Page images
PDF
EPUB

PLAN AND DESCRIPTION OF BOWDOIN GRAMMAR SCHOOL-HOUSE.

The new Bowdoin School-house, completed in 1848, is situated on Myrtle street, and with the yard occupies an area of about 75 feet by 68 feet, bounded on each of the four sides by a street. It is built of brick with a basement story of hammered granite, and measures 75 feet 9 inches extreme length by 54 feet 6 inches extreme breadth-having three stories, the first and second being 13 feet, and the third, 15 feet high in the clear. The ground descends rapidly from Myrtle street, thereby securing a basement of 15 feet in the rear. One third of which is finished into entries, or occupied by three furnaces, coal bins, pumps, &c., and the remaining two thirds is open to the yard, thereby affording a covered play-ground for the pupils.

The third story is finished into one hall 72 feet long by 38 feet wide, with seats and desks for 180 pupils. On the south side of this hall there are two recitation rooms, each 16 feet by 12 feet, and a room for a library, &c. There are three rooms of the same size on the two floors below.

The second story is divided into two rooms by a partition wall, each of which is 35 feet by 38, and accommodates 90 pupils, and so connected by sliding doors that all the pupils of both schools can be brought under the eye and voice of the teacher.

The first story corresponds to the second, except there are no sliding doors in the partition, and no connection between the room except through the front entry. The two rooms on this floor have each seats and desks for 100 pupils. Each story is thoroughly ventilated, and warmed by one of Chilson's Furnaces. In each furnace the air chambers, the apertures for conducting the cold air into them, and the flues for constructing the heated air into the rooms in each story, being all large, a great quantity of warm air is constantly rushing into the rooms, and the ventilating flues or ventiducts being so constructed and arranged that the air of the rooms will be frequently changed, and that a pure and healthy atmosphere will at all times be found in each of these rooms, provided the furnaces are properly and judiciously managed. On the top of the building there are two of Emerson's large ventilators, connected with the attic and ventilating flues, through which the impure air passes out into the atmosphere above.

To accommodate pupils who come to school with wet feet or clothes, there is an open fire in a grate in one of the recitation rooms.

Each room is furnished with Wales' American School Chair, and Ross's Desk, and both desk and chair are in material, form and style, as described on page 202 and 205.

This is a school for girls only, and consists of two departments, one of which is called the Grammar department, and the other the Writing department; the master of each department being independent of the other.

The number of assistant female teachers in each department of this school, when full, will be four, the teachers in each department being independent of the master and teacher in the other.

The master of the Grammar department and two of his assistants will occupy the large hall in the third story, and his other two assistants will occupy one of the rooms in the first story.

The master of the writing department and two of his assistants will occupy the rooms in the second story, and his other two assistants will occupy the other room in the first story, each master being the superintendence of his own department.

The school, when full, will be divided into five classes, and each class into two divisions, nearly equal in numbers. The first week after the vacation in August, the first division of each class will attend in the grammar department in the morning, and the second division of each class will attend in the writing department; and in the afternoon, the second division of each class will attend in the grammar department, and the first, in the writing department. The next week, this order of attendance is to be reversed, and this alteration is to continue through the year, the weeks of vacation not being counted.

This house and the Quincy Grammar School-house are built after designs by Mr. Bryant.

[subsumed][merged small][graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic][subsumed]

PLAN AND DESCRIPTION OF QUINCY GRAMMAR SCHOOL-HOUSE, BOSTON.

This building, which was commenced in 1847, and dedicated on the 26th of June, 1848, is situated on a lot 90 feet by 130 feet, extending from Tyler street to Hudson street.

The ground plan is in the form of a cross, the exterior dimensions of the body being 80 feet by 58 feet, the end fronting on Tyler street. The wings are 12 feet in front by 36 feet deep. It is four stories high, with a basement 8 feet in the clear, for the furnaces and fuel, and an attic for gymnastic exercises.

Each wing contains a front and back entrance, a flight of stairs from the basement to the attic, and a room on each floor 10 feet by 11 feet, connected with a school-room.

The fourth story of the body is finished in one spacious hall, 16 feet high in the clear, with centre-pieces and a cornice, and a platform at each end 22 feet by 11 feet, and 22 inches high. It is furnished with settees arranged in 4 rows, sufficient to accommodate 700 children.

The third floor is divided by a corridor 8 feet wide, extending across the main body from one wing to the other, having 2 school-rooms on each side.

These four school-rooms are of nearly the same size, averaging about 31 feet by 26 feet, and 13 feet high. Each room is lighted by 2 windows at the side, and 2 at the end, and has a platform for the teacher 24 feet by about 51, with one end towards the entrance from the corridor, and on the other end is placed a book-case of cherry, 3 feet by 8 feet, with glazed doors, facing the

entrance.

The scholars' desks front the platform and the windows on the side of the building, and are separated by aisles 1 foot and 4 inches wide. They are 2 feet in length, made of cherry-wood, and varnished and supported by cast iron stands. J. L. Ross, maker. Each scholar has a desk by himself.

The chair is made by Mr. Wales, of Boston. It has a scroll back and cast iron support.

Each room accommodates 56 pupils, one desk and chair being placed on a small movable platform for a monitor.

The rooms are lined with composition blackboards 34 feet wide, 2 feet from the floor.

The school-rooms which have not small rooms attached, are provided with closets for the children's clothes. There are 2 sinks in the corridor, with conveniences for introducing Cochituate water. The description of this story will answer for the two below it, as the first three are essentially the same.

The windows are furnished with inside blinds, having revolving slats, so that the light may be regulated with great ease.

The building is warmed by 4 furnaces placed in the basement, 2 being placed at the middle of each end, each being intended to warm the three rooms immediately over it, the cast iron chimnies being relied upon for heating the hall.

Emerson's system of ventilation has been introduced since the building was finished, each room having a separate air-duct to the roof, 14 inches by 14 inches. The apparatus consists of the Boston Philosophical set, by J. M. Wightman, Eayrs and Fairbanks' globe, 2 sets of Pelton's Outline Maps, and one of Mitchell's.

A library costing $200 has been furnished by the donation of Mayor Quincy. To protect the desks from injury, the slate-frames are all required to be covered with cloth, and each scholar is to provide himself with a convenient box to contain his pen, pen-wiper, pencils, rubber, &c. Each desk has an inkstand sunk into the right-hand corner, with a revolving metalic cover.

The building is calculated for but one school, and is at present occupied by but one, the organization of which is adapted to the arrangement and construction of the house. When the organization is complete, the school will be divided into 4 classes, each class containing 168 scholars, and each class into 3 divisions. At present the 3 lower classes contain two divisions each, and the first class 3.

On the 3rd floor are the first division of the first class under the instruction of

the Principal, and the several divisions of the 2d class instructed by assistants; On the 2d floor is the 2d division of the 1st class instructed by the sub-master, with the several divisions of the 3d class under assistants; and the usher takes the 3rd division of the 1st class, with the several divisions of the 4th class on the 1st floor. By this arrangement the government is rendered comparatively easy. The whole school is brought together in the hall for devotional services, and other general exercises.

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small]

T, T, T, T, Hot-air flues.

v, v, v, v, Preston's Ventilators for controlling the flues in the partition wall, which communicate with the iron smoke pipes near the top of the building. This plan is adopted in the first story only.

e, e, e, e, Indicates the location of the flues of Emerson's Ventilators in the second, third and fourth stories.

s, Sink.

C, c. c, c, Closets.

d, d, Closets 10 feet by 11 feet,

14

[graphic][subsumed][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »