Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-12-15
Council and Aldermen Accent
Committee Report
TO DETERMINE SAFETY
OF PRIMARY STRUCTURE
Find Patrons Unwilling to Let
Children Attend CONDEMNED
Building

Before the Board of Aldermen con-
yened last evening for the regular
monthly meeting, eight members of
the Common Council assembled in
special session. and adopted a sub
tee recently appointed to act with
the public school authorities. This
quorum of the Council also author
lied the joint committee to secure
an expert to make conclusive ex-
amination of the Baldwin street pri-
mary school building. In this ac-
ton the Board of Aldermen con-
Cured when it was called to order
by President Lang Immediately af-
ter adjournment of the special
council meeting. The engineering
expert will therefore be secured.
Details of the procedure will be
determined in early subsequent con-
ference among the committeeman,
and necessary appropriation will be
made at some future city legislative
meeting, after selection of the ex-
pert.
The special report submitted for
the information of both chambers
on public school matters was signed
by R. E. Nelson, chairman, R. l..
Stratton, w. H. Landes and L. w.
Fl. Peyton, as the joint committee ap-
pointed at the November meetings
Of the Board of Aldermen and the
Common Council for the purpose of
meeting and comforting with the
City School Board Of Trustees on
the subject of buildings. The report
said
The Report.
To the Honorable Council of the
city of Staunton:
Gentlemen = The undersigned
Joint committee appointed at the No
vember meetings of the respective
SudHUSlo IOl INC pun pOoC VI 1hCCI-
ing and comforting with the City
School Board OF Trustees on the sub
iect of the public school buildings
and the relief of the crowded condi-
ton of the building now in use, begs
leave to report as follows:
eve made a personal examina-
ton of the public school properties,
especially the Main street buildings
and the Baldwin street building and
on December Z last at the invitation
of the School board, met in confer
ence with it's members and discussed
the situation in all its bearings. At
that meeting there were submitted
sketch and plans made by T. J.
Collins G Sons, architects, together
with communication from the ar
chitects embodying discussion of
the suggested changes and additions
in the Main street Suilding. In their
discussion of the subject Messrs.
Collins & Sons suggested two propO-
sltions; one was to do away entirely
with ten of the rooms now in use
there and which are considered as
unfit for the purpose because they
cannot be properly lighted and for
other sufficient reasons, leaving
eight good, well-lighted and venti-
lated rooms. and SO remodel the
building as to make it an up-to-
late school structure for use of one
Of the three divisions, that is to
say, either for primary grade,
grammar grade or high school.
Suggested Remodeling.
1.-THE other suggestions the
sketch and plans followed this idea
was to remodel the present build
ing into an eighteen-room, three
story building, answering all the
school-law requirements and con-
veniences. This would necessitate
doing away with the front part of
that portion of the school plant
known as the Bagby building, now
used for the high school with six
class-rooms, the plan being to extend
the main building on each side,
bringing the additions forward to
the street line. The present rear
rooms of the Bagby building could
then still be used, say, for the
classes in industrial science and
other purposes than strictly class
rooms.
There is serious objection to
the three-story plan, not only in
CONTINUED on page 2j