High schools used to be built in downtown areas, as with Spaulding High School in Barre, Vermont (above) located just a block from the center of town. Schools, as in Waterford, New York (below) were well-designed and gracious.

Schools and architecture were closely linked by the second half of the 19th century, thanks, in part, to Henry Barnard's influential 1848 book, School Architecture. Barnard, who was Commissioner of Public Schools in Rhode Island, argued strongly that good school design was essential to good education.

As Barnard noted, "The style of the exterior should exhibit good, architectural proportion, and be calculated to inspire children and the community generally with respect for the object to which it is devoted. ... No public edifice more deserves, or will better repay, the skill, labor, and expense, which may be necessary to attain this object, for here the health, tastes, manners, minds, and morals of each successive generation of children will be, in a great measure, determined."

During the late 19th and early 20th century, many well-designed public schools were built, reflecting Barnard's (and others) ideals.

Most high schools were built in the center of town, while elementary schools were located within, or close by, residential neighborhoods. This was a very different pattern than today's, where schools are often vast complexes located on the edge of town.

Stadium High School (named in honor of the bowl stadium constructed adjacent to the site) was originally intended to be one of the finest luxury hotels on the Pacific Coast. The financial panic of 1893, brought construction to a halt. The unfinished building was purchased and completed as a high school in 1906. Stadium High School is currently home to 1,900 students. The Tacoma School District recently passed a bond measure to renovate and restore the historic building. Thanks to Dave Andersen, AICP, Senior Planner with the Olympia, Washington, Office of Community Development for providing the photo and information.

Planning Commissioners Journal columnist Ed McMahon recently wrote about the problem we face, in an article titled School Sprawl. As McMahon observed: "Neighborhood schools are worth preserving. They are usually buildings of distinction that link residents to their roots in the past and provide a critical focal point for communities.

... So why are new schools being built in outlying, greenfield locations? One key reason is that many states follow national guidelines affecting the design and location of new schools as well as the rehabilitation of older school buildings. Through parking, acreage, funding, and other requirements, these guidelines often have the effect of mandating 'school sprawl' and undermining efforts to preserve historic schools in walkable neighborhoods."

Reflecting the significance of this changing pattern, The National Trust for Historic Preservation included Historic Neighborhood Schools on its list of America's 11 most endangered historic places for the year 2000 -- and has released a report, Why Johnny Can't Walk to School about the consequences of our loss of neighborhood schools, as well as a booklet, A Community Guide to Saving Older Schools, by Kerri Rubman.

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