The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1907-08-17
HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING
Description OF DOnaIdsonviile's Magnifi-
cent New Temple of Learning
Modern in Every Detail.

Description OF Donaldsonville's Msgnifi-
cent New Temple of Learning.
Modern in Every Detail.
This magnificent structure of modern
beauty and utility, erected In 1906 and
dedicated with imposing ceremonies
May II, 1907, bears testimony to the
progressive educational spirit of the
citizens of Ascension parish and town
of Donaldsonville.
Early in 1905 the town council of
Donaldsonville submitted to the prop
erty holders the proposition of bond
issue Of s25, 900 for the erection of a
high school building. The PROPOSE
tion as carried by an overwhelming
majority, both in number and ID
valuation. This amount was sup
plemented by the handsome appropria-
ton of S25, 900 made by the liberal and
progressive police jury OF Ascension
parish. On April II, 1906, the con-
tract was awarded to the Jefferson
Construction Company of Birming-
ham, Ala, for S47,683. Work was
started at once and the building sue
cessfully completed within one year
thereafter.
The building Is located in the center
of square fronting on Railroad
avenue, one OF Donaldsonville's prin-
cipal streets. 1t is 141 feet long by 78
feet wide. and has six entranee~- L
is composed Of basement and two
stories, of pressed brick with concrete
base and tile roof. The building is
heated throughout with steam and
contains modern systems of plumbing,
sanitation, electric lighting and ven
tilation. Two large filters with ca
pacity Of 1000 gallons each every
twenty four hours supply the best OF
filtered water for the use of pupils and
teachers.
The basement, which is all above
ground with ceiling 8 feet high,
contains two school rooms, one gym
nasium room, one chemical and physi-
cal laboratory room, two play rooms,
one janitor's room, one heater room,
two teachers and two pupils toilet
rooms, and one large hallway ex-
tending the entire length of the build
ing.
The first floor contains eight school
rooms, a principals Office aid a IL
brary room, with large hallway or
corridor.
The second floor contains six school
rooms and an assembly room with a
seating capacity of over six hundred.
The school rooms are g5x3l feet,
with ceiling IA feet high. Each school
room has large cloak room and is
supplied with ample blackboard sur
face of Olmstead artificial slate.
The school rooms, Office and IL
brary are all equipped with the most
modern school furniture, with library
cases in each. The assembly room is
fitted up with comfortable opera
chairs. The entire building Is fur
nished with splendid electric light
fixtures, and all windows are sup
piled with Venetian blinds.
The entire cost of the building was
S51, 197.08 and the cost of furnishings
1912 IS, thus making total cost OF
S54, 909. SO.
The architects were Mackenzie and
Goldstein, of New Orleans, who also
supervised the construction.
The building committee was con-
stituted as follows: President Geo.
B. Reuss, chairman; S. Goette, vice
chairman; l.. W. Armitage and G.
A. Gondran, legal adviser, repre-
senting the police jury; Mayor Chas.
Maurin. W. D. Park and Nj. Tobias,
of the town council; President E. N.
Pugh, c. D. Gondran, Leon Picard
and Adolphe Meter, of the school
board, and Supt. D. B. ShoHaIter,
secretary and treasurer, with Joseph
Landry as local supervisor of con-
struction.
The structure is an imposing one,
but its most striking feature is It's
adaptability to school purposes; with
it's large and well-lighted rooms con-
yeniently arranged; its spacious halls
and large stairways with double land
ings; its plastered ceilings and walls,
with picture mouldings in the various
rooms and halls, all presenting to the
eye the pleasing and comfortable sur.
roundings so essentially necessary to
bring about the happiest results in The
schoolroom life of today. Truly the
citizens of Donaldsonville and Aseen-
sion parish have reason to feel proud
of the temple Of learning they have
erected for and dedicated to the ehiI-
dren of the present as we'll as future
generations.