Former School Building Located in Bristol CT

Bristol High School, Bristol Connecticut

Date added: November 02, 2024

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Connecticut
School

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The construction of Bristol High School marked Bristol's transformation from a rural farming town to an internationally recognized industrial city. This monumental high school building served the practical needs of a rapidly expanding population while also serving as a symbol of the city's success as a major manufacturing center.

As Bristol was transformed from a small farming town to a center of manufacturing over the course of the 19^th century, eleven district schools were formed to serve the expanding population. The town's earliest schools fell under the direction of the Ecclesiastical Society, which oversaw their creation and operation throughout the 18^th Century. The Society had constructed five district schools by 1764. These wood-framed buildings were the archetypal one or two-roomed schoolhouses found throughout New England. When the town was incorporated in 1785 there were ten districts which remained under control of the Ecclesiastical Society. Students were charged a supplemental fee to cover operating costs. In 1795, the foundation of the Connecticut School Fund, created from the proceeds of the state's sale of land holdings in the Western Reserve, allowed the town the financial security to take control of the schools the following year.

The industrial development of the town centered around the clock industry, which began in the 1820s and 1830s. The shops of E. Ingraham, E. N. Welch (later Sessions Clock Company), and E. C. Brewster had all formed by 1835. By 1850, the population began to increase at a rapid pace as workers sought employment and school enrollment followed pace. Continued growth and expansion of residential development over the next two decades resulted in the formation of a committee, appointed in 1871, to investigate the possibility of opening a new central high school.

The concept of the modern high school in Connecticut derived largely from the theories of Henry Barnard (1811-1900), one of the best-known education reformers of the mid-19^th Century. Barnard, a native of Hartford, was interested in the creation of public high schools for all students. While private, paid academies were found throughout Connecticut and provided excellent preparation for college studies, there were no public high schools prior to 1840. As Secretary of Connecticut's Board of Commission of Common Schools, Barnard championed universal education and the concept of organizing children into primary, secondary and high schools. The first public high school for children ages nine through sixteen was formed in Middletown in 1841. Hartford followed in 1847 and became the model school in terms of curriculum. There were three courses of study including a college preparatory course, an "English" course (which was a traditional four-year program) and a partial course which finished in two years with an aim toward immediate employment. After 1872, all public high schools in Connecticut were free of charge, but remained without standards in terms of teacher qualifications, curriculum, and condition of the school buildings. Barnard felt that standardization of these elements was crucial for successful education. He went on to become the country's first U.S. Commissioner of Education in 1867, a position that allowed him to have a crucial impact on America's educational system. He returned to Hartford where he published many articles for the American Journal of Education until his death in 1900. It is safe to assume that Barnard's influence and local roots would have made his theories of providing universal education, building design and standardized training of teachers familiar to Bristol's School Board members.

High school courses were established for Bristol students in 1883, with the first class graduated in 1886. High school departments were kept in the District 3 school house with additional classes held in the school houses of Districts 1 and 13. By 1886, planning for a new, central high school building began when a committee was appointed to investigate alternatives. The site chosen was in District 1 on Federal Hill, a neighborhood that included residences of the town's wealthiest members as well as a majority of the municipal structures. By 1891, the new high school at the corner of Summer and Center Streets (now 98 Summer Street and home to the Bristol Historical Society) was opened for inspection. The building, designed by Theodore Peck of Waterbury in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, included a large hall on the second floor for lectures, civic events, and entertainment.

The original high school had been built to serve a population of around 7,000, but by 1900, Bristol's population had increased thirty percent from the previous decade to include nearly 10,000 residents. A third of these residents were employed in some aspect of manufacturing by the Bristol's largest companies including Bristol Brass, J. J. Sessions and Sons, Marlin-Rockwell Firearms and New Departure. By 1906, it was reported of the high school that "the attendance is so large that the building is entirely inadequate." To accommodate the increase, the auditorium space was converted to classrooms and enlargements were deemed "imperative."

Bristol's continued success and growth put incredible stress on the existing school infrastructure. In 1911, Bristol became a city and was dealing with increased enrollment in all its schools, particularly in the districts of the north and south ends. A continued increase in Bristol's population stemmed in part from efforts of industrialists to attract and retain their workforces by building housing developments. New Departure constructed over 100 housing units at Endee Manor in the northwest part of the city by 1917. This was one of four developments built around the same time that included others built by the Bristol Brass Company (1916), the National Marine Lamp Company (1916), and the Bristol Realty Company (1907-1922). These new neighborhoods put tremendous pressure on the school districts, particularly those serving the north and south ends of the City. By the end of the First World War, the population had doubled from 1900 to reach just over 20,000 people.

In response, several modern brick district schools were built to serve the growing population of the primary school students. They included: the Park Street School, built in 1914 (the Clara T. O'Connell School); the North Side School, built 1916 (Clarence A. Bingham School); the Federal Hill School, built in 1915 (Thomas H. Patterson School); Burlington Avenue School, built in 1920 (John J. Jennings School); and Pine Street School, built in 1921 (Mary A. Callen School). This building program demonstrated the City's commitment to education. The new buildings were all designed by notable architects (including Potter who designed the North Side School) to serve as anchors in the neighborhoods in which they were built. By 1915, the city was forced to prioritize construction of a new high school building when in that year the graduating class had grown to 57, the largest yet on record.

The high school was in need of immediate expansion both in terms of space to simply house students and to accommodate new facilities so as to meet the needs of an expanding curriculum. Superintendent Karl A. Reiche, in the Report of the Board of Education for the School Year ending in 1917 read off a detailed list of the requirements for a new school:

… the accommodations are becoming so limited and inadequate that a new building should be erected as soon as national and municipal conditions will warrant. The immediate needs are an assembly hall, a gymnasium, an up to date Science Department, equipped for stereopticon, as well as Physics and Chemistry laboratories, rooms for Household Economics work now starting, rooms for the Free Hand and Mechanical Drawing and a modern Business department with appliances and equipment commensurate with the splendid work the department is now doing for the business offices of Bristol. There should also be proper lunch rooms and recreation rooms, a large reference library and administrative offices suited to an increasing work of a rapidly growing school. It seems to me that plans should be made to accommodate ultimately a school of one thousand. At the present rate of growth, almost 8% annually, the school will, under normal conditions, number five hundred in four years and that number would probably double in ten years more, if the city continues to grow as it has in the last ten years. It would seem to me highly uneconomical to plan for less than fifteen years' growth. Of course these are estimates and any plans that are made may have to be changed radically because of conditions resulting from the great war.

The first formal discussion related to the construction of a new high school began in October 1916 when the Board of Education met to discuss possible expansion. The following October, the High School Investigation Committee was appointed by then-Mayor Joseph F. Dutton. In December of that same year Wilson Potter presented plans for three units to be added to the existing high school building on Summer Street, yet owing to the conditions of the World War they were tabled.

On July 14^th, 1919 the Board of Education again deferred all activities related to the creation of a new school, but noted that Potter's plans "should receive continued attention … from school officials so that no time will be lost as the opportunity to accept the final plans of construction." On September 15^th of that year, the High School Investigation Committee made five recommendations: 1) acquire land immediately adjacent to the property on Main Street, 2) approve Potter's plans, 3) immediate erection of the first school unit, 4) recommendation to erect second unit as soon as first completed, 5) erect third unit when in opinion of Board of Education deems it is necessary." It was at this same meeting that Albert F. Rockwell offered a free site to erect the new building and set the course for one of the greatest civic improvements in Bristol's history.

Nearly a decade prior to Rockwell's offer to the City, he had purchased the town's former circus lot, known as Dunbar Meadows, in Bristol's South Side, to build additional housing for New Departure employees. After his retirement from the company, the twelve acres of land remained undeveloped. Rockwell quit-claimed it to the City for one dollar on the condition that a bridge be built across the Pequabuck River at Mellen Street and connect to a 100-foot boulevard that would link Main Street to the south side of town. He also stipulated that a high school be built on the property to be completed within two years. In exchange for the city's contribution, Rockwell offered to develop a park on the land east of the new roadway at his own expense. Rockwell stated that these improvements to traffic going in and out of the city would benefit the downtown area. The plan would also require that the city purchase and remove several derelict buildings at the corner of Main and Pearl Streets. The Hartford Courant reported that many citizens retained the belief that Federal Hill was the only proper place for public buildings. Others noted that businesses were moving in along the southern end of Main Street and that voters would eventually have to "overcome their prejudice against the flat land near the center of the city."

Bristol was ready for a transformation. The burgeoning City Beautiful Movement had prompted the City to hire planner, John Nolen of Boston. One of Nolen's chief goals was the creation of a central gathering place, since Bristol had no traditional town green or thoroughfare. Nolen presented a plan to the City in 1920, but did not engage him to complete any work. Rockwell's plan, however, appeared to solve several issues at once by creating a monumental thoroughfare, a public gathering place in the form of an attached park, and a public high school. The Joint Committee for the High School was formed on August 23^rd, 1919 and on October 6^th of that year, eighty percent of the public voted to accept Rockwell's offer of the new school site.

Conditions at the existing high school continued to deteriorate as overcrowding became the chief issue facing the Joint Board who instructed an investigating committee to engage an architect to prepare plans for the new building on the Rockwell site. The following month, architects Wilson Potter and Harold Hayden, submitted final proposals for the high school. Potter's plans were chosen in May 1920. The school would be composed of three units, a central section flanked by north and south wings. Twenty-seven classrooms, including four rooms for science and commercial courses, would be housed in the south and central wings. The north wing would contain a gymnasium, auditorium, and pool.

By March 2^nd, 1921, the City had not yet acted on construction of the Boulevard. On that date, Rockwell, ever a man of action, announced that he had taken bids in order to complete the project and would coordinate with the Superintendent of Public Works and the city streets department to begin construction, effectively making himself the general contractor.

On April 23^rd, 1920 preliminary plans for the school were submitted and accepted by the Joint Board, who instructed architect Potter to prepare working drawings and specifications for the whole building. Mayor Dutton then appointed a High School Building Committee, consisting of Noble E. Pierce, Council-member John Donnelly, and Superintendent Karl Reiche, to coordinate with Potter and focus on the immediate construction of the central portion and south wing. These two units would cost approximately $500,000. Bids were sought for these portions of the building in July, but came in over $800,000 and although accepted by the public, they were rejected the following month by the Joint Committee. Rockwell agreed with the board's decision, but it would set back the process close to a full year.

In May 1921 the Building Committee was called to order and Rockwell was asked to attend. The Board noted that the cost of materials and labor had gone down since the former bids were rejected. Conditions at the high school were becoming more and more crowded, with the school then being run on the "platoon system." At that meeting Donnelly asked Rockwell if he would be willing "to undertake to construct the new high school on the same plan as [the] boulevard." Again, Rockwell was to serve as general contractor. The remaining members of the Committee endorsed Donnelly's suggestion and urged Rockwell to accept the job.

At the next meeting in June of the Joint Board, Rockwell offered to accept the "constructorship" of the building provided he "be furnished with the necessary facilities and an efficient organization." On the 6^th of August of that same year, ground was broken and work begun on the building. By September of that year the bridges crossing the Pequabuck and the Boulevard were nearly complete and at $40,000 under the proposed budget. As construction began to move ahead a tragic setback took place in October 1921, when Arthur O'Hara and James Murphy were killed by a collapsed wooden derrick at the site.

On January 25^th, 1922, the City Council, Board of Education, Building Committee and Rockwell met to discuss equipment for the building. Superintendent Reiche prepared a list of equipment "cut down to the bone for the sake of economy." The gymnasium and pool were areas of concern and Mayor Wade stated that they may yet omit the north wing since it had not yet been constructed. Rockwell stepped in to explain that the north wing would cost a total of $200,000 which were bonded funds. He pointed out that it hardly made sense to let a building sit idle when it could be opened for the cost of interest on the bond, which totaled $350. The joint boards voted to continue with the full construction.

Charges of waste and inferior workmanship were raised in May 1922. A petition had been brought to the City Council stating that unskilled workers were present on site. It seems to have been brought about by the walkout of carpenters when a reduction in the wage scale was announced. The situation remained strained for months. The City Council announced in May 1922 that the building would not be ready for the senior class to hold its graduation exercises in the auditorium citing "labor troubles" as the reason for the slowdown.

A few days later, Rockwell held a conference with William Sullivan, the New Haven representative of Connecticut's Carpenters Union, at Brightwood Hall, Rockwell's home in Bristol. The carpenters were the first of several unions to walk out, followed by bricklayers, plasterers, and plumbers, and unless Rockwell could come to a settlement, the structural ironworkers would also strike. Rockwell managed to appease the workforce and construction continued.

In November 1922 the Bristol Press published an extensive description of what it called the high school's "ideal plan," noting that it would not be completed until January. The original cost of the school was meant to be $325,000 and the total cost on January 25^th, 1923 was just over $750,000.

At the opening ceremonies in February 1923, thousands toured the school, the New Departure Brass Band offered music for dancing past midnight, and exercises were held in the swimming pool for public entertainment. The Honorable Noble E. Pierce, Chairman of the Board of Education, summed up the sense of pride felt by the community,

The honor of the city will dwell here, the building will give fame and glory to the city. It will hold here, and attract here citizens of the very best class. It adds strength to all business and value to all property, every farm is richer, every piece of real estate in the city is worth more, the business of every merchant will be better, relations between labor and capital in our manufactories will be more harmonious, the churches will appear stronger, and life in the city richer and better because of the building. Welcome to this temple of learning.

Rockwell's statement at the opening ceremony alluded to the challenges he faced during construction: "I had reckoned without proper allowances for the labor workers, the politicians, the knockers, some of the newspapers and a few things like that." The total cost of the project was reported at $816,216.00, including Potter's six percent commission. It was estimated that if the City had contracted out the work instead of working under Rockwell's oversight the cost could have been closer to $1,040,000. On April 7^th, 1923 the Hartford Courant reported that all work was complete except for two carpenters, and the exterior grading. The high school was finished by the end of summer in 1923, opening for its first class that fall.

The first report of the Board of Education following a full school year stated that despite some anticipated and understandable adjustments as students and teachers learned to use the new equipment, the "school is enjoying unusually splendid and happy working conditions which are not excelled by any high school in the state." The building served as the town's principal high school for nearly forty years. The pool, gymnasium, and auditorium spaces were used for school events, as well as for public performances and lectures. Of note were the "career fairs" hosted by Bristol's business and industrial leaders in the gymnasium. These events offered children the opportunity to learn about potential occupations in the city, while allowing business owners the chance to recruit young, local talent.

As trends in education continued to change and suburban development continued to expand the population away from the center of the City, Bristol decided to build new high schools. In 1959, Bristol Eastern High School was constructed and Bristol High School became known as Bristol Central High. Less than a decade later, the school was remodeled to accommodate middle school students and the first class of Memorial Boulevard Middle School graduated in 1968. The school was closed in 2012.

The former Bristol High School is one of the finest and best-preserved examples of the work of George Wilson Potter, Sr. (1868-1939) of New York City. The building exhibits a number of the defining characteristics of the Classical Revival style, including the overall symmetry of the H-shaped plan. On the facade, the central block is perfectly framed by the flanking wings. Window openings, entrances, and decorative elements all express a sense of solidity and order. Even when elements differ, such as on the south wing, a geometric pattern is employed in decorative brickwork on the blind walls to replicate a symmetrical appearance with the openings of the north wing. The rusticated basement level, heavy Tuscan columns and massive Ionic pilasters along the projecting cornice with dentils all convey a monumental quality drawn from classical precedents.

George Wilson Potter, Sr. (1868-1936)

Architect George Wilson Potter, Sr. of New York, renowned for his design of school buildings in the northeast, designed the original portion of the Bingham School in 1916. Before opening his own offices at 3 Union Square in New York City, Potter worked in the offices of Richard Morris Hunt (1827- 1895) and Henry Van Brunt (1832-1903), two icons of architecture who were based in New York and Boston respectively." Potter went on to design school buildings throughout the United States, with the majority located in Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania. Such was his prominence in the field, that he was featured as a spokesperson for the Natural Slate Blackboard Company in the 1921 edition of the American School Board Journal. In the advertisement, Potter states, "Enclosed is a list of 63 school buildings in all but three of which we used Natural Slate Blackboards". From this statement we can deduce that he was not only a respected architect of school buildings, but also a prolific one.

In the early part of his career, Potter designed two important commissions in Norwich: the Laurel Hill School (1871, and Broad Street School (1897). These were designed in the Italianate and Richardsonian Romanesque styles, respectively. Potter undertook the design of Bingham School at what appears to have been the height of his career. His design for the South Street School in Torrington was completed the same year and shares many design elements visible in the Bingham School, including projecting pavilions, a raised basement, and flat roof, which result in a monumental and solid form typical among Classical Revival-style institutional buildings erected at the time. It also employs glazed brick and terra cotta details, which although fairly new and innovative materials, were increasingly used to replicate a plethora of Classical designs in institutional buildings during the first quarter of the twentieth century.

Potter appears to have been most comfortable working in variations on the Classical Revival and Renaissance Revival-styles as evidenced by his two other significant commissions in Bristol; the Neoclassical-style Bristol Public Library, and the Italian Renaissance-style Bristol High School (1922, now the Memorial Boulevard School). Other of his schools include the Uncasville School in Montville (1918), the South School in Torrington (1915), the United Bank Building in New Milford (1904), and the Southington Public Library (1902).

Building Description

The former Bristol High School is situated on a knoll on the west side of Memorial Boulevard, south of the downtown commercial district of Bristol. The school is a three-story Classical Revival-style building constructed of load-bearing brick with a flat roof, a symmetrical H-shaped plan, and an exposed basement level. It is located at the far western side of a 7.4-acre lot bounded by Memorial Boulevard to the north, Mellen Street to the east, South Street to the south and Willis Street to the west. Parking lots are located north and south of the building and terraced grounds east of the building lead to athletic fields, including a track and baseball diamond. A large, residential neighborhood constructed prior to 1930, is located southwest of the school and there are several light industrial buildings located to the west and across the Pequabuck River to the north. Memorial Park is located east of the athletic fields.

The central, main block of the building is arranged parallel to Willis Street and the north and south wings are arranged perpendicular to the main block. The building was designed by noted school architect Wilson Potter and was constructed over a period of two years between 1921 and 1923, beginning with the south wing and central lateral section. The north wing, containing the auditorium and gymnasium, was the last portion to be completed.

The school remains relatively unchanged from its original appearance. The entire structure is clad in buff brick set in a common bond and is decorated by various cast-stone embellishments such as plaques, rondels, tablets, and keystones. Potter utilized several recurring decorative features throughout the building's exterior. Repeating geometric patterns are found along the parapet walls, blind walls, and spandrel panels separating the windows of the second and third stories of the north elevation. The tar-and-gravel roof is surrounded by a cast-stone-capped parapet wall that is stepped at the center of each elevation (the east and west elevations of the central wing are topped by arched projections above the seal of the City of Bristol). The roofline is also ornamented with a cast-stone entablature featuring a molded cornice set atop a line of dentils. Cast-stone belt courses line the tops of the first and third stories, and intermittent banding is found along the top of the second story. The first story features nine bands of rusticated brick topped by a projecting belt course. The exposed basement sections are clad in cast-stone blocks and feature square openings set with pairs of windows. Most of the original windows were replaced in 1996 with aluminum replacements, but the original 6/6 light configuration was maintained.

The east elevation served as the main entrance to the school as well as the focal point for the western approach of Memorial Boulevard as it entered downtown Bristol. As a result, it is the most highly ornamented of the elevations. The central block is recessed between two symmetrical wings at the north and south. Along the parapet wall, which is lined by a band of cast-stone coping, there are a series of cast-stone panels flanking a bronze seal of Bristol that protrudes above the parapet wall. Located centrally beneath the cornice trim is a large plaque that reads "BRISTOL HIGH SCHOOL". Windows are arranged in pairs on all stories with the exception of a single windows found near the intersection of the main block and each wing. Openings on the third story are topped by a continuous cast stone band and are separated from the second story openings by a spandrel panel set with a stone tablet. From south to north, they read "MUSIC", "ART", "SCIENCE", "BUSINESS", "HISTORY", and "LANGUAGE". The windows on the second story are topped by wide individual lintels and are linked by a continuous molded stringcourse. The first story features a central entryway, consisting of three modern glass doors topped by a fixed tripartite transom. Two paneled Doric pilasters flank the doorway and support a tall entablature featuring metopes and triglyphs arranged beneath a line of modillions. A plaque at the center of the fascia features the date of construction "1921". The projecting cornice supports a balustrade set beneath a run of four tall, narrow windows topped by transoms. The doors are modern metal and glass units, above which are paneled spandrels that are, in turn, topped by a tripartite, multi-light transom window. The entrance is accessed by a short set of stone steps. The basement-level windows are in line with the bays of the upper stories and are set within slightly recessed square openings.

The facades of the north and south wings are similar, both have projecting central pavilions set above cast-stone porticos. Arched openings are found on each portico elevation and each arch is topped by an archivolt molding that springs from the impost blocks formed by the capitals of short Doric pilasters. The entire assembly is surmounted by a scrolled central voussoir. These arched openings are flanked by tall, paneled Doric pilasters supporting an entablature upon which rests a paneled balconet wall. On both wings the doors are modern metal and glass units topped by arched transoms. The window pattern above the porticos mirrors that found above the main entrance.

On the north wing, a large tablet is located centrally beneath the cornice trim and reads "RECREATION." Paired windows, like those found on the main block, flank the central pavilion, with spandrel panels between the second and third stories. The tablets within the panels read "ATHLETICS" and "CONCERT" respectively. On the south elevation of the north wing, windows are arranged in pairs with a single window at the western corner. On the south wing, the windows of the second and third stories are replaced by blind walls decorated with a geometric pattern that replicates the openings of the north wing. The north elevation of the south wing features a run of six windows with a single-window near the intersection of the main block.

The original landscape in front of the facade can be seen in a photograph dating from ca. 1930. It shows that the original plan had three stairways arranged in line with the three entrances of the east elevation leading from the building level to the athletic fields. Today there are two concrete storage sheds on the south side of the area leading to the fields. These are topped by concrete pads that serve as viewing stands and are lined by pipe railings. In addition to the baseball and football fields, there is a quarter-mile track.

Like the east elevation, the center of the main block features the Bristol city seal along the parapet wall, set above a rectangular cast-stone plaque that reads "BRISTOL HIGH SCHOOL." Each story of this section contains a central run of six windows (these are short square windows on the third story) flanked by three pairs of windows. The plaques that separate the openings of the second and third stories remain blank. The central entrance into the main block and the portico on the north wing were not included on this elevation. The north and south wings feature the same brick pilasters found on the east elevation, but without the decorative Ionic capitals. The space between the two wings is filled by a low concrete utility pad covered in mechanical equipment and lined by a metal fence.

The south wing contains a set of three windows at the center of each floor to provide light for the stairwells. These are flanked by pilasters that are, in turn, flanked by blind walls that are decorated with geometric brick patterns set off by cast-stone end blocks. The arched openings of the portico on this wing have been partially enclosed, the door replaced by tall windows, and an entrance ramp installed on the south side leading to the basement level. The north wing has a central tripartite window on each story instead of a portico. Window placement mirrors those found on the facade. There is a run of six windows on each story of the north elevation of this wing, with a single detached window at the far east. On the south side of the north wing, there are five separate windows on the first and second stories and four on the third story.

At the roofline, the parapet wall is stepped to include a central stylized plaque featuring an etched diamond design (this is repeated on the south elevation and the wings of the east and west elevations). The central pavilion of this elevation extends several feet beyond the flanking sections with a single bay on the east and west sides. The second story of this section contains five double-height openings with arched windows. The central pavilion extends several feet from the wall of the north elevation. The central portion of the first-story contains an enclosed portico, similar in design to the others, but with two doors and an arched window on the exterior. On each side of the portico, there are two sets of double windows. These windows serve the school's theater. On the east and west side of the protruding section is a single window on both the first and second stories.

The south elevation is similar to the north elevation. The central pavilion extends a single bay beyond the wall of the wing with a single opening on each story of the east and west sides. The openings are filled with pairs of windows. The central portion does not have a portico or a door. Instead, it contains three sets of windows on each of its three stories. The three stories of the eastern and western sections of this facade each contain a set of six windows, with a single window nearest the central portion.

The interior of the school mirrors the symmetry of the exterior and is arranged on three levels above ground, the ground level or upper basement, and the lower basement. The H-shaped plan includes approximately 100,000 square feet consisting of the north wing, which houses the auditorium, pool, gymnasium, and ancillary spaces; the central wing which includes office space on the first floor in addition to classroom space; and the south wing, which includes the library and classrooms. There are twenty-seven classrooms of various sizes on the upper three floors of the building.

The central wing of the first story is accessed by three modern glass and metal doors leading into a vestibule/stair hall on the east elevation. A wide, central stair leads to a landing where there are three additional modern metal doors leading to the main corridor. This stairwell, like the others found throughout the school, is well-lit by double-height windows. The stairs are constructed of steel with asphalt tile-covered steps, often with paneled, pressed-steel risers. Modern rubber safety treads are found throughout. On the main stairwell, the balustrades are further embellished with a recurring oval pattern set between each of the simple, straight balusters and are topped by a wooded rail. On the remainder of the stairways throughout the building the ovals are absent from the design. The end posts are also steel, capped and feature a vertical paneled design.

The main lateral corridor of the school runs in a north-south direction through the central wing. The corridor walls are clad in buff-colored brick to a height of approximately eight feet and are topped by a bull-nosed cornice trim of the same buff brick. The corners of many of the walls and piers are embellished by narrow, engaged columns and in some areas the walls are decorated by bricks set in a geometric pattern with cast-stone accents. Office spaces for the administration are found on the east side of the corridor, with classroom spaces on the west. The office spaces have been altered by the addition of modern cabinetry, counters and flooring.

Most of the doors leading to the classrooms are the original oak units with a single square light in the upper half. They are decorated with an inlaid rectangular design. Handles have been changed and the transoms above each doorway have been covered. Lavatories are located at the far southern end of the corridor on the east and west sides of the hall and retain the original tiled floors and walls and many of the original fixtures. An elevator shaft is located at the southwest corner of the corridor.

Throughout the corridors and classrooms, the original flooring has been covered with composite tile and the ceilings have been lowered and covered by acoustic tile set in a metal grid. Fluorescent lighting has been installed throughout. Openings from the main hall into the classrooms have been enclosed and transoms have been covered or removed to accommodate the dropped ceiling. Despite these changes, the classrooms almost uniformly retain the original slate blackboards and oak blackboard trim as well as oak picture rails, chair rails, window and door trim, and baseboards.

The main corridor intersects with a perpendicular hall that serves the south wing. On the east and west ends of this hall there are each two classrooms separated by a stair at the middle. Cloak rooms (more like short hallways) line the walls closest to the main block - these are accessed by arched openings from the hall and provide a second means of egress from each of the classrooms. The central portion of the wing includes a large, open space that was used as the library.

The north wing contains the auditorium, which is accessed by separate entrances on the north and east sides of the building, as well as from the main hall of the school. A lobby space at the east entry provided a public waiting space and also contains two small offices/classrooms on the north and south sides of the central stairwell. The 947-seat auditorium is the centerpiece of the building). The groin-vaulted ceiling is surmounted by a quatrefoil-shaped, stained glass light that is outlined with metal tracery. This provides natural light from a skylight above as well as incandescent light. The arched windows on the north wall are decorated with hood moldings and spandrel panels matching those found on the exterior. On the south wall, the openings are blind but follow the same decorative scheme to produce a feeling of symmetry within the space. The balcony is supported by simple piers topped with Tuscan capitals. The balcony wall is decorated with panels and is lined by a simple railing. The theater seats throughout appear to have been replaced at an unknown date. The stage is located on the west side of the space and the stage front is decorated with a paneled design. The proscenium arch features a repeating quatrefoil and foliate pattern. A series of graduated panels form the outer portion of the proscenium arch and meet above the stage with a lit clock at the apex. The clock face has "The City of Bristol" encircling the dial. The backstage area includes dressing rooms and storage on the first and second stories.

The second and third stories of the central block and south wing repeat the plan of the first story, except that there are classrooms above the library and office space. The third story was originally dedicated to the study of sciences and many of the original cabinets, laboratory tables, soapstone sinks and hood assemblies remain intact. In Room 311 a crane arm remains in place, presumably used in the study of physics. The original tiered science lecture hall also remains intact, across from the central stairway, with movable blackboard panels and a space to perform experiments at the front. It was repurposed as a choral room, presumably when the school was made into a middle school in the late 1960s.

The ground level of the basement consists of the gymnasium balcony/track and upper pool area in the north wing, the cafeteria and kitchen in the central area, and the former workshop and industrial-arts classrooms. The ground level also contains various mechanical equipment and the boiler room. The hallways and classroom walls on the ground level are painted brick with arched openings, with buff brick used along the hallways near the cafeteria. The lower basement level contains the gymnasium, pool, and locker areas in the north wing. The gymnasium includes a basketball court with tiled walls. The space is accessed by stairwells on the north and east sides and is surrounded by an elevated running track with partial paneled walls and a metal balustrade topped by a wooden rail. Locker rooms for the school are located east of the gym and include large lavatories and showers for girls and boys. The floors in these areas are covered in mosaic tile and the walls are clad in ceramic "subway" tile. The partitions for the showers and toilet areas consist of large marble slabs and most of the fixtures are original. The ceilings in these spaces are of a perforated metal with round vault lights which allow light to filter into the spaces from above. Additional changing areas, which are similarly outfitted, are located south of the gym for visiting teams. The pool is accessed by two doors leading west from the gym. They open onto a mosaic-tiled deck which remains visible in some places beneath the modern carpeted floor. From the deck, three steps lead down to the pool, which has been capped, but remains intact beneath the floor. The walls in this space are tiled and light is provided by square openings filled with glass blocks on the north and west walls. A shower area is located south of the pool and a third entrance leads from the pool to the gym at the southwest corner.