Evening star., 1923-01-14
Ne,v Eastern High School
i. Ready For Opening Feb. IS

Architecturally beautiful and rep
r=senting the most modern type OF
"RooIhouse, new Eastern High
School, completed save for the install
alton of All furniture and equipment
IS waiting fer the middle of Febru-
ary, when its doors will formally be
brown open to receive some l,1Oo
inpatient students now uncomfort-
ably uuartered in the old building. 1t
had been planned to open the school
at the beginning of the next semester,
February ] but unavoidable delay
IN installing the furniture and equip
ment has necessitated the postpone
nent.
Every detail for shifting the student
body from its cramped quarters in
the old building at 7th and c streets
southeast, which for thirty years has
been Eastern's home, into the new
building of enlarged accommodations
and Increased facilities has been ar
ranged by Charles Hart, principal of
the school. He is now making plans
for the formal dedication of the new
building which probably will be held
about March /, with elaborate cere-
monies.
The students are keyed to the high
est pitch awaiting the order which
will send them into the new building.
In preparation for the event. which
will be chronicled in the schools his
tory as an epoch making one. they
are busy cleaning and dusttng the
pictures statues and trophies for
the transfer into the halls of the new
school.
Work Begun Two Years Ago.
About two years ago work on new
Eastern was started. Delays. some
of which were inevitable. made the
progress of its construction slow.
Early last December. however, the
building contractor announced the
completion of his work and the new
STRUCTURES was subsequently, accented
by the District Commissioners. Inc
iob of installing the furniture ana
equipment was then begun In haste IN
order to have the building ready lot
occupancy, If possible, at the pes,H
ming of the new scholastic semester;
New Eastern stands on command :
ing site. four city blocks in size.
bounded by 18th and 10th streets ana
East Capitol and Il streets northeast,
fronting East Capitol street a,,,anr
The Suilding is four stories hiGh.
including a basement, which Is really
the ground floor, being two leet
above ground level. There Is SUP
basement in which is located Ine
heating plant and electrica! appa,
ratus. 1t covers between nine and
ten acres Of floor space and contains
1872 rooms, fifty-five OF whlch are
class and section rooms; thirty-nVe
laboratory, work and other recita-
fion rooms; twenty non-teaching
rooms and eighty-two supply, STOCK
consultation and toilet rooms Inc
average size of each of the nfty-nVe
olassrooms is 22x24, with an average
nf IN "
six, except for four study halls when
have a seating capacity OF seventy
each.
Represents $I,5OO.OOO Cost.
The structure alone represents
cost of S1,500,000. The approprlauon
for the equipment totaled S25o'o9o.
Although the school was planned 10
accommodate 1900 students. frin-
cipal Hart believes that 1t VIII care
for comfortably 800 in excess OF tnts
number. Mr.. Hart expects TO enter
the building with an enrolment OF
1900 and by the beginning OF INC
the opinion that the school will have
a student body of about l,b0O:
On the ground floor of he building
is q branch of the Public Library,
which will begin operation when the
school is opened. The Public Library
will be separate and distinct from
the school library which Is located
on the second floor.
One of the unique and distinctive
features of the school rs a kupple
horizon or cycloramic dome, q novel
device for giving unusual lighting
effects. 1t is built across the rear
of the stage in the auditorium.
Other features include green anu
hot house for use of students pur-
suing the course in biology. and a
mechanical automatic telephone sys-
tenn which will enable teachers and
officials to communicate without the
aid of a central operator. The auto
matte telephone system, however,
will not be completed for operation
for some time.
In the basement or ground floor is
located a lunchroom with a capacity
for 600 students, which will be oper-
ated on the cafeteria plan; two gym
nasiums Gone for girls and the other
for boyS), an armory which, in ad-
dition to being a rendezvous for the
cadets. Is a store center for rifles,
belts and other necessary equipment:
a laundry which will be used to clean