Prison Walls Obviated
As will be noted, save for a short connecting wall, the buildings themselves form the enclosure of the courts, whereby forbidding walls are obviated.
The buildings throughout will be fireproof constructed, in the main of reinforced concrete, and faced on the exterior with tapestry brick. Spanish tile will be used for the roof of the center building. Such trimmings as occur will be of Bedford limestone. The exterior is treated in the character of Lombard brick architecture, which style lends itself particularly well to the problem. All ostentation has been avoided and architectural effect has been sought in the general grouping and proportions rather than in the ornamentation; nevertheless, the psychology of attractive buildings has not been overlooked.
Particular attention will be paid to the proper setting of the buildings and to the planting of trees and shrubs about them. Placed a considerable distance back from the main road, and partially concealed by trees and the undulating land, a certain degree of privacy desired by the Board will be secured.
The aim of the Board and its architect throughout has been to produce a group of buildings economical in construction and maintenance, though attractive and sanitary, and easy of supervision, while assuring the prisoners privacy and comfort. Through proper surroundings it is hoped to strengthen their manhood.
Reception Cottage at the Hawthorne School
(for Delinquent Boys)
Maintained by the Board of Jewish Guardians at Hawthorne, New York
By Hastings H. Hart
HAWTHORNE SCHOOL, HAWTHORNE, N. Y.
Reception Cottage
Harry Allan Jacobs, Architect
The Receiving Cottage of the Hawthorne School is an admirable example of a dormitory cottage for boys. We present herewith a photograph of the exterior, together with the first-and second-story plans.
The hall on the first floor terminates at one end of the house in the living-room, and at the other end in the dining-room, economizing space. The living-room has windows on three sides, and has an attractive fireplace. The dining-room at the opposite end of the cottage has also windows on three sides. The kitchen is so arranged as to give cross ventilation, both east and west and north and south, in hot weather. The first floor has also a small sewing room, with suitable storage.
On the second floor there are two dormitories, each containing 10 beds. Each dormitory is connected with shower bath, toilet, and locker room, so arranged that the day clothing of the boys is locked up at night. The second floor contains a commodious room for the matron, with bath and a room for a monitor.
RECEPTION COTTAGE—FIRST FLOOR PLAN
RECEPTION COTTAGE—SECOND FLOOR PLAN
The arrangement of the cottage is such that there is not an inch of waste space and its appearance outside and inside is very attractive. The building is thoroughly well constructed, with excellent hardwood floors which are maintained in perfect condition after five years’ use.
The Hawthorne School has developed by the process of evolution, which has produced four types of cottages, each new one presenting improvements upon its predecessors. It illustrates the advantage of building institutions by successive steps in order to profit by experience.
One-Story Cottage at the Thorn Hill School
(for Delinquent Boys)
By Hastings H. Hart
The Thorn Hill School is an institution for delinquent boys maintained by Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and located at Thorn Hill, 20 miles north of Pittsburgh. When the school was instituted, in 1911, on the advice of the writer, two wooden shacks, without basements, with a capacity of 24 boys each, were built for temporary use. These buildings were well constructed, with floors of southern pine and were ceiled with southern pine, and equipped with good plumbing.
ONE-STORY COTTAGE—FLOOR PLAN
Soon after some excellent two-story brick cottages of modern construction were built. The superintendent said to one of the house fathers: “You have done so well in this temporary cottage that we intend to give you one of the new cottages.” The house father replied that he and his wife would prefer to remain in the one-story cottage. This preference led to a study which resulted in the construction of three one-story brick cottages, two of which had a small basement under a part of the building, and the other had no excavation. The first two one-story cottages were planned by Mr. T. E. Billquist, architect, and have been in satisfactory use for a number of years.
The writer said to one of the cottage matrons: “You have worked in a one-story cottage and in a two-story cottage: which do you prefer?” She replied: “The one-story cottage is greatly to be preferred. The matrons in the two-story cottages are tired to death climbing up and down stairs. When they are upstairs, the boys are doing mischief on the first floor, and vice versa. But I can stand in the door of my room and can see the kitchen, the dining-room, the living-room, the porch, the dormitory, and the locker room, and it makes the work very much easier.”
We submit a photograph of the exterior and floor plan of a one-story cottage, which was built without any excavation. Heat was supplied by natural gas, which simplified the problem. The dormitory contained 20 beds and was readily overlooked from the adjoining room of the house father. The foundation and the floor were of concrete, and the superstructure of brick. A large part of the work of construction was done by the boys.
In the first two cottages small basements contain heating apparatus, lavatories, and playroom for stormy weather. All of these one-story cottages are attractive in appearance inside and out. The temporary one-story “shacks,” built in 1911, are still in use. They cost only $4,000 each.
The one-story plan is gradually coming into favor. At Mooseheart, the great institution for dependent children, maintained by the Loyal Order of Moose, they have adopted as a standard cottage unit a one-story cottage for 16 children, with two dormitories containing eight beds each.
THORN HILL SCHOOL, WARRENDALE, PENN.—ONE-STORY COTTAGE
Designed by Franklin H. Briggs, Superintendent