The Worthington Advance

DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING.

As is well known to our readers, the contract for building the new school house was let to A. C. Robinson. The plan is unique, and is generally commended, by all classes and especially educators, as a most economical and admirable plan for a school building of moderate size. Work was begun in September and the building is now ready to be occupied as soon as the seats are put in. The building, without the furnishing, cost $5,000; with the furniture, the whole will cost in the neighborhood of $6,000. The upper rooms are not finished, the floor only being laid.

The building is hexagonal in shape, each of the six sides being 24 feet. The walls are 28 feet in height, and raise of roof 10 feet, rising to a point in the center, which is surmounted by an open belfry 10 feet high, on a base of 4 feet. The whole is surmounted by a five feet dome, with a five feet pinnacle. The whole structure, with the foundation, rises to a height of about 65 feet above the ground. The base of the dome is finished with six windows, with pulleys from below, so that the windows can be opened for ventilation. The cornice of the main building and dome is ornamented with fancy brackets. There are 15 windows in the lower story and 18 in the upper. Each of the lower windows have eight 6x24 lights, with segment head and box cornice cap. The upper windows have eight 14x26 lights, with circle heads, and box cornice cap. The outside is painted a light lead color with dark trimmings. The inside wood work is grained in imitation of oak. The painting was done by Mr. Grundstein.

There are three entrances, one on each alternate side, of the building. Each entrance opens into a hall, from which there are doors leading into two rooms, one diagonally to the left and another diagonally to the right. In each hall there is a flight of stairs, all leading to the center of the upper story. There are three rooms below, and when finished there will be three above. The lower rooms are 24x36 feet in size, 12 feet and 4 inches high, and will each seat 60 pupils. The upper rooms will be 14 feet high. One will be 24x30 feet and the other two will be so arranged as to form one large audience room.

The teachers' platforms are so arranged that they all come in the center of the building, and are only nine feet distant from each other, with doors leading through the teachers' closets from each platform to the others. Thus communication between the teachers is exceedingly convenient and without passing out or in through the rooms. Each room has two entrances from opposite sides; a pupils' closet with shelves and hooks, besides the teacher's closet; a spacious coal bin holding from 3 to 4 tons, and 40 feet of black boards extending around the room. Each room has also three ventilating registers, besides transoms over the doors.

The doors are so arranged that there is an open line from one outside door to the other, forming a triangle, thus giving free ventilation throughout. But one side of each room is exposed to the wind in winter and the sun in summer. The rooms are all separated by two walls, with stairway and hall between, so that no one room opens into the other, thus preventing confusion and interruption.

The building is located in a large square extending from Fourth to Fifth Avenues and from Twelfth to Thirteenth Streets.

The above is a brief and imperfect description of the new building, but we hope it will convey to our readers an accurate though not a full idea of the structure. Where there is such general expression of pride and satisfaction, at the inauguration of the building, the builder, Mr. Robinson, may justly feel proud, and is to be congratulated upon the originality of the plan and the prompt completion of the work according to contract.