Former Elementary School Building in KY Closed in 2005
Bridgeport School, Bridgeport Kentucky
The historic Bridgeport School in Bridgeport Kentucky, was constructed in 1942 after the previous school burned. Bridgeport has long been a community in Franklin County associated with both public and private schools dating to the early nineteenth century. Over time, the Franklin County School Board met the challenges of changing needs in education through the erection and maintenance of its public school facilities in the community.
Plans for a new brick consolidated school had been approved in 1936, as Franklin County and many other areas in the state began to implement new streamlined costs and efficiencies in public education. The site chosen for the new consolidated school was an open parcel of pasture land (the current site) that fronted the newly improved US 60 Highway. Improved roads and advances in transportation meant that buses had long since been hauling students from the western portion of the county to attend the public schools at Bridgeport, which had grown to be an important school district and precinct of the Franklin County government.
Overcrowding was the biggest obstacle to anticipate and overcome as the student population continued to grow. Franklin County's population in 1870 was 15,600. By the 1930s that number had grown to more than 25,000. The population growth was due in part to growing industries and agricultural production, but also the expansion of state government in nearby Frankfort, which rapidly increased by the 1950s. The new school had to be spacious and modern in terms of plumbing, lighting, electricity, and heating. The open lot allowed for easy access to traffic and lots of room for schoolyard activities.
By all accounts, the new school was built in the WPA Moderne style, which combined aspects of Art Deco and Art Moderne elements. It was completed in 1937, but after just three years in operation, the building caught fire and burned down, leaving only the gym as a reminder of its existence. From the design elements that are located on the gym one can clearly see the stylistic features that would have been characteristic of the whole building. The gym has a widely arched roof, glass block windows, smooth bricks, and capped pilasters that were typical in Moderne public buildings often built with WPA support.
By the 1940s, Bridgeport had long been a hub for public education in west Franklin County. The unfortunate demise of its first consolidated school left the community desperate to build a replacement. A decision was made to keep the gym as a testimony to the previous structure, and the new school would have to be grafted onto the gym. By 1941, the replacement building's plans were laid out and the lot was cleared to accept the new building.
Following the fire, the Franklin County School Board approved the construction of a new building. The superintendent was Roy True, a long-time education and public school official for the county. Together with the school board that consisted of Lawrence Hutcherson, Louis Fitzgerald, Olney Patrick, Neville Hulette and Robert Tracy, the board hired architect John F. Wilson to design the new building. Wilson's practice was located in Lexington, as was the general contractor, Gilson-Taylor, Incorporated.
The building was finished in 1942, and classes started right away. The building quickly became the pride of the community and once again demonstrated the commitment and passion that Bridgeport citizens had for the public education system. The building served the community as a recreational facility where baseball games were played by summer leagues and civic, religious, and other kinds of educational event were held throughout the year. By the end of the decade, the school began issuing annual yearbooks that featured sporting events in the gym, student performance in the classrooms, as well as group and club activities.
By 1952, the population had once again forced the community to seek other avenues to expand the school system. Franklin County launched an effort to build consolidated high schools that serviced freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and senior in separate facilities. Franklin County High School was built, and most of the county's high school students joined together in their education. Bridgeport School became strictly an elementary school and remained a leading public school in western Franklin County for nearly fifty years.
Like many rural settlement areas of Kentucky, Bridgeport saw a decline in population, while many of its residents passed away or moved on to other towns. The modern US 60 replaced the old road, bypassing the community altogether. Some of its churches and residences remain that date to the nineteenth century, but the community is nearly entirely residential now. What does remain, however, is the Bridgeport School that stands as a testimony to the community's long standing ties and devotion to public education in Franklin County.
The Bridgeport School closed in 2005, and was replaced by another large consolidated facility, not in the community, but within the city of Frankfort. Despite its new location, this new school was named "Bridgeport Elementary School," a testimony to the depth of commitment to education that the community showed for more than a century.
For nearly forty years, Bridgeport School was the only elementary school in all of Western Franklin County. Students from all walks of life attended the school and it was eventually desegregated in the 1950s to include black students. As with many public schools in Kentucky, Bridgeport School served generations of Kentucky citizens who valued their public education and who see the school building a vital part of their lives and community.
Historic Overview of Bridgeport, Kentucky
The community of Bridgeport is located about five miles west from downtown Frankfort. The rural settlement of Bridgeport was located along the "Big Road" which was a vital transportation and trade route that linked Frankfort, Shelbyville, and Louisville together. The community was not unlike other small settlement pockets throughout the state. It featured taverns, and a general store with various residences and specialty shops to service the community's needs.
The beginning of land acquisitions in the Bridgeport area was first acquired by William Armstrong, who made an entry for 300 acres on the Kentucky River, March 6th, 1781. Governor Benjamin Harrison of Virginia approved this grant on the Little Benson and the stream became known as Armstrong's Branch. The second grant was issued to Sherman Nunnery on August 9th, 1785 for 773 acres. The northern section of the Nunnery grant is what became the village of Bridgeport. As property was sold or deeded to heirs, successive generations remained in the area and sustained the community as it grew.
In 1810, the Franklin County Court passed a motion to build a bridge over the south fork of Benson Creek, in an attempt to stabilize the transportation route and improve travel conditions. From that time on, the community was known as "Bridgeport." In 1817, with a good bridge over the creek and a more substantial road, James Johnson established the first stage coach line in the community, known as the Old Line and the Opposition Line. Bridgeport, because of its location, had become a routine rest stop for people traveling to Louisville. By 1826, the area was well established with taverns, livery stables, and other amenities. A post office was established in 1837, and in 1848, an act was passed by the state legislature incorporating Bridgeport as a town, not to exceed more than fifty acres. John Jenkins, Frederick Robb and H. Edwards were appointed trustees. Some of the leading citizens where chosen as magistrates and constables.
While Bridgeport continued to grow during the antebellum period, it lacked a public school, as did most early-nineteenth-century Kentucky towns. Children from Kentucky's wealthiest families usually employed a household tutor to educate their children, while others of middle-income status often sent their children to private schools in nearby locations. One wealthy farmer in the Bridgeport area, Charles Julian, hired a private tutor for his family, but most Bridgeport residents could afford neither tutors nor private schools, and there were no public schools sustained by local taxes at the time. Much of the "formal" education for local citizens of Bridgeport fell to the churches, which were sure to provide the moral and biblical training that was expected at that time.
Disturbed by the lack of available education, Charles Julian, along with others, organized a subscription school in 1820 that drew in folks from the Bridgeport community (known then as Lower Benson Creek). The school relied on volunteers to serve short, three-to-four month terms beginning in August through November. The local Presbyterian Church served as the schoolhouse for Bridgeport until the middle of the nineteenth century.
During the time that the subscription school operated in Bridgeport, strides were being made by the state to establish a "literary fund" for common schools. In 1821, Kentucky received a one million dollar gift from the federal government from the sale of public lands for the purpose of investing into the public schools. By 1838, public law mandated the establishment of district schools with administrative officers at both the state and local levels. It was stipulated that no district could receive money until a school building was erected and a local tax was implemented to support the school financially. Together the local tax and the state allotment would meet the expenses of the school.
Bridgeport's proximity to Frankfort, the state's capital, certainly benefitted its overall fortunes. In 1847, Dr. Robert J. Breckinridge was appointed the state's new education superintendent. A leader with a national reputation in education, Breckinridge moved forward with the establishment of school districts, which had not made much progress in the years following the mandate. Within a few short years, Bridgeport had met the prerequisites for local taxation and was designated as Franklin County's 29% school district. Following the inspiration and leadership of the new superintendent, William Hall made an application in March, 1851, on behalf of the citizens of Bridgeport to build its first common school. The application was approved locally and the school was built.
According to one source, the school building was completed in 1851 and it was a one-room building that measured 18' x 22'. The school served Bridgeport and the surrounding area for a distance of about a mile in all directions. The first teacher at the school was a man named Andrew Hershiser from Virginia, and many others followed after him. By all accounts the school was very successful and remained in service throughout the rest of the nineteenth century.
The public school effort was only one aspect of Bridgeport's ability to attract and facilitate education for the citizens of western Franklin County. An early female institute was established in the 1830s, called the Belle Collins or "Beautiful Hill" finishing school. That school burned down in the mid-1850s. Afterward, the Bridgeport Female Institute was established in the 1850s, but it failed after only a couple of years due to lack of funding.
Nevertheless, in the fall of 1865, another private school for young ladies took its place and adopted the name of "The Lattice School", so named for the lattice features on the front porch of the building. It served as a boarding and day school for mostly high school ages, but eventually it accepted all age groups. Once it began accepting all ages, it received financial assistance from the Franklin County school system until its demise in 1875.
By 1880, the number of grade-school-age children in western Franklin County was on the rise. The one-room public school building was no longer sufficient alone to accommodate the population of students. Bridgeport citizens petitioned the Franklin County School Board in July, 1885, for the creation of an additional, larger school. The citizens of the community raised the money to build the school on a lot purchased for three hundred twenty five dollars from a local resident. This was the first school to front the Louisville-Frankfort Pike and a new T-plan wood-framed building was erected, which greatly expanded the public education outreach for west Franklin County. The school house was designed to hold about sixty students and the first classes were held in September, 1885.
In 1893, G. D, Findley became the headmaster of the Bridgeport Public Schools. Findley was responsible for facilitating yet another expansion of the Franklin County public schools facilities. By that time the Bridgeport public schools were an integral part of the community and the numbers of students continued to increase. Findley's effort to build another new school in the 1890s was met with opposition by the local school board. Subsequently, he obtained local funding to erect several additions to the existing school, and widely promoted public education among Bridgeport and western Franklin County citizens. While enrollment increased, Findley became discouraged for the lack of county support; he resigned and started his own professional business school in Frankfort.
During Findley's time as headmaster, he laid the foundation in Bridgeport's public schools for modern high-level public instruction that had become a convention of the industrial age. During the remainder of the 1890s, Bridgeport continued to support its constantly growing public school system that had become more rigidly standardized going into the twentieth century.
The Bridgeport graded public school was torn down in 1912, due to its obsolete condition. In its place, another two-room school was built with subsequent additions that included two halls, six rooms, and three cloakrooms. Likewise, to keep up with increases in west Franklin County's growing population, the county school board purchased a local Presbyterian Church and converted it into a four year High School facility. By 1924, additions to the building expanded it to include more classrooms. By the 1930s, there were two substantial public schools in operation in Bridgeport, and they served the residents of western Franklin County until June, 1937, after which they were sold to private individuals in the community.
The 1930s were a very difficult time for public education in Franklin County and the rest of Kentucky. Governor Ruby Laffoon proposed massive cuts in the state budget, and due to the Great Depression, local tax collections had dramatically fallen from the previous years. Perhaps no other sector of the state budget was affected as severely as education. This prompted school boards to find ways to run the schools more efficiently. Part of the plan was to consolidate the numerous one- and-two-room schools into larger buildings that combined both elementary and high schools into the same facilities. Federal programs for relief were introduced all over America through the Work Progress Administration, aimed at building new roads, dams, bridges, and even schools. By the mid-1930s, many Kentucky communities were experiencing some relief in their efforts to build new schools and consolidate them. Bridgeport was among them.
The Locations of Schools in the Bridgeport Area
As people in any location began establishing schools, the spatial characteristics associated with the location of these schools would have created "spheres of education", each with unique economic, social, and political attributes that could be explored and compared. Outcomes from such a study might produce patterns that could be used to further and more accurately categorize historic schools based on expanded sets of evaluation criteria. This hypothesis drove a quick study of the locations of historic school locations in Bridgeport, to see if any patterning could be detected. Some of these locations at present are speculative, or simply unlearned. Still, this section of the nomination is included so that what has been learned on this topic could be collected into one place, and used as a model for future efforts on this front.
1820, tutor on the Julian Farm - The Julian Family still owns the farm, which celebrated its 200" year during the year of this nomination. This form's author spoke with Jane Julian, who resides on the farm. She said that there was a church near the farm, along with some other buildings, none of which are still standing. The sources consulted for this nomination say that the 1820s subscription school that Mr. Julian started was in a Presbyterian Church that was "an old log building" that was eventually replaced (1844-45) by the "Franklin Presbyterian Church." The source seems to suggest the new church was located above of the old one. If that is true, then the 1884 atlas locates a "Franklin Presbyterian Church" very near the Julian farm. This author is not sure if that church is still standing. Finding this early school associated with Julian would require some more research. Its name was the "Lower Benson Creek Subscription School". Ms. Julian has the diary (1830s) of her great-great-great Grandfather Charles, which might mention the school.
1830s, Belle Collins: According to Willard Jilson, this school was located "at the end of a long lane a little over a mile by the road southeast of Bridgeport on land owned in recent years by the late Warren Van Hoose." This author has not been able to corroborate that description with the 1884 atlas, which may indicate it was simply a private lane of no significance when the atlas was made. Anyhow, the school burned down in 1857. Willard Rouse Jilson, a long-time state geologist whose interest led to the publication of many historical studies, said a diploma from this school hung in the Historical Society. His writings were during the 1930s.
1851, first public school in Bridgeport: Located on the "Farmdale Road," which again does not show up on the atlas. One source said this school was demolished.
1850s, Bridgeport Female Institute: said to have been located on the "north side of Main Street in Bridgeport". It was described as a two-story house with the first floor acting as classrooms and the second floor was dorms. It only lasted 2 years and sold. The people who bought the school started another school in 1865 called the Lattice School for girls. In 1880, there was a massive fire in Bridgeport that burned several buildings down, including the Lattice School.
1885, Public School: It is believed that this building belongs at present to John Cardwell, who lives in it.
Building Description
The Bridgeport Elementary School was built in 1942. It was designed by architect John F. Wilson of Lexington, Kentucky, and subsequently built by Gilson-Taylor Contractors, also of Lexington. It was built in the community of Bridgeport, an area that is about 5 miles west of downtown Frankfort, Kentucky. It was built along the old US 60 Highway, which at the time was one of the most widely traveled roads in the state. The school was built in response to a statewide effort to consolidate the county's one-room schools into larger and more efficient buildings. The school is a two-story building constructed of poured concrete foundation elements, concrete block walls that are clad in a brick veneer. Also, the building has stylistic elements that show the influence of Art Moderne design. The building features a rear ell section that is the gym. The gym was part of a previous school that was on this site, which burned down in the late 1930s. It has a "Quonset" style roof. The building sits on 7.2 acres and the original playground elements no longer exist. The lot has paved areas for parking and there are remnants of a baseball field that remain.
Bridgeport is a small community west of Frankfort along the old portion of US 60. The community is comprised of nineteenth and early- to mid-twentieth-century buildings that include residential, religious, and commercial structures. While Bridgeport was largely a farming community, its proximity to Frankfort's west side made it an ideal location for a consolidated school. Many of the back roads that served as access routes to the outer parts of the county had been modernized in the 1920s. Those roads tied back to US 60 in such a way that it made Bridgeport, and the new school, very accessible and convenient for modern buses to transport students. Bridgeport Elementary School was located on 7.2 acres that allowed for an open campus environment with clear visibility in all directions. The lot is a level grade with the school bus egress located in front of the building, while parking for automobiles was placed to the side and back of the building. The school is located roughly in the center of the lot, which has a variety of large trees in the front lawn of the campus. The perimeter of the site is also defined by a heavy growth of trees and brush that demarcates its original boundary edge.
The school building is three stories in height, with the first floor partially below grade. There are two major sections to the building that make up its total plan. First: The front elevation is parallel to old US 60, and it is approximately 150' in length. The facade is characterized by a central entrance that is flanked by multiple adjoining bays on both sides that create a symmetrical appearance. The entrance is offset in plane from the flanked linear bays and it features a split-story central doorway with concrete steps leading up to the entry landing.
The second major element in the plan is a wing of similar construction to the main facade located to the east side of the building that is about 50' in length. The wing section is placed at a south-east angle to the front facade (approximately 30), with a secondary entrance that joins the two sections to form an elbow. It too is a split-story entrance with concrete stairs leading to a landing.
Taken together the front facade and the east wing of the building form an irregular plan that features a compartmentalized, mostly linear form. Each of the three stories repeats its spatial configuration of classrooms, stairwells, hallways, and administrative or service areas. There is a large gym to the rear of the building.
The school gym pre-dates the rest of the structure. It was built during the late 1930s as part of another school building that burned down. The structure is a rectangular Quonset-style building with an arched roof that is clad in asphalt shingles. The gym features glass block windows throughout that appear to be original to the structure.
The school was built in the Art Moderne style that typically featured horizontal orientation, rounded edges, horizontal grooves or lines in the exterior walls, and flat roofs with coping (among other things). Art Moderne was a style that swept the country between 1925-1940 in everything from airplanes, cars, and trains, to boats, campers, and appliances, Like many architectural terms, Art Moderne was widely used to convey any number of industrial schemes that promoted speed and efficiency, with little or no attention given to classical forms. Its guiding principle was "streamlining," which often introduced smooth edges and sleek surfaces to create an aerodynamic profile. Many examples of Art Moderne structures exist in America (and the world). As an architectural style, it was applied to everything from houses, churches, and diners, to ships, hotels, and auditoriums.
The entire building is constructed using poured concrete foundation floors and walls. The walls are constructed of concrete blocks throughout and the entire building is clad in brick veneer. The roof is flat with coping stones throughout (except the gym), and the building features rounded edges on the front facade and east wing. Likewise, there are inset horizontal stones above and below the window sills that run the entire distance of the facade and east wing. These are designed to accent the horizontality of the building.
The curvilinear or streamlined design of the building carried over to the stairs on the front and east wing entrances. The walls to the steps are curved to give them a smooth appearance, while the handrails are bent or contoured tubing. The bricks used in construction are smooth in appearance. The curvilinear forms and smooth edges are key features designed to soften the appearance of the concrete and bricks.
In architect Wilson's plans, the new building called for three full stories of modern classrooms and other features. The basement had six classrooms that were accessed along a hallway that ran on an east/west axis. The first floor also included a kitchen, maintenance shops and a boiler room. The second floor (main floor of the building) had nine classrooms, the school offices, and a stage/assembly area that was integrated from the old gym.
Wilson's plan carefully included the gym as an extension of his new building. In so doing, and because some of the stylistic features of the new building were consistent with the building that burned, the gym appeared to be original to the new school. The third floor had eleven classrooms and a mechanical room as well. The entire building was fitted with modern bathrooms, lighting, and electricity.
The new school was fully consolidated, the third floor housed the senior high students, while the remaining grades were divided between the other floors. The original classrooms spaces, hallways, and general spatial arrangement as intended by Wilson remain intact.
The building was designed in the very popular Art Moderne style. The style emphasized curvilinear forms that Wilson showcased in the rounded edges of the building as well as the concrete stair casements on the exterior. The smooth edges gave relief to the rectilinear effect commonly associated with other forms of modern architecture. Curved lines also gave the building a suggestion of lightness, alluding to aerodynamic and nautical vessels. The style Wilson chose demanded a flat roof that used a coping stone to emphasize the horizontal character of the structure. In addition, long horizontal stones were placed the entire length of the building above and below the windows, to further accent the horizontal perspective of the design.
To take the curvilinear form that was popular in Art Moderne a step further, Wilson placed the building (in plan) on a broken axis that introduced a 30-degree bend for the east swing of the building. The setback provided even greater relief for the facade, which tended to be symmetrical and repetitive. The fenestration pattern introduced large openings that were filled in by divided 8-over-8 metal casement windows. Capturing the natural light was part of the building's design efficiency, which forced Wilson to stray away from more popular schemes of Art Moderne illumination that relied on glass blocks, or small portal-style windows. The windows did not fully jeopardize the design intent. The building's horizontal accent, rounded edges, and smooth surfaces projected the Art Moderne vocabulary in a way that harmonized with the windows.
The building has undergone some changes to its original materials and design. All of the windows in the building are modern replacements (with the exception of the gym). The replacement windows are 1-over-1 double-hung vinyl sashes that are paired in groups of five to a wide bay, and two in a narrow bay. Nevertheless, all the fenestration patterns remain intact.
Perhaps the most substantial alterations are to the rear of the building are in the form of additions. The east wing has a modern addition that is a two-story (with a basement), and brick veneer with a flat roof and coping that follows the profile of the original roof. The windows are framed by square concrete blocks and the addition spans the entire rear section of the east wing.
There is also a single-story side/rear addition on the west end of the school. That addition introduces a secondary entrance to the side of the building and it too has a flat roof with coping. It extends to the rear of the building and abuts to the gym. Likewise, it has windows that are framed with square concrete blocks that mirror the east wing rear addition.
Front Facade (2013)
Main Entrance (2013)
Secondary Entrance (2013)
East Wing of School (2013)
Gym and read addition (2013)
Gymnasium (2013)
Rear addition (2013)
Poured concrete steps at main entrance (2013)
Entrance canopy on main entrance (2013)
Glass block windows on the gymnasium (2013)
