Los Angeles herald., 1890-07-15
The Building at Whittier
Nearing Completion.
Two Million Bricks Wrought
Into Artistic Shape.
The Grounds Being Beautifully Laid
Out and Planted.
An Institution Where Many Children Are
to be Instructed in Industrial
Habits.

The legislature Wnlcn sat IN Sacra-
mento in the winter of 1889 made an
appropriation of 5000, 900 to found a re-
form school in Southern California. The
bill was introduced by Hon. ]. M. Dam
ron, the assemblyman from this district,
and was aided in its passage through the
senate by the able advocacy of Hon. S.
N. White, the senator from this dis
trict, Hervey Lindley, Esq, of this city,
Hon. James R. Lowe, of San Jose, and
Hon Josiah Sims, from Northern Cali
fornia, were appointed board of trus-
tees to secure site and attend to the
erection of the buildings. Mr.. Lindley
was chosen president of the board, and
on him has fallen the brunt of the work
in connection with the carrying out of
this programme-not that the other
members did not do their full duty.
A site was secured at Whittier, in Los
Angeles county, where the people gave
forty acres of excellent land with plen-
tiful supply of water for the use of the
school. The land lies on the high mesa,
about midway between the rich bottom
lands of the Ranchito, along the San
Gabriel river, and the town of Whittier,
that covers the foothills perhaps 200 feet
higher up the slope. The government
thought forty acres too narrow
limits for the school, and in or
der to guard against all contingencies
on 120 acres adjoining, at 5000 an acre,
good until the next meeting of the legis-
lature. By all means the money ought
to be devoted to the purchase of the
land at the next assembling of the legis-
lature. The property is worth the
money, and is needed for the uses of the
school. With these 100 acres of land
planted to walnuts and fruits generally,
the school can be made largely self
supporting.
As soon as the site was secured, DIR.
Walter Lindley, of this city, and Mr.. R.
B. Young, practical architect and
builder, OF this city, paid visit to all
the most approved schools Of this kind
in the east in order to learn the best
plans for such an institution. After
their return Mr.. Young proceeded to
draw plans for the school. In due time
the trustees adopted certain plans sub
mitted to them, and then these, with
the specifications, were put on the mar
ket for bids for the contractors.
LII OuC blLuC UlC JOO Wdc CIV WdIuCu
to tue Messrs. Mackay & Skinner, a
firm composed of A. F. Mackay and
j. X. Skinner, both well-known con-
tractors of long and honorable standing
in Los Angeles.
The first thing done was to put up an
admirable barn, with stalls for horses,
sheds for cows, room for vehicles, wash
ing facilities for animals, buggies and
harness, and, upstairs, room for large
quantity of hay and commodious rooms
for the use of the school farmer and his
family. Then the industrial building
to be used by the children in the school
was erected, large three-story brick,
where workshops of various sorts will be
set up, with machinery, to instruct the
inmates in many mechanical arts. The
dynamo and engines for an electric
plant will be put in here, too, as all the
grounds and buildings are to be lighted
in this way.
Then comes the main building, noble
structure with central pile flanked by
q north and south wing. 1t is 204, feet
long by 1O7 feet wide, and consists of
basement, four stories and attic, with a
fine tower surmounting the main en-
trance. The north wing is an audi
torium with lofty ceiling, and seat
ing capacity for 400 persons. In the
basement are facilities for bathing, in
cluding an ample plunge bath, foot
bath and washing rooms. There are
also spacious play rooms for use in bad
weather. Under the main building the
dairies are situated, and the south wing
basement is for kitchen and dining
room. The massive walls in the base
ment are good indication of the solidity
of the work.
The main floor is laid off in reception
rooms, the offices of the superintendent
and kindred uses. The second floor is
for school-rOoms, sewing-rooms and bed
rooms. On the third floor are dormi-
tories, and the same use is made of the
fourth, with large reading-room added.
The attic contains dormitories and an
infirmary to be used for while; but
later on a small detached hospital will
be built. Then comes the roof, which
is now being covered with slate, and
then the graceful tower.
North OF this main building there is a
very fine twelve-room cottage, at present
occupied by DIR. Walter Lindley, superin-
tendent OF the school, but intended for
the use of the female inmates of the in
stitution, as both sexes are to be kept
apart at all times, excepting when they
meet for chapel and literary entertain
ments In the auditorium OF the school.
In time the intention is to build more
of these cottages, some for the girls and
others for the boys. The plan is to keep
the children in families of about fifty
each under separate heads. The name
of the school does not convey
any proper conception of its pur-
poses, and DR.. Lindley is
right in his desire to change
the name to the School of Agriculture
and Trades. 1t is not to be reform
school for vicious children, but place
to train those whose home life tends to
lead to criminal paths and practices.
The idea is to take children away from
homes of vice before they learn to be
vicious, and instruct them in habits of
industry as we'll as in mental learning.
Another excellent idea of Superintend-
ent Lindley is that the management
shall have power to apprentice the boys
to farmers near the school and allow
them to remain out at work SO long
as they do well. The school will be
ready for occupancy before the legisla-
ture meets to make an appropriation for
its support.
A good beginning has been made in
the direction of laying out the grounds
and ornamenting them with trees. There