Joseph W. Pepin Memorial Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joseph W. Pepin Memorial Building |
|
|---|---|
East (front) elevation and north profile, 2008
|
|
| Address | |
|
26 Locust Ave.
, 06810
United States
|
|
| Coordinates | 41°24′5″N 73°26′29″W / 41.40139°N 73.44139°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public Alternative high school |
| Established | 1977 |
| School district | Danbury Public Schools |
| Principal | John Webber |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 97 (2008) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 10.8 |
| Language | English |
| Campus size | 1.1 acres (4,500 m2) |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Communities served | Danbury |
| Website | danbury.k12.ct.us/aceweb/ace |
|
Locust Avenue School
|
|
| NRHP reference No. | 85001162 |
| Added to NRHP | May 30, 1985 |
The Joseph W. Pepin Memorial Building, also known as the Alternative Center for Excellence (ACE), is a special high school in Danbury, Connecticut. It's located at 26 Locust Avenue in a historic building once called the Locust Avenue School. This school is part of the Danbury Public Schools and offers a different learning path for students who might need extra support.
The building itself is very old and has a unique design. It was built in 1896 by architect Warren R. Briggs. For many years, it was an elementary school. It was also a special "laboratory school" where new teachers practiced their skills before getting their own classrooms. Today, it's the only school building from the 1800s left in Danbury. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, meaning it's an important historical site.
Contents
About the School Building
The school sits on a 1.1-acre (4,500 m2) piece of land. It's in a neighborhood with homes, close to Western Connecticut State University. This university used to be the Danbury State Normal School, where the teachers who taught at Locust Avenue School were trained. Downtown Danbury is about a mile away.
The area around the school is flat. There are paved parking lots next to the building. Trees were planted around the school shortly after it opened. These trees were planted to honor soldiers who fought in the Spanish–American War.
Building Design and Features
The school building is 60-by-86-foot (18 by 26 m) and has two stories. It's made of orange-red brick and has a roof covered with slate shingles. At the very top of the roof, there's a small, orange wooden tower called a cupola. It has a rounded roof and arches.
Both the front (east) and back (west) sides of the building look very similar. They each have a part that sticks out with a pointed roof. The main entrances are in the middle of these sections. You reach them by walking up stone steps. The doors are double doors set inside rounded arches. The only small difference is a window that sticks out on the west side.
Inside the School
When you go inside, both entrances lead into small areas where students used to hang their coats. On each floor, there are four classrooms, two on each side of a central hallway. The walls in the hallways have wood panels that are about three feet high. These panels are made of pine wood.
All the walls inside the rooms are made of brick. Each classroom gets lots of light from six tall windows. The floors are also made of pine wood, just like the wall panels. The blackboards above the wood panels still have their original decorative wood trim.
You can see the strong beams that support the ceilings. They are held together by special metal columns with pretty flower designs at the bottom. Copper heating pipes with their original brass parts are also visible along the upper walls. Spaces in the ceiling that used to help with air flow have been covered up to meet modern safety rules.
The Basement Area
The basement was designed to be fully useful. It also has windows that let in natural light. Brick walls in the basement have rounded archways. Large brick supports hold up the ceiling. The walls in the basement are decorated with artwork made by students. The kitchen area, sink, and bathroom stalls are all original from when the school was built. The school even still uses its original furnace from 1894 to help with heating!
History of the School
The town of Danbury built the Locust Avenue School because more and more families were moving to the eastern part of the city. Children in this area had to walk a long way to another school. The architect, Warren R. Briggs, had already designed a similar school on the other side of Danbury.
Briggs wanted school buildings to look nice. His design for Locust Avenue School included ideas like making sure lots of natural light came into the classrooms. The high ceilings and good air flow kept the rooms bright and airy. Classrooms were big enough for 50–60 students, which was normal back then. The basement was even planned as a play area for bad weather days. In 1899, the Locust Avenue School was shown as one of Briggs' best designs in his book.
Building and Early Use
The Danbury Building Company built the new school for $23,000. Students started their spring classes there in April 1896. About 150 first and second graders moved to the new school. The first group of students to graduate from the school planted the trees outside to honor veterans of the Spanish–American War.
In 1905, the school's management was given to the nearby Danbury State Normal School. This school is now Western Connecticut State University. Students training to be teachers there had to spend two weeks teaching or observing at Locust Avenue School. This helped them get real-world experience.
The state's Department of Education continued to provide staff for the school, and the Town of Danbury kept it in good condition until 1965. After that, the Danbury Board of Education took over. The building was used as an elementary school until 1976. By then, all other Danbury schools built in the 1800s had been torn down.
Becoming the Alternative Center for Excellence
In 1977, the building was given a new purpose. It became the Alternative Center for Education, a program for at-risk students who needed a different learning environment. A few years later, the heating, cooling, and air systems were updated to meet modern building rules. The building has not changed much since then, keeping its historic look.
The ACE Program
The Alternative Center for Excellence (ACE) keeps class sizes small. There is about one teacher for every ten students. Around 100 students are in the program each year. They are divided into nine small groups, and each teacher is in charge of about ten students.
Joining the Program
Students who want to join ACE visit for two days. They also need to get three letters of recommendation and complete 15 hours of community service. After that, they have an interview with their parents, students, and staff. They need to show that they are ready to come to school regularly and work hard to improve their grades.
Student Success
More than 500 students have finished the ACE program since it started. Students in the program must meet all the requirements to graduate from Danbury High School. They receive their diploma from Danbury High School and can attend both the high school's graduation and ACE's own ceremony.
The school's location helps make the program successful. It's a short walk to shopping areas where many students work after school. It's also close to Ellsworth Avenue School, where many ACE students help younger kids as reading tutors. Because of these reasons, the program has stayed in the historic Locust Avenue building, which also helps to preserve the building.
See also
