The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-01
QUEEN ANNE SCHOOL.
Why the Contract Was Let to
Skillings & Common.
DIRECTOR CHURCHILL EXPLAINS
He Voted With Mr.. MacDougall Against
Mr.. King Architects Claim the
Award Was Unfair.

Inc letting or the contract for erecting
the Queen Anne schoolhouse at a recent
meeting of the school board TO Skillings
q Conner has aroused some feeling be-
tween the unsuccessful architects who
submitted plans and the board The men
OF the compass and square are indignant
at the board for allowing the plans and
specifica lions TO be placed on exhibition
at the board of educa ton office without
nrst obtaining permission from them. The
claim is also made that the accepted
plans were copied from others. and that
the majority of the building committee
waited until they were substituted before
passing upon them.
The Washington chapter of architects
is also mixed up in the affair. baking il
three-cornered tight. Their grievance is
that several of the architects who sub
mitted plans violated a rule recently
passed in the organiza ton. and they are
liable TO expulsion. The citizens of Queen
Anne are quietly watching the fight. and
say they do not care how it terminates
so long as they get the building.
Some time last spring bids were adver-
tised for. and several architects immedi-
ateiy drew up plans and submitted them
TO the board. Action was deferred for a
long time on account of more urgent bust
ness. and during that time a couple more
were sent in, making In all six. A meet
ing was held soon after the election, at
which the architects were invited 10 be
present. and the matter was talked over.
AT that meeting Directors Churchill.
MacDougall and King were appointed a
committee to carefully examine The plans
and report 10 the board.
The next meeting was held last Monday
evening in Mr. Kings office in the Boston
block. at which the contract was let to
Skillings & Conner upon a majority re-
port by MacDougal and Churchill. Mr..
King offered a minority report in which
he expressed the opinion that il was I'M
fair for Skilings & Conner TO submit an
other set of plans, which were evidently
copied from some of the others. as they
were greatly different from the ones first
sent In. The majority report was adopted,
and the contract let 10 Skillings *
Conner.
Dr. Churchill yesterday denied that a
new set of plans had been submitted by
Skillings & Common. and that any such
proceeding as the one recited above ever
took place. He said:
There were six sets Of plans submitted.
and after two or three weeks consdera-
ton Skillings & Conner were awarded the
contract Mr. MacDougall and myself vot-
ing in the affirmative The people of
Queen Anne hill were invited by the
board to call at the office of the board
and investigate the plans and specifca-
tons and see which they liked best. At
the meeting of the committee Mr.. Mac
Dougali was strongly in favor of Skill
lings & Connor. and King seemed to favor
Alexander. / had bur little choice be-
tween the plans of Skillngs & Common
and those of Wilcox & McQuivey. but 10
settle the matter / voted with MacDou-
gall. The plans adopted were just the
same as those that had been standing on
the table for two or three weeks.
"a number OF citizens of Queen Anne
81 " a
plan of the roof. making 1t a little higher
and more imposing. He did this They
were then told that the original plans
could be changed to conform to the extra
one IL the board so desired"
DR.. Churchill said he wished TO set the
matter right before the public, and do
away with the gossip that has been go
ing the rounds
William II. Wilcox. who with Mr. Nc
Quivey. submitted plans and specifica-
lions for the building, was also seen in
regard TO the matter yesterday. He said:
II don't like TO say much about the
affair having been a bidder. but GER
tainly do think the board acted very
queerly. especially in throwing open all
tho plans for public examination and
criticism before a vote had been taken
by the board. II is the most unusual
proceeding I ever heard of I am told
that the plans accepted are very much
ike the ones submitted by myself, ana
II that is the case they must have been
changed. as the original ones presented
by Skiilings & Common were plain, SINH
lar 10 the Pacific school, and very unlike
the ones | drew.
THE trouble with tho chapter of archi-
tects Is, as I understand il. over a resoiu-
tion passed a short time ago. refusing 10
give the assent OF the chapter to archi-
tects TO compete for this school build
ing because II WAS not I'm rOpFOrrDfty
with the rules OF the chapter I was a
member Of the chapter until recently.
when I sent in my resignation because
had already promised Mr. McQuivey
TO bid with him on this building As 10
the other architects that bid, excepting
Sldllings & Conner, I cannot say whether
they are members OF the chapter or not.
know that Skillings and Conner are not
members"