Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-21
DISTRICT SCHOOLS
| GREATLY CHANGED
Old Time BoxIike Structures
Give Way to Beautiful
Modern Buildings.

Public schools In the District of Co
lumbia are advancing to happy condi-
ton of absolute perfection. If the plans
and prophecies OF those at the head of
the system are correct.
For the coming year only $4,000 will
be spent on rented buildings, and this in
cludes storerooms as well as school
rooms. The old buildings of dead
generation are being gradually weeded
out and replaced by buildings OF the
latest type. Several hundred thousand
dollars will be spent between now and
next July in erecting seven fine school
buildings, and large sums have been ap-
propriated for extending some Of the
buildings already erected.
Much Difference in Types.
School buildings as now erected by the
District are SO different from the build
ings of twenty years ago that 1t would be
difficult to believe the two types are used
for the same purposes. Instead of the
old-time prison-like, bare-walled scare
crow effect. the modern school building
bears the artistic touch of an architect
who knows how to use broad effects. The
old three and four story straight up ana
down schools, painted a deadly duii
leaden cOIOTs nave given away W
ings whose outlines would fit very prop
erly into the picturesqueness OF college
campus. Broad caves, delicately out
lined chimneys, sloping roofs, which re-
mind one OF the southern California
style of architecture, and splendidly SCI
windows are features which strike the
eye Immediately.
The old high windows placed where a
child could not see into the nearby park
or street unless he climbed on chair
I.I t. 311o vaI0
windows. which seem to take UP half the
wall space, and which are broad. and
which reach both high and low, so that
there Is an abundance of natural light.
Corridors in school buildings are now
made very wide. The stairways are broad
and easy of ascent. There is complete
lack Of the old-fashioned square-cornered
corkscrew style OF staircase, which was
simply waiting for a fire panic to add It's
quota of horror by the chance to slauga-
ter hundreds of scared children on the
steps.
Lucretia Mott School a Model.
As type Of school which can be called
the pinnacle of success at modern school
planning. the new Lucretia Mott School
can be taken for a nexample. This Is
sixteen-room building. and shows the skill
full adaptation of the eight-room cart
wheel type to a sixteen-room building
with the space between the two separate
buildings given up to the entrance on the
front and a large assembly nall In the
rear. The assembly hall corridor and en-
trance are on a level below the classroom
floors. The broad stairs are the ends of
the broad corridors ClaSsrooms are BIZ
Iaterally lighted. There is room In the
assembly hall for $50 pupils. 1t is artis-
tically finished throughout, and looks on
the exterior more like an English country
house than o school, 1t cost S95.OOO
The b. b. French School, another plant
of instruction with the beautiful outlines
Of q colonial residence. is pointed out by
the board Of education as q model on
which to run all manual training schools.
1t illustrates also the ideal way to adapt
a school to a restricted site. IL is beau
tiful building and inexpensive, costing
$40, 800.
The greatest school building enterprise
which the District intends to undertake
this year will be the start OF the new nor
NAL school on Columbia Heights. The
building when completed will cost $751; 900,
and the District will spend about $4,000
upon it this year. It will be probably the
finest normal school ever built. The
present normal school Is cramped into the
top floor Of the old Franklin School build
ing and long ago overran it's limit OF
space.
Other New Buildings.
Sixty-five thousand dollars win be
spent on an eight-room building in the
neighborhood of 18th and Spring streets.
To provide for the overflow from the Orr
School, ground will be broken in Twin
ing City as soon as the site is selected
and purchased. The site of the old High
Street School will be used for $4,000
manual training school, to be started this
fall. The already finely equipped and
furnished Armstrong Manual Training
School will receive a sos 900 addition this
year. Central High School will soon
have a 100000 house, and $4,000 has
been appropriated toward IL for this
year.
RandIe Highlands will have a new
eight-room building Of the modern type.
One acre of ground has been donated to
the District for school purposes. The
Commissioners asked for and received
S64, 600 for the building OF this school.
Ivy City will have a new school, and
site will be purchased at a cost of $1,000.
Normal School No. will be erected
when the discussion as to where the site
should be is ended. To purchase the
site $4,000 Is available.