Evening star., 1925-10-18
DC. HEALTH SCHOOL
MODEL FOR NATION
New Building for Tubercuiar
Children Declared Unri-
vailed in United States.

'I never dreamed a public school
could be so attractive, so ideal, So
satiSfa Ctory from every standpoint
So spoke Walter Is. Patterson, d.
rector OF special activities in the
public schools. as he epitomized yes
terday conditions at the new Wash
ington Health School, opened re-
Gently for those unfortunate children
with tubercular tendencies. forced by
law into segregat ton while seeking an
education. Mr.. Patterson, elated over
the acquisition of the new building
after so many delays. did not. how
ever. paint an exaggerated picture
of the school with its unusual and It's
modern facilities.
Inspection of the building gives the
impression that it lacks nothing to
be classed as a masterpiece in school
house architecture. No other school
in the country according to those
familiar with SChoolhouse ConStruc-
ton. can compare with 1t.
Situated at Thirteenth and Buchanan
streets at the foot of n wooded knoll
on which stands the Washington
Tuberculosis Hospital, the new health
school typifies the relentless combat
which school authorities, together
with scientists. physicians and welfare
workers are Maging against the spread
of the dread white plague.
Abounds With Innovations.
The building on the exterior has
been given that fine. but simple
eSthetic treatment advocated by Supt.
Frank W. RallOu and Municipal Ar
chitect Albert L. Harris, its designer,
for all new schools erected in Wash
ington. Its interior features abound
with innovations, all designed for the
health and welfare Of the children.
All that the school now lacks to be
complete is proper approaches; they
are waiting on an appropriation by
Congress. Shrubbery, 4 fine lawn and
paved streets have been planned.
Cinders now lay where the lawn should
he. The two streets parallellng
the building on the east and north
are unpaved: in wet weather they are
veritable mudholes.
The new Health School has replaced
the antiquated Hamilton School on
Bladensburg road, where the tuber-
cular infected pupils We're educated in
past years. The old school faced
cemetery. The physiological effect of
this location, it was argued. was not
conducive to the Improvement in the
condition of the children. The light
ing, artificial as we'll as natural, was
poor: so was the drainage. The equip
ment, too, was far from being ideal.
Benefits Already seen.
In comparison with the Hamilton,
the. new scnool is Il palace. 1t is ele-
v3Gsl above ground level. 1t has
s,ipera hundanca or nSnt, natural and
artificial. The surroundings, inside
and out are cheerful. The drastic
change in conditions already has been
reflected in the life and habits of the
children.
The fight of school authorities for
the new Health School is now mat
ter of history. 1t was long one
and not devoid entirely of unpleasant
situations Those familiar with the
early movement for a new building
for the tubercular infested children
recall yividly the opposition that de-
veloped to erecting the school at
Thirteenth and Buchanan streets. The
case was taken into the courts. The
fact that the school now stands on
the originally chosen site is indicative
Of the outcome of the litigation.
Large Brick Structure.
The new Health School is a large
one-story brick structure with a
frontage of 222 feet 8 inches and
depth of SO feet 9 inches. 1t cost
approximately S150,000 TO build. ex-
elusive of the site, which is Govern
ment- owned.
There are three large combined
class rest rooms. each approximately
81 by So feet in size, in addition to a
lunchroom, kitchen. manual training
room, domestic arts room and tiled
lavatories with showers. on the
right OF each classroom is Il paved
court used as playground when
the ground is damp and sun parlor
on balmy days.
The building is spotless through
out Enameled walls done in a
two-tone effect and light-colored cell
ings glisten in the suns rays; SO do
the highly vanished wooden floors.
1t IS impossible to find a gloomy spot
or "a dark corner. Skylights scat
tered adequately through d long 49,
foot corridor, and even over the large
Cloakrooms. throw bright rays Of
light in every direction. In fact,
there's an abundance of natural light
everywhere. Eighteen triple-deck
windows in addition to TWO glass
paneled French doors in each class
room make it unnecessary to use
electricity on some of the cloudiest
days.
Windows Never Closed.
The window sills of the classrooms
are unusually low; certainly not more
than feet above the floor level.
Portable furniture is used making it
possible for the teachers to adjust
the class into any arrangement to
meet changing conditions. The cell
inGS are high and permit an ahun-
dance of fresh air to enter the build
tnS. Windows in the school are
never closed. not even in frigid
weather. When the chill air of Win
ter blows into the rooms the pupils
don klondike suits and continue
their work
Among the distinctive features OF
the school are the rest rooms, equip.
ped with individual beds for the pupils
laundry where all bed linen Is
Cleansed under the most sa anitary con.
ditions, and a modern kitchen where
wholesome meals are prepared for the
children by an expert dietician. Every
dish, every utensil and every glass
used by the pupils is Sterilzed in this
kitchen after meals.
While the building is new, much OF
the old equipment used in the Hamil
ton School has been pressed into
service temporarily. New furniture
for the Classrooms. tables for the
iunchroom and other materials have
been ordered by Mr.. Patterson and
probably will be installed before the
THANKSGIVING holidays.
Designed to Absorb Dust.
AEother outstanding feature of this
E.iiding designed to protect the
-Xpils. as the teachers, nurses and
school physicians endeavor to nurse
them back to health under the most
scientific and approved conditions. is
a vacuum system which abSorbs harm