Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-04
New Mckinley High Second to None in Ea
Largest Single School Struc-
ture in D. c. Opens
Next Month.
TOTAL BUILDING
COST $3,175,0O0
Only Few Minor Details Re-
main for Completion
of Big Plant.

When the new Mckinley High School
Is opened next month at Second and
T streets northeast Washington will
have one of the largest single Struc-
lures to be built in the District and an
educational plant second to none in
the eastern section of the United States.
Erected on high rise of ground with
downtown Washington lying in blue
haze at its feet, the new structure, now
nearing completion. is visible as a
towering mass of tapestry brick and
white stone on the northeastern horizon
of the city.
Cost ss.lT5.00O.
The plant including the building,
stadium. equipment and landScaping,
when completed will represent an ex-
penditure of $3.l75 900. OF this amount,
S.. 225.0O0 represents the cost of the
building alone and $4,000 covers the
expenditures for its furniture and
equipment. The stadium, to be let into
the side of the terrain sloping south
and west of the school. will be con-
structed and the surrounding land
graded at later date at a cost OF
S2T5 900. while the remaining $225, 900
of the total fund represents the cost oil
the ground.
AS it stands today. the Mckinley
High School building is practically
completed. structurally Only few
minor details, including the laying of
several basement and sub-basement
floors. vet remain to be accomplished.
A corps OF workmen, however, is has
tening the installation of fixed equip
mcnt such as showers, laboratory
plumbing, electrical fitments. built-in
lockers. classroom desks and chairs, and
machinery in the various shops. in
order to permit the scheduled opening
of school with nearly complete facili-
ties in operation. Some OF this work
probably win be completed during the
approaching school term. however.
Conceded to have no superior among
buildings of its purpose In TINS part OF
the country. Mckinley High School mas
within its walls complete theater with
n seating capacity of 1900; Ave large
lecture halls with seating capacities
ranging from 66 to 1866; two music
rooms: a handsome library: 50-foot
rife range: a complete five-room apart
ment for practical study in the do
rnestic science department: q large
cafeteria with adjoining open-air
courts, and spacious. modernly equip
ped gymnasium.
CONTAINS lOspahat NVOuhs
In addition to these major cham
bers, the building contains fnnumer-
able small rooms which are to house
the special students activities, including
the bank and newspaper. Others are
to be equipped as hospital and rest
rooms. Besides these special rooms, the
building contains 81 classroons.
The floor plan of the building Is
e1S znA No furA M,5f
feet long, meeting at right angles at
the corner OF Second and T streets.
The auditorium or theater Is situated
In the area between the spreading
wings while the main entrance is To-
Gated within the grounds In the face
of the auditorium wing.
The main lobby. finished In marble
and decorative plaster, is just within
the main entrance and the auditorium
Is entered from this chamber Extend
ing at right angles from both sides OF
the lobby are two narrow corridor run
ways leading to the main wings of the
structure, each connecting with one of
the two 400-foot corridors In the CEN
ter OF the main wings.
The schools offices and record
rooms are situated on the main floor
on the T street wing, and they are
and smaller special rooms. The hos
pital, % by IS feet in dimensions: the
bank, the large lecture hall. stage
dressing rooms, art metal shops, forge
shops. mold shops and janitor's quar-
tiers all are found on the first floor.
Theater Well Equipped.
The gymnasium. housed actually In
separate building, south Of the Sec
ond street wing, is 1870 feet long and
IS feet wide. It is paved with wood
block floor from which no splinters
can be scraped by the athletes by
virtue of the "on-cdge" and nail
less method Of laying the blocks. The
gymnasium building also houses the
rife range. cadet rife armory and
boys and girls showers.
The auditorium, complete theater,
is equipped with 80 sets of curtain
drops and 26-foot-deep stage. The
proscenium arch Is As feet wide,
fianked on both sides with an artistic
open grill, behind whic hthe pipe organ
will be concealed.
Hardwood paneling has been used
across the entire front OF the stage,
beneath which lockers for the orches~