The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-01-16
ENPoRIA ARcH1rEcruEE.



building, to include a high school de
partment. These drawings, which rep
resent large and elegant ediice, have
been made by Nichols Sc Squires, for
the consideration of the board Of educa
ton, and to enable that body to see clear
ly what kind Of building can be erect
ed here at an actual cost of about S13,-
600. The drawings attract general at
tentiOn, and we have from Mr.. Nichols
the following details of the proposed
building:
The proposition is TO erect, on the Con
stitution street school grounds, directly
south of the present stone building, and
adjoining it, new stone building, com
bining the present one as an extension.
The front and side elevations present
building of ruble stone work, fronting
south, and measuring IS feet front, by G.
feet deep, and extended still further by
the present stone building, which would
be remodelcd outside and inside 10 ac-
cord tremendously with the new
building. The new building will be
three stories high, the upper story
being a very handsome Mansard,
and the center of the main, or south,
front projecting so as to produce a good
architectural effect and being surmount-
ed by a very handsome tower. with OBJ
seryatory tip, seventy feet from the
gound. The composite French Gothic
style is followed throughout, giving a
massive yet light, elegant, and airy APP
pearance to the building, and admitting
ample light to every portion of it.
The drawings show that the building in
size, would be second only to the Normal
school, and while different from that III
architectural design and finish would
compare very favorably with it as an ele-
giant, commodious and beautiful struc-
ture, adding greatly to the appearance
of our city, and creating
upon all visitors the impression that
city with such public school furnished
the best of educational facilities The
cost is quite moderate, and we believe
the people would vote the necessary
bonds for building of this description
and location, IN preference to scattering
the amount around town in little houses
and have no high school worthy of the
name.
The plan contemplates changing the
present building by running two main
partitions through it, from SOUTH to
north, thus making two large rooms on
each floor, each room being supplied
with Il hat and cloak room. There
would be no hall or stairway in the old
building, as entrances to its rooms
would be obtained from the new building.
The new building would stand ON
good foundation wall, inclosing light
and airy basement, and in this basement
would be a janitor's room, 231I by "a
feet, coal and wood cellar, 2411s by 2615
feet, furnace room, fire proof, SIS by
"a feet, passages under the halls above TO
admit light and ventilation, and stack
for the escape of smoke and all impure
air from the building, which would be
heated and ventilated on the well known
Retain system.
The main, or first floor, would he en-
tered by the south front vestibule, 10x10
feet, and extending into hall feet
wide, running from south to north, to
connect with another hall 8 feet wide,
either end by doors just where the new
and old buildings meet. From the front
vestibule a spiral stairway runs up to
the top of the tower, and. opens on the
second floor into a hall similar to the
first floor hall, and there again into halls
on both the second and third floors SIM
liar to the hall running east and
west ON the first floor, those halls
thus running alike and opening into
each other alike on ali three floors, and
into the rooms of both buildings. The
halls running east and west where the
two buildings join, are traversed by two
wide sIaircascs, and with the tower stair
case in front, afford ample exit in case
of fire or other occurrence which would
make II speedy evacuation desir able.
The furnace room IS not only fire proof,
but the ;imbars of the first floor hallway
are shcathcd with sheet iron, and the
door from the basement stairs is iron,
and this door being closed, no fire from
tina basement could reach Il hall or stair
way until any number of people who
could get into the building had safely
passed out.
The second floor like the first, CON
tains two large rooms, each - by Al
feet in the clear, with suitable hat and
cloak rooms. Part of the hall from
south 10 north in this story is used for
library, and another section of ii for the
superintendent Office.
The third or Mansari roof llnor is de-
voted to the high school, aud divided
into large assembly room, 81 by 50
feet, two recitation rooms, each 141z by
23t5 feet, ana hat and cloak rooms. The
tower part contains also scientific eX-
pertinent room, and as we before said,
the top of the tower can be used TO good
advantage rs an observatory. All
ceilings are fourteen feet high.
The plan utilities the old building so
well with the new one, and is at once so
commodious, convenient and useful in
side, and massive and elegant in its out
side appearance, that we think nearly all
who give the drawings careful inspec-
ton will desire to see the building
erected the coming season.