Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-08-03
improvements in the High School
Building.

improvements in the High school
Building.
The committee of the Board of Trus-
tees of the Graded Schools, haYe taken
advantage of the long summer vacation
to make some much-needed improvements
in the interior of the building occupied
by the High and Grammar Schools. 1t
has been obvious to those familiar W it'll
the arrangement of the High School
room, on the second floor, that a great
amount of valuable space was occupied by
the unnecessarily large platform across the
west side, which at the same time occa-
stoned an inconvenient arrangement of
the seats, the light being received direct
ly Ia front. Another serious defect IN
der the old plan has been the lack of suit
able recitation rooms, the only room
available for this purpose having been a
contracted apartment ON the south side
of the staircase.
The remodeling that is now in progress,
has been undertaken with view to obvi
ate these defects. A partition has been
extended across the north end OF the
school room, separating sixteen and one
half feet from this part of the main room
The portion thus cut off has been again
divided by a partition into two conven-
lent recitation rooms of equal size
Some additional space was gained for
this purpose by including hitherto al
most useless lumber room at the north
east corner. The recitation room thus
formed on the east side, will have direct
communication with the staircase, thus
admitting pupils from the Grammar de-
partment on the first floor, without pass
ing through the High School room. This
recitation room will be occupied by Mr..
Dana, this principal, and the one on the
west side for recitations in modern Ian
guages.
The position of the platform in the
High School room has been changed TO
the north side, directly against the new
partition. and the seats will be arranged
to front in the same direction. By this
means so much additional space has been
gained by the reduced size of the plat
form, that the seating capacity of the
school room will remain the same. At the
same time the light from the windows
will fall upon the side of the desks, which
will be an obvious improvement. The
spaces between the windows will be
fitted up with blackboards, supplying
the deficiency which has hitherto existed
in this respect.
The small apartment at the south side
of the stairc ,sa, which has been used as
recitation room. has been divided by a
partition iuto two rooms, one of which
will be used for storing the apparatus and
the other a. a cloak room.
The interior of the High School room
IL undergoing a thorough renovation that
will add materially to it's attractiveness.
TIE walls will be colored a light green
tint. aud the ceiling be finished with
light fresco The room will be supplied
throughout with new desks of the most
approved modern style. The old desks
will be used in furnishing the new reci-
tation rooms.
The only changes contemplated on the
lower floor of the building is in the Ii
brary. the committee not feeling justified
in undertaking, this season, improvements
that readily suggest themselves in the
room occupied by the grammar school.
The library will be fitted up with an
additional number of shelves, adding
about one-third to it's capacity, and ssufR-
cient, it ia expected, to accommodate oil
the hn,Ir., wnIcn has not hitherto been the
case The walls in the room will receive
an oil finish, and the ceiling be handsome
ly frescoeI.
The improvements are progressing rap
idly under the supervision of the com
mittee. J NJ Haven, J. B. Kilburn aud
Fl. o. Perkins, the latter giving his
personal attention TO the matter, and on
the 9Th of September the teachers and
pupils of the high school will have the
pleasurs of reassembliug fer the fall
term in convenient and and attractive
rooms.