two graceful bell-towcrs,
with an intermediate clock face aud pcdi-
ment, surmounted by a colossal bust Of
Franklin, and has evidently been elaborated
with an eye to the utmost attainable ele-
gance and beauty In that lofty portion which
Is visible from all points Of the compass.
Light form, beautiful color and brilliant
gliding are added. This is q bold change OF
style, but 1t must DO acknowledged Il is q
happy exercise Of fancy within the resources
| of the plastic art; being wisely designed and
serving, In fact, to distinguish the central
portion from Its adjuncts, making of II ono
complete feature, each order Of architecture
giving saliency to the other. What forms
the most notable feature In this school
|
which generally form unseenly protuber-
ances, have been grouped Numerically OF
the four corners, and shaped so as TO form
the most prominent part OF the decoration
that the substrnta Of the characteristic bell
towers perform the most important parts II
/ the combined system Of heating and veutila
ton, and that In short architecture itsel
Q constitutes the decoration OF the archltec
;. ture, although there are also a few minute
carvings, not observable from q distance
For these carvings, the motives Of Cerami
r | ornament, the ancient art OF terra Gotta ha
= to lend Its graces TO the modern art Of cas-
. ing. This passes the most scrupulou
: critic, for from the most celebrated ARCH
| tects, who nourished with Luca del Robbia
that prs-eminent modeler in terra eottd
down TO the latest period Of the Clnqu
Cento, Ceramic ornaments Invariably en-
, tered into designs for noble monuments, boil
! sacred and profanc, until they passed int
! the hands Of the so-called imitators o.
. Michael Angelo, when, art overstepping tn
/ boundary line OF beauty, the gentle orna
Q ment In terra Gotta refused to lend itself :
the contortious and unmeauing scroll wor
of the Barocco style and fell and RENAME
In oblivion until the resurrection Of q pure
a taste In tho latter part Of the nineteenth Ger
n tury.
n The lot on which the school-house
/. erected contains $4,000 square feet, and
A admirably situated as regards healthfulncs
: light, air and drainage. Under one roc
!. there are essentially two buildings, wit
q separate wide entrance doors and stairs I,
q boys and for girls, accommodating In q
4. 800 pupils, and originally calculated for Il
"a accommodation Of Grammar, Iutermedla
IA and Secondary schools Of the First scho
n district, though present emergencies mi
xe compel different appropriation OF Il
no rooms. Tho house can easily be filled CIV,
he at this day by children within convsni e
II. distance.
=. Tho building 10 14s feet long and 70 fe
wide. The walls are 10 the average 90 fe
high above the sidewalk for the wings, an
rs feet for the central part, while the top
', the bell towers Is liz feet high above u
u southwest corner OF the building. The foul
70 dations are of blue rock, (gneiss,) walls
y hard-burned brick, with facing Of press,
D. brick, shaped and moulded expressly for Il
purpose, and ornamental iron belts al
y trimmings for windows and doors. All u
s- principal partition walls are also of har
-, burned brick, Of abundant strength. T
~ stairs and corridors arc constructed abs
'' lutely fre-proof, with segmental brick arch
sprung between rolled Iron beams for /
M M floors. which are tiled with black and VIII
w marble. The ends Of the building are CT
'a' with green and blue slate, laid TO tasty p
terms. The centre part Of basement CT
~ tains dwelling rooms for the janitor, CT
ell, cellar and heating apparatus. The oppos
OF ends of the building are allotted to pl
lnu grounds for the two sexes, each being 81
orh "a feet, and accessible from the street
re well as from upper stories. The frat stt
aan is approached by two main entrances,
son doors opening outward. The corridors
yea IS feet wide. Six school-rooms are p
en- vlded, each being 81 by "a feet in size,
feet high In the clear, and have large cloi
s,a rooms In the best position.
nv Each school-room is lighted by i've sci
70 circular windows, AZ feet wide by 0 (
,,iv high, Is wainscoted with oiled yellow p
q, boards up to window stills. A strip Of HI
W black plasteriDg for black boards extends
"a ;, around the walls for height OF feet abe
, =, o. the wainscoting. The rest of the height
the side walls and the ceiling have a "a
finish, which is tinted In distenper In col
congenlal to the eye. Related strips of p
naT form the lower mouldlngs OF light stuc
POI 20, cornlces, and furnish convenlences for har
in ing up maps. The teachers desk and pl
in form arc placed In front of a niche-a pl
introduced with success In point Of econoI
h. OF space, acoustics and beauty, In the NJ
Jug public school-house on Capitol Hill. II
SN rooms are neatly and tastefully furnished q
cordlng to the single-desk system, with
M desks for each room. The cloak rooms CO
a tain closets for accommodation OF teacher
~ a double clothes-hook for each pupil ,galya
No. lied basins with Potomac water, and suf
IL cient quantity Of shelving for lunch basket
70. The second story is Of the same height, al
of has the same subdivisions as the first, a.
In addition two small rooms Of Is by Is fe,
above the entrances, for libraries, use
ar, trustees and so On. The two central ROOF
9TH are so arranged In both stories that they G.
to be singly or together appropriated to eth
,ar the male or female department, by openi
4 a or closing one or the other of two commul
the eating doors. The third story contains t
I two grammar school-rooms, each "a by
feet, with cloak-rooms attached Of 10 BY
ers ieet In size, and separate retiring rooms
and teachers; also a recitation-ro room Of 81 by
for feet, from which the principal In charge
day the building can communicate with all
red school-rooms and janitor by means Of spe!
ing tubes and bells. The main hall Is c
trally situated, As by GO feet In size, and
wis feet high, surmounting the ends OF the bu
~ ing. This plan OF construction, while ffo
,ot ing increased facilities for sde-llght and '
nav tilation contributes highly tn the archii