Evening star., 1933-12-05
ARCHITECT RUSHES
WOODROW WILSON
HIGH SCHOOL PLANS
Construction Was Held Up by
Fine Arts Commissions
Revision Order.
FOREST HILLS CITIZENS
ASSOCIATION HITS DELAY
D. c. Construction Director Expects
Advertisement for Bids Early
in January.

Harold w. BAKER, QItClOI Va Ioii
struction of the District, announced
today the municipal architects SIAN
had been ordered to work three nights
a week to rush to completion the re-
vised plans for the new woodrow Will
son senior high school, to be erected
In the Fort Reno subdivision at Forty
drst and Chesapeake streets.
Construction of the school, Baker
said, had been delayed for some months
as a result of revision of the original
plans to conform to recommendations
of the Commission on Fine Arts, which
rejected the first proposed layout OF
the group of buildings to be erected on
the site. The commissions actlon' ne
explained, necessitated revised studies
and a replanning of the entire proJect'
The delay in the construction OF the
Wilson High School, as we'll as other
school projects. was sharply criticized
a. a meeting last night CT the forest
Hills Citizens Association in the ben
w. Murch School.
Progress Made Plans.
The District Commissioners and
Baker were charged with buck pass
ing" for seeking TO lay the blame else
where. and a resolution adopted eX-
pressing strong disapproval OF the de-
laws and constant tinkering' with plans
of school buildings. It was voted 70
have the resolution presented to the
Commissioners in person by a speclal
committee
Considerable progress has been made
on the new set of plans, Baker declared.
and with the architects WORKING oay
and night, he expects to be ready TO ao-
vertise for bids early in January; Con-
struction of the school, he said. Will
start soon thereafter. unless there Is
unforeseen delay in legal proceedings
for the closing of Brandywine street
between Nebraska avenue ana the pro-
posed Fort drive
plans e and i sp5ecihcations H5ea ms Ter the school
anlODDtilg 10 S5OOOO W% VaFTlea IN
the 1888 appropriation act. t..and became
available July / 1892 "a year later: an
appropriation OF 900 neeanae "a aVa ahe
building. In the interim, Baker SAID.
the original plans had been completed
and turned down. and it was not until
Julv l. last, the date on which the ap-
propriation for beginning construction
of the building became available, when
the revised layout was approved by the
Fine Arts Commission.
Face Nebraska Avenue.
The original plans, Baker pointed out,
proylded for a group of buildlngs-the
school. heating plant, auditorium and
pymnasium-facing Chesapeake street on
the north The proposed athletic field
would have been located in the rear OF
these buildings.
Under the new regrouping plan as
approved by the commission, he SAID,
the buildings will face on Nebraska ave
nue. overlooking the proposed athletic
the rear of the school. This change
calls for the closing OF BrandyWlne
street.
Baker explained the accepted scheme
not only had to meet the approval OF
the Fine Arts Commission, but the
Board of Commissioners, the Board OF
Education and the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission as we'll.
The Park and Planning Commission was
particularly interested in the project. he
said. because it had acquired property
in the vicinity of the school for park
development
The municipal architects Office, Baker
said started to work on the revised
plans early in July, and every avalla pie
man was assigned to the pro 'ect. we
have gone ahead as fast as humanely
possible and are straining every ehort
TO complete the plans before January
l." he declared.
Baker estimates it will take 90 months
" to complete the school from the start
of actual construction Tnat Wouio
make it ready for occupancy at the ne-
ginning of the school term In Septem-
Der. 1885. if construction is starteo III
January.
The limit of cost placed on the new
school by Congress is Sl.l5O;COO II
will be Of the same general des On as
the Roosevelt Senior High School,
minus some of the architectural en-
Refreshments on that building for econ
oray's sake The principal change III
design will be in the exterior architec-
tlre Fine brick work VIII be suosU-
tuted for the more expensive limestone
Wall to Divide Gym
The school building will accommodate
1900 students, while the auditorium
Tbe gymnasium building will flank the
main building on the other side. Baker
.aid it would be large structure. sep
arated in the center by, wall. SO it
ran be used simultaneously by boys ana
girls
sehee, EnRsr a at IS ths a nlsh
difference being lAAl A AIOIaDl pQIIlI
ton Is used instead of a wall to sep
arate boys and girls School officials
he declared, found some objectionable
features to that arrangement. and a
wall was substituted for a partition.
Baker also said some objection had
been made to placing the proposed ath-
letic field in front of the school build
Ing, but due to the change in the lay
out of the group of structures, there is
not sufficient space in the rear of the
building ltv The field.
The school construction question was
introduced in the association meeting
when Mrs Leslie B. Wright, leader in
her community's fight for improved
educational facilities, announced that
"the school situation out here is pretty