Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-21


visibility of attempting to remodel the
Central High School; and also as to the
cause of over expenditure on present
contracts. Incidentally. ii commends
the Board for its Judgment in planning
facilities not originally contemplated,
even though these additional facilities
have quite naturally increased costs.
Probably most of the members of
the Board know that, until recently. /
expressed, upon a member of occasions,
my opinion that. all things considered,
the Capitol Park site, bounded by
North, Cowden, Briggs and East streets
was the most suitable location for the
new girls high school. This was prior
to any definite knowledge on my part of
the proposed plans for the treatment of
the Park area. The contemplated wild
ening of North street. thereby reducing
materially the size of the plot; the de-
termination on the part of the state
to erect certain buildings for office pur-
poses on the Park property which
might obstruct to some extent the out
look; the plans for a bridge approach
from North street. any or all of these
considerations might affect materially
the desirability of this plot as a high
school site. Just to what extent this
would be the case is matter for expert
architectural opinion. My own opinion
as to the desirability of the site was
furthermore based on the assumption
that the building to be erected was to be
n high school for girls. in accordance
with the Boards decision, unaltered as
yet, to adopt the building plan as rec
commended in the original Van Sickle re-
port. Should the Board now modify its
plans to conform with the latest Sny-
der Van Sickle report, thereby commit
ting itself to n cosmopolitan high school
for both sexes, a much larger building
will be required than would he required
for n school for girls only. In fact, the
classroom accommodations and certain
other accommodations would have to be
increased by one hundred per cent In
the one case we should have to provide
for one thousand students. whereas in
the other case we should be obliged to
provide for two thousand.
Sites Hard to Find
"I do not hesitate TO say that 1 do
not believe the North street site is large
enough to accommodate a cosmopolitan
high school of two thousand students.
Here again, however, we could well seek
architectural advice. 1 am simply ex-
pressing my personal opinion in the
matter.
Furthermore, do not know of a de-
sirable site anywhere on or near Cap
ital Park that could be purchased with
the funds available for site purposes
and that at the same time would be
large enough to meet the requirements
of such school as proposed.
II confess know of only two central
sites in the entire city that 1 should
Ea11 sln-t ii IL.
would answer the purpose as to area.
These are the silk mill site and the site
bounded by Front, Boas, Second and
Forster streets, and I am inclined to
think that even these are beyond the
Boards financial ability to acquire.
These sites in my Judgment ought to be
considered carefully. however, in the
light of funds available.
SHOULD none of these sites be found
TO be suitable and within the financial
ability of the Board to acquire know
of no alternative but to seek a location
on the outskirts of the city where real
estate is cheaper and where adequate
land can be procured. In fact. this is
suggested as n possible alternative on
the last page of the Snyder-Van Sickle
report. I agree fully with the report
that the site should be central but IT,
after every effort has been exhausted, a
central site cannot be procured. then of
course we shall have to look elsewhere.
In any event, the matter of accessibility
should be a. prime consideration. This
factor is to be particularly considered
should the factor of centrality, by force
of circumstances, be excluded from the
problem.
I'm conclusion. it is my opinion that
the Board would be serving the best
interests of the city, educational and
otherwise. by changing its building pro-
gram to accord with the recommended
tions of the Snyder-Van Sickle report.
AS to site 1 would suggest the follow
ing for your consideration:
81. That an architect or committee
of architects be employed to study the
possibilities of the so-called North
street site, particularly with reference
to it's adequacy in area and it's desra-
bility of location for n cosmopolitan
high school building to- accommodate
two thousand students.
Asks Investigation
"2. That committee of the Board
be appointed or that a real estate expert
be employed to determine approximately
the price for which each of the follow
ihc oatSo SOuAo In0
North street site. bounded by North,
Cowden, Briggs and East streets the
silk mill site, and the Front street site,
bounded by Front, Boas, Second and
Forster streets, With this information
the Board would be able to determine
whether present available funds are
sufficient to permit such expenditure
Other central sites also might be taken
into consideration, II the Board knows
of others. 1 confess do not.
-. That IL it is discovered. after
full investigation, that no site can be
found in the center of the city that Is
desirable as to environment, adequate In
area and that is within the financial
ability of the Board to purchase, the
Board then turn it's attention to the Sc
lection and purchase of suitable site
elsewhere,
''In the event that Il Is eventually
found necessary to go TO the outskirts
of the city to procure n site. 1t will
doubtless he we'll to consider the advisa-
bility of constructing a school on the
so-called university plan. I mention
this here, because there seems to be con-
siderable sentiment In the city In favor
of this type OF school. The matter Of
expense would here again become an
important consideration. BY this plan
the initial expense would be greater
than that Of constructive apa 10 ro,a