XIII. SCHOOL ARCHITECTURE.

THE following Plans of the Dwight Grammar School, in Boston, the State Normal University of Illinois, at Bloomington, and the Union Public School, at Ypsilanti, Michigan, present the latest improvements in School Architecture, which we have seen. We are indebted for the first to Hon. J. D. Philbrick, Superintendent of Public Instruction in Boston; to Prof. Hovey, Principal of the Illinois State Normal University, for the second; and to the School Committee of Ypsilanti, for the last.

PLANS AND DESCRIPTION OF THE DWIGHT SCHOOL HOUSE, BOSTON, MASS.

THE DWIGHT SCHOOL HOUSE is located on Springfield Street, in Ward XI., and occupies the center of a lot, measuring one hundred and ninety-two feet on Springfield Street, by about ninety-seven feet in depth.

The building has a front of ninety-one feet six inches on Springfield Street, is sixty feet deep, and four stories high, exclusive of the basement. It is built of brick, the external surface of the walls being covered with mastic, and painted a bright drab color.

The floors are of hard pine one inch thick, and in widths not over five inches. The walls of the rooms are sheathed three and a half feet high, and the stairways, halls and closets five feet high, with matched chesnut boards, in widths not over six inches. The doors and window sashes are of the same kind of wood. inside woodwork is varnished, but not painted.

The

The windows, except those of the first story, have ornamented iron guards outside, and curtains inside instead of blinds. All the doors have top lights hung on pintels, which contributes much to give the building a light and airy appearance.

The yard is enclosed on the front and sides by a stone and iron fence, and on the rear by a high brick wall, which also constitutes the rear wall of the waterclosets. The arrangements of the yard are designed for both sexes, a separate entrance being provided for each. From the yard the pupils enter the basement at either end of the building, and pass, by two flights of stairs, to the corridor on the first floor.

The basement is eight and a half feet in the clear, and its level, which corresponds with the level of the yard, is four feet below the sidewalk, both being well paved with brick. Thus situated with respect to the yard, and being well supplied with light and air, it furnishes an excellent covered play-ground. This mode of constructing and using the basement of a school house is a decided improvement over former plans. An apartment in the center, (Plan No. 2,) is appropriated to the warming apparatus and fuel. The level of this room is two feet below that of the play-ground.

The first, second and third stories are each twelve and a half feet in the clear, and are precisely alike in all their arrangements. Each of these stories, (Plan No. 12.-[VOL. IV., No. 3.1-49.

No. 3,) is divided into four school rooms, four clothes closets

a large corridor in the center. The arrangement is admirab
ience and economy of space. Pupils enter the school rooms
rooms, each of which is well lighted and ventilated by means
Each school room has accommodations for one teacher an
pupil is provided with a separate chair and desk. The furni
pupils is substantial, convenient and handsome.

The pupils sit facing the platforms of the teachers, and the
that while in their seats, they do not in any case receive the 1

T

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T

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FIG. 3. PLAN OF FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD FLOORS.

A

B

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26.8

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The fourth story, (Plan No. 4,) contains two school rooms similar to those albady described, and a hall for public occasions and general purposes of the whole ✓hool, furnished with movable settees. This story is fifteen feet in the clear.

The warming apparatus consists of four hot-air furnaces. The smoke pipes are cast iron, and pass up through and warm the corridors. This arrangement is ndered practicable by locating the furnaces in the center of the basement, and found more convenient and economical than previous plans.

10.0

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The means of ventilation consist of a separate ventiduct of wood, leading from each school to the roof. Here they are brought into two groups, at the opposite ends of the building, each of which is surmounted with one of Emerson's Ejectors. The transverse section of each ventiduct is about fourteen inches square. In each room there is a sliding register near the ceiling, and another near the floor opening into the ventiduct. The building has seats for 882 pupils. The cost of the house and furniture was Cost of lot

Total cost

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$45,645 50 14,362 50

C

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B

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56.8

B

FIG. 4. PLAN OF FOURTH FLOOR.

A. Hall furnished with settees for general exercises.
School Room for 60 pupils.

C.

B.

Teachers' Platform.

L. Clothes Room.