Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-28
Construction of New School
Building Probably Will Be-
gin Next Fall.
WORK MAY BE FINISHED
IN THE SPRING OF 1916
Indications Are That New Central
at 18th and Clifton Streets Will
Be Ready at Same Time.

With plans for the building practically
High School for colored pupils probably
Will begin early next fall.
Congress last July appropriated $780,
600 toward the construction of this
building, and authorized a total eNpendi-
ture of S550.0e0 for its completion.
Indications are that both the NJ Street
and new Central High School buildings
Will be finished in the spring of 1916
In the case of the latter extensive ex-
cavation work is required which will
take between three and four months
while the construction of the building
Will require between seventeen and
eighteen months. Very little excavation
work is called for in connection with
the NJ street school, and 1t is estimated
that this building can be erected in
fifteen or sixteen months. If it is
started in the fall it should be COM
pleted in the spring of 1916, and both
new buildings should be ready for the
opening of schools at the same time
the following September.
The plans for the NJ Street High
School contemplated a building for
Loo pupils. or capacity for about twice
the attendance at the present colored
high school, which is now crowded.
First Plans Too Ambitious.
Work on the plans was started last
summer by Snowden Ashford, municipal
architect, on suggestions from DR.. Will
liam NJ Davidson. former superin-
tendent of schools, and L. c. Williams,
principal of NJ Street High School. They
were found TO be on too ambitious a
scale, and new plans were prepared.
The latter have been favorably con-
sidered by the committee on buildings
and grounds of the board of education,
and Ernest l.. ThurSton, superintendent
of schools, and working drawings are
now being prepared in consultation with
Principal Williams.
The design is of the old English or
Tudor style, which has become popular
for academic or collegiate buildings.
The purpose of the building is shown
by its expansive window surfaces and
the absence of most all unnecessary
architectural attributes, such as columns,
belt courses, corIlces and pedimentss
which are essential in most other styles.
In short, the building is intended to be
. sort of "dignihed brain factory"
where light. ventilation and convenience
are the prime considerations with safety,
durability and economy combined.
The design at once suggests Its CO.
temporary, the Central High School.
work on which has just been started: in
fact, the two new buildings, it Is stated,
will bear a strong resemblance to the
venerable Hampton Court which Cardinal
Wolsey started in 1914. That was time
when traditional methods were still pro-
ductive Of much straightforward build
ing. While the architect Of this example
Of Tudor architecture is not known, credit
has been given to priest WAC. strange
to say, had the same name as the prin-
cipal of the NJ street school. In 1870
y,rfyr al
ed by Sir Christopher Wren, and the
building shows the change from Gothic
to the Palladian or Renaissance style
which was afterward known as the
Georgian in England and the Colonial
style in this country.
The new colored high school Will have
O frontage of 401 feet on LIST street, while
the Central High will front S7S feet on
Clifton street. The assembly hall OF the
NJ street school Will seat moro than J. eco
persons.
Similar Features for Both.
The two buildings will have similar
features, such as lunchroom and kitchen,
drill hall two gymnasiums, one for
boys and one for girls; large SWIM
ming pools; domestic science rooms,
which include a suite of rooms for
housekeeping instruction; drafting and
free-hand drawing rooms. music rooms,
library, locker rooms and lavatories on
each floor, study halls, laboratories and
forty classrooms, with special pro-
visions for business and commercial in
struction- No shops are provided for in
the plans for the NJ street School, as
the Armstrong Manual Training School
is only a square to the north and af-
fords instruction in shop work.
Constructed with concrete and tile
hoors and partitions, the building will
be thoroughly fireproof. 1t will be faced
With matt brick, sometimes called
tapestry brick on account of its re-
semblance to subdued colors or shades
in an old rug or piece of tapestry. The
trimmings will be limestone and terra
Gotta The building will have two
stories and basement and three stories
on the north or o street front
The present NJ Street High School
vas built to accommodate $50 pupils
Its present enrolment is more than
800. and libraries. study halls and other
rooms not designed for the purpose
have had to be pressed into service as
classrooms. This is decidedly detrt-