Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/775

 PAIIOCHIAL COUNTRY SCHOOLS. 751 erected on soft moist soil ; and so should the practice of forming foundations of concrete, and coating over the surface under the ground floor with the same material. The iron gratings in the walls, to admit of a thorough circulation of air, ought never to he omitted in similar cases ; nor the excellent mode of ventilating the timbers of the roof. The principal cause of the durability of the roofs of churches, and, indeed, of all buildings erected above two centuries ago, is chiefly owing to the thorough ventilation given by leaving the eaves entirely open ; a secondary cause may be, that, from the great abundance of oak timber all over Europe about that period, the builder could make choice of the very best : but, undoubtedly, the other is the principal cause. Providing yards for the children to assemble in, with sufficiently high walls to exclude them from the public road, so as to prevent them from being troublesome to the neighbourhood, is an excellent idea ; and, from living at no great distance from this school, we can vouch for its success. Mr. Kent has suggested, that, in situations where the ground is dry and the drainage good, a base- ment story might be got, as an infant school ; in which case the school-house would consist of three floors, and would be remarkably complete. The infant school is the pivot on which, in all countries, will turn the regeneration of mankind. Design II. — A Pai-ochial School, on One Sfori/, for 100 Boys and 80 Girls, including a Residence for the Master and Mistress. 1593. The object of giving this Design is to show a parochial school of moderate size, duly proportioned for its uses in all its various parts, and rendered an agreeable architec- tural object externally. It has also been contributed to us by Mr. Kent, and bears all the marks of that gentleman's thorough acquaintance with the subject of schools, and his minute practical knowledge of Architecture and building. The general appearance ot this school and dwelling-house is shown in the perspective view, fig. 1394. Fig. 1392 is an elevation of the south-east front, sliowing the entrance to the boys' school. Fig. 1393 is an elevation of the south-west front, with the entrance to the girls' school. The elevation of the north-east front is exactly the same as that of the south- east front. 1594. Accommodation and Construction. The ground plan, fig. 1395, shows a porch, a ; a schoolroom for boys, b, 40 feet by 15 feet, 12 feet 6 inches high at the sides, and 16 feet in the centre, capable of containing 100 boys, allowing 6 feet superficial for each boy. This sjiace Mr. Kent has found from experience to be sufficient, when the apartment is so proportioned as to throw the area into the most available shape ; that is, when it is either 15 feet wide, in which case it will admit of one (Madras or Stoat's) class in