Yes, I'm glad they have plans for it. I just worry they're going to ruin original features that remain. That auditorium is near original, architecturally. It's slated for renovation. I don't expect them to do a historical renovation of the space. They're going to do whatever is most affordable.
I'd love to see the windows restored to the original appearance which gave it a much more vertical feel. The "energy saving" renovation decades ago ruined the appearance on the exterior and feel on the interior.
To be quite honest, while I said it's held up given its age, the truth is, $11 million isn't enough for that building. I've worked on a lot of schools, and that's nothing. Hopefully we can keep getting bonds passed that help maintain the remaining historic schools. I still hate how many of them they're tearing down. Primarily Lewton and Mt Hope. (Since Eastern wasn't technically on their watch)
I attended JW Sexton High School in the early '70s, after attending the modern '60s Dwight Rich JHS which also had some nice features, like a sunken garden around a huge oak tree in the front and another garden in the center or building. The auditorium has also very nice, Sexton seemed quite different, like a step up from the junior high. The art tiled halls had large mosaics on the floors at each end of the hallways. The restrooms had marble stalls and urinals! The gym was lit by the natural light of the wall of windows on the north side. The auditorium has a classic deep and tall stage area that can accommodate large productions, and the base reliefs on the outside are really beautiful. There was a classic band and orchestra room with a multi-level seating circle so the band leader/teacher could lead from the center of the class. There was an auto-shop, a woodshop, a home economics room with thirty stoves, a natural science room with a beautiful green house on the west side, and fully equipped art classrooms which were the only classrooms on the fourth floor. We used cast jewelry and fire pots up there. I did feel like the building was special when I went there and for the most part it still is. By the way the new Mt. Hope School is looking quite nice, although there are some odd blue square "portholes" sticking out of the facade.
@gbdinlansing, you summed up a lot of wonderful features that stuck with a lot of people after attending Sexton. You actually may have been there in the same years as my aunt, but I know class sizes were pretty large back then! You'd never see a school spend the money on such "frivolous" things as they did when Sexton was built. That clock tower alone would have been "value engineered" in the schematic design phase lol.
I went to Dwight Rich for awhile and appreciated the building, even as a sixth grader. It's a very nice example of its style. I was there before it recieved much needed renovations.
The clock tower is one place I never went into at Sexton, it was off limits for students, did the tour take you into the clock tower? I believe the clock is keeping the correct time these days.
There is a farm on Round Lake Road that has a barn with the name JW Sexton on it. I would assume it would be the same JW Sexton as the school's name, does anyone know about this farm. It is a very pretty well-kept farm.
When my brother went there, he got in there. Probably wasn't supposed to. This was some years ago, but I recall him telling me they essentially just used it (the interior space) for storage.
Found this picture of the recently-demolished Walter Neller Building during better times at the northwest corner of Grand and Allegan in CADL's old images. Looks like it hosted lots of businesses:
Amazing how much better it looks just having storefronts and tenants! I found that photo interesting because I remember seeing this one. I think its original use was a bus station. I didn't realize it had a life in between that and Walter Neller. Both iterations look better than the Walter Neller reno looked though.
Old Sanborn Fire Insurance maps show it as the "Strand Hotel" with one section (northern half on Grand) labeled as "bus station." So it appears it's always been multi-use.
I hope whatever is developed is worthy of that corner, again. I'd love to see an active streetfront like it used to be.
I was trying to figure that one out with the placement of Boji in the background. I figured we had to be looking along Grand at the Bus Station. Intersting, thanks for that info.
I hope so too, but I'm not counting on it. It's likely going to be the cheapest things that meets the bare minimum code and local ordinances.
The LSJ.com has an interesting photo gallery of some of the historical landmark buildings in the area, the photo of the Olds Tower/Boji Tower looks so 1930's modern.
Comments
I'd love to see the windows restored to the original appearance which gave it a much more vertical feel. The "energy saving" renovation decades ago ruined the appearance on the exterior and feel on the interior.
To be quite honest, while I said it's held up given its age, the truth is, $11 million isn't enough for that building. I've worked on a lot of schools, and that's nothing. Hopefully we can keep getting bonds passed that help maintain the remaining historic schools. I still hate how many of them they're tearing down. Primarily Lewton and Mt Hope. (Since Eastern wasn't technically on their watch)
I went to Dwight Rich for awhile and appreciated the building, even as a sixth grader. It's a very nice example of its style. I was there before it recieved much needed renovations.
There is a farm on Round Lake Road that has a barn with the name JW Sexton on it. I would assume it would be the same JW Sexton as the school's name, does anyone know about this farm. It is a very pretty well-kept farm.
I hope whatever is developed is worthy of that corner, again. I'd love to see an active streetfront like it used to be.
I hope so too, but I'm not counting on it. It's likely going to be the cheapest things that meets the bare minimum code and local ordinances.