Dodge City times., 1889-05-23
A NEW school HOUSE.
The Thirc: Ward Scnool building
to be taken down and q
new one erected


evening. for the purpose of hearing th'
report of the committee which had beer
appointed to examine the Third Ware
school building. The committee reported
tha. they had thoroughly examined the
building, and that Mr.. F. A. Weston. had
also examined it. and that the building
could be repaired and strengthened but
that it would cost considerable money.
The report of Mr.. Weston was then taken
up, which read as follows:
Wichita, Kans., July 13 SO.
Hon. Board of Education;
Dodge City, kans.
Gentlemen:-At the request OF several
of your members have made an eXamin
alton of your Third Ward School building
and respectfully submit the following re-
port:
Ifound the building in very poor re-
pair generally, and some things consider
dangerous to life and limb. The belfry
was not properly constructed and it has
been swayed so much by the wind that 1t
has weakened the whole structure. 1t
could be strengthened by putting new
trusses and heavy posts from the first
story walls.
There are ennumerable cracks in the
stone and brick walls The rooms are lily
ventilated, and the halls are cramped.
The condition of the building is such that
it cannot be safe and comfortable without
expendins several thousand dollars upon
il.
Therefore do not care to risk my rep
utation as an architect by advising you
in what manner 1t could be repaired, only
in casual way. If you go on and repair
the old building and make it reasonably
safe and comfortable, you will have moth
ing but an old building which is anything
but an ornament to the city, to say moth
ing of the sanitary condition of the build
ing which cannot be helped for the rea-
son that there is no system whatever.
1t appears to me that the old building
could be used to amuch better advantage
by using as much of the old material as
would be fit in the constr uctiOn of new
building.
As per request of your Hon. President
l will within few days. submit for your
inspection land hope, for your favor
able consideration sketches of modern
school building, together with descrip
tion and approximate cost of same
Yours respectfully,
F. A. Weston.
The entire School Board had thorough
examined the building during the day,
and the following resolutions were offered
and passed at this meeting:
Copy of resolution passed at meeting
of Board of Education July 18th, 1889.
Resolved, That it is the sense of the
Board of Education of the city of Dodge
City. Kansas that the Third Ward school
building in our city is very unsafe to be
longer occupied for school purposes; that
it's condition is sucn that, to make it rea
sonably safe and secure would cost too
large an expenditure of money to the peo-
pie of the district, which in the minds of
the Board would be unwise and give to
the patrons of the school no better school
room facilities and comforts than they
now possess; besides, if SO repaired, it
would not remove from the minds of the
people the insecure condition of the build
ing as it existed before such repairs were
added. Therefore it Is hereby
RESOLVED by the said Board of Educa- |
ton that the said Third Ward school
building be, and it is, hereby wholly con-
demned as building to be used for school
purposes, being unsafe and insecure, dan
gerous to life and limb. And be it further
RESOLVED that said building be taken
down and the material thereof be used in |
the construction of a new building upon |
the sight of the old one, and that prop |
osition to vote ST., 10000 IN 6 per cent,
20 year bonds be submitted to the legal |
voters and Taxpayers of School District !
No. One of Ford Co., Kansas, said money |
to be used in the construction of new |
together with placing a COM
plete system of water-supply, heating
and ventilating apparatus therein besides
fully furnishing the same with school
furniture and necessary fixtures.
The bonds for the new building will
carry by large majority as
no parent who has children to send to |
school, would wish to see building used
that has been condemned by all who have
examined it. The School Board have
examined into the matter of
to repair the old building or
build new one, and have shown excel !
lent judgment in ordering the old build
ing to be taken down and a new one cree
ted