Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08
BENN|NG SCHOOL
Project, MODEL
Development of AZ Acre
Tract Will Include s.
Unit Plant.

Definite plans for what will be ons
of the most modern school commune
tics" of the United States are being
formulated by District school officials
in connection with the development OF
the 42-acre tract on Bennlng road
northeast, pu chased recently as a site
for three schools for colored pupils.
Construction IN the three-unit plant Is
expected to b2gin next Summer when
the appropriated funds for the new
fiscal year will become available.
The proposed school community will
include a new junior high school, a
platoon school and health school.
Toner Site Temporary.
For more than a year the Colored
health school has BEEN housed III the
old Toner School at TWenty-fCurtn and
F. streets, to which it was moved when
forced to vacate its former location
at Tenth and U streets To make room
for the completion of thu Garnet
Patterson Junior High School. The
Toner Building admittedly was incor-
rectly designed for the special work
which is required by a health school,
and its location never was considered
by school officials as conducive to the
best interests of a school for tubr-
culouS children. But the school system
transferring the school at once, and
there was no alternative. 1t was an
nounccd at that time that the location
of cha colored health school in the
Toner Building would be a temporary
eXpedient.
The new health school, which will
be similar in design to the health
school now maintained for white pupils,
and in addition to the adequate build
i,~v 70 he ~ r.
Gated to its use a considerable portion
of the ~ acres as a recreation center
for the children who are fighting the
advances of tuberculosis.
With congressional authority to con-
duct an experiment in the District with
the platoon type school. the Board of
Education and administrative officials
of the system set aside the Park View
School as the platoon building for the
white divisions. Faced with the urgent
need of additional school facilities for
colored children in the northeast Sec
ton of the city, the school adnlinistca-
ton received further authority from
Congress to erect a new structure for
the experiment in divisions 10 to l3.
Hence the colOred platoon school also
will be. built on the big Benning road
site
The municipal architect now is study
ing the platoon type schools of other
cities with a view to Incorporating in
the new colored platoon school all the
finest features which experience has
developed elsewhere. When completed
the structure will relieve congestion in
the Lovejoy School at Twelfth and D
streets northeast, and will also offer
school facilities to the residents of
Kinglnan Park, the new residential
community for colored people adjoin-
ing the school site.
Will Relieve Congestion.
Perhaps the greatest relief from pres
ent congestion in the schools of north
east Washington will be afforded by the
new junior high school which is 10 be
built on the 42-acre tract. At pres
ent there are four colored Junior high
schools in the District: The Randall in
the southwest. the Francis at Twenty
fourth and N streets; the Garnet
Patterson at Tenth street and Vermont
avenue and the Shaw at Seventh street
and Rhode Island avenue. With the
completion of the new Junior high
school on the northeast tract, relief
from congestion will be afforded the
schools in that section of the city by
taking from them the seventh and
eighth grades for installation in the
new structure. The buildings which
would benefit by this relief are the
Lovejoy, Payne, Logan. Crummell,
Deanwood, Burrville and Smothers. The
seventh and eighth grades in these
schools total approximately 800 boys
and girls. according to officials of di-
visions 10 to Is.
ut will be the purpose of the school
administration to make these three
school buildings very beautiful from
the architectural point of view"
Garnet G. Wilkinson, first assistant
superintendent of schools in charge of
divisions 10 to Is. 1T is to be remem-
bered that they will be located on land
bordering upon the extension of the
Potomac River parkway that now is
being built around the city.
"a study is being made of the plans
and specifications of the Hendley
School at Winchester, Va, to determine
whether this model of structure might
not be used for the junior high school
to be located on the Benning tract.
1.-THE three buildings will be so 10
Gated upon the site as to make it pos
sible for us to develop our grounds with
terraces, lawns and sllrubbery, and they
will be located also to permit the lay
ing out of suitable Fairgrounds for the
JUNIOR high school pupils. the elemen-
tary pupils in the platoon school and
the health school"