The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-07-23
1T WILL BE BUILT.
Rock Island to Have a New High
School Building.
The school Board Makes Its Decision
The Plans---Other Board
Concerns.

i The Plans Other Board
Concerns.
| A NEW HIGH SCHOOL.
| A special session of the board of edu>
cation was held last evening, subject to
the call of President Stafford. all the
directors being present. The most i'm
portant matter acted upon, in fact the
most important action the Rock Island
school board has taken for years, was the
step taken in the direction of new high
school building 1t is a subject which
has been agitating the school board no
less than it has been the patrons of our
public schools for a long time. 1t has
come before the board often times of late
and at the last meeting a special commits
tee was appointed to investigate the
matter, and report as to the feasibility at
the next meeting. The committee was
composed OF President Stafford, and
Directors Welch and Reimers, and last
Evenings meeting was called as much as
anything else to receive the special COM
mittee's report. The report was briefly
this
| !. We recommend the building of a
new high school building.
?. That it be placed on the northwest
ern corner of the No school lot
| 3 That it be two>story building
with 10 foot basement. The building to
contain five class rooms, one assembly
room. one library and one principal 5
room, and necessary TO oms for clothing
4 That the matter OF heating shall
be decided upon further investigation.
). That the cost shall be limited to
about $4,000
The recommendations were all adopt
ed and the committee continued at the
boards pleasure, and to report definite
plans and specifications at the next board
meeting
THE PLANS
|
likely to be adopted, have been furnished
b. Architect ]. W Ross, of Davenport
These show building of seventy BY
eighty feet in dimension. to be built of
brick with a tower at the northwest
corner. There is to be ten>foot base,
ment, fourteen feet for the first floor,
| fourteen for the second and the tower
fortytwo feet high. The arrangement
of the first floor was designed by Princi-
pal Hatch, and is a model in itself. The
main entrance is on the north SIDE, and,
after passing through the vestbule and
up short flight of steps. the corridor is
reached, from the centre of which the in>
terror of every room on the floor may
be seen. This is an improvement
that is generally overlooked in build
ing schools, and it is through
Mr.. Hatch's experience and study of the
matter that the provision is made in the
new building in Rock Island.
The class rooms Of this floor are three
in number. each twenty-seven Uy thirty
two feet, and all arranged with special
attention Us to abundance Of light. In |
the tower is the principals office, and 90
to the west side is second entrance,
while each room is provided with cloak
room
The main feature of the second floor is
the assembly room. which is forty>three
by fifty~one feet and capable of comfort
ably seating two hundred people. There
is also one class-or the science room as
it will be--on this floor, with dimensions
Of twenty>six by thirty-twO feet In the
rear OF the assembly room are two retir
ing rooms, and in the tower there will be
a neat and coy library.
The basement contains the room for
the chemical laboratory, heating fuel and
store rooms and dry air closets.
The chief beauty of the building lies in
the fact that all the class rooms which
are to be constantly occupied, are on the
frs: floor, and it will be necessary to
climb the stairs but once day, and that,
in the morning on going to the assembly
room for opening exercises, or to the sci
ence rooms and chemical laboratory.
The climbing of three flights of stairs
four times day is thus done away with.
According 70 the arrangement, the high
school is to be distinct and entact in it
self-it will be the high school in all that
pertains to the meaning of the term.
The assembly room on the second floor
may also be used for lectures and school
entertainments, special public exercises,
etc. Withal the new building will be
an honor to the school board, credit to
the city and the pride Of the higher
classes of the Rock Island common
schools.
OTHER BOARD ACTION.
OF the other business transacted at last
evenings meeting, the co mmittee on fur
niture recommended the seating with
single desks of the two east rooms on the
lower floor in Building No. /, the two
lower rooms in Building No 3, and the
lower west room in Building No. 5. The
committee was directed to receive bids
and report at the next meeting
The committee on fuel reported bids
for furnishing coal from five dealers.
The three lowest were each 81 cents per
bushel, delivered at the different build
iugs by August %, to be paid for August
/, 1887, without interest. By ballot the
contract was awarded to the Coal Valley