Replacing Bolton's windows raises concerns about 100-year old school's architectural integrity

A recent proposal to renovate Bolton High School have some alumni and supporters concerned as to what it will happen to the architectural integrity of the nearly 100-year-old building with regards to the windows.

According to an online petition started by the Bolton Alumni Association, "Bolton is slated for renovations related to the District 62 bond and the Bolton Magnet School creation, including replacement of all original windows."

The petition also states that replacing the windows and making other possible changes could endanger its listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

When asked by The Town Talk if the windows are from when the school was built in 1926, the Rapides Parish School Board said in the statement, "We are currently researching the answer to the question regarding if the current windows are indeed the original windows from initial construction of the school building. There have been renovations to the Bolton facilities throughout the years. However, we cannot speak with certainty on this question."

The association also sent a letter to Rapides Parish School Board president Dr. Stephen Chapman, Superintendent Jeff Powell and RSPB board members requesting more information. It was signed by association president Jennifer Wright; vice-president Stephen R. Tumminello; vice chair for the Board of Trustees of the National Trust for Historic Preservation Phoebe Tudor; Megan Harrison Lord, owner, Hunt & Gather Home, LLC, Preservation and Design Owner, Southern Chic; and Dorman Clayton, former Director of Facilities and Construction Rapides Parish School Board (Retired).

Bolton is just one of the Rapides Parish Schools listed in the proposal that will undergo renovations using funds from the District Bond 62. Bids for Bolton are set to open in late October.

"As part of the District 62 Bond Project, repairs and improvements are slated for Bolton High School. In regards to the deteriorated windows, we have determined that there is no one obvious solution to us, since that determination will depend upon the assessment, balancing, and sorting of multiple competing priorities. At this point, no final decision has been made," the RPSB statement goes on to say.

Lord, who undersigned the alumni association's letter, says it’s important to point out no one is saying that nothing should be done about the windows. She is not a Bolton alumna but is a supporter of the school.

“I think it's clear that there are repairs that are needed. Everyone who's in support of preservation wants to make sure those are done in a way that maintains the architectural character of the building,” she said.

There are myriad of options that would allow the windows to be restored or repaired and also increase energy efficiency while maintaining the architectural integrity of the building, said Lord.

A 2015 Town Talk article states the 108-year old school opened in 1915 in the building where the Rapides School Board Office is located today on Sixth Street in downtown Alexandria before it was moved to the Vance Avenue building, which was built in 1926.

According to the letter sent to Powell and Chapman by the Bolton Alumni Association and supporters of Bolton High School, the National Register listing describes Bolton High School as “the most urbane and sophisticated early twentieth-century building in the parish.”

The letter goes on to state that the numerous windows hold “significant architectural weight” and are “one of the many architectural elements that define Bolton.”

“They play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and authenticity of the school’s architectural character, and they were also originally designed to achieve the functional aim of providing cross-ventilation to a structure that was built before modern air conditioning was available,” the letter goes to say.

It also states that “maintenance and repair of original architectural features is a regular task for all owners of historic structures, and custodians of National Register-listed buildings must take extra care to ensure their repairs do not adversely affect their building’s original style, materials, and detailing.”

The letter requests that information concerning reasons for window replacement, types of windows, alternative considerations, proposed costs, and other relevant details be “made available for public consideration.”

The RPSB statement said, "To help keep the public informed and engaged in this process, we add updates to the District 62 Bond Projects at this link. We also conduct monthly District 62 Committee Meetings on the third Tuesday of the month at the school board office located at 619 Sixth Street. A standing agenda item at this committee involves updates on the District 62 Bond."

In addition, meeting information will be sent to local media and posted the RPSB website www.rpsb.us.

Voters approved the $100 million bond issue last year for the Rapides Parish School Board to build two new schools, replace portables with buildings and make repairs and improvements to schools within Alexandria.

Among the deficiencies noted at Bolton were that the windows are "historically accurate" but needed some refinishing.

"In addition to the dozens of public meetings that have been held over the last two years regarding the District 62 Bond projects, we are in the process of scheduling additional opportunities for concerned stakeholders to engage in this discussion before final decisions will be made. At these meetings, stakeholders are able to engage with the Program Management firm employed to facilitate the bond projects, the architectural design team assigned to Bolton, and school and district administration regarding priorities, budgets, and plans. As always, we welcome participation in these meetings," says the RPSB statement.

The Town Talk article about the school’s history and centennial celebrations notes that historical accounts stated the second building “would be made of Indiana limestone, reinforced concrete, terrazzo and heart pine floors. The massive bronze doors and chandeliers that lighted the auditorium, were products of designers from Tiffany& Co. Of New York.” It would also have the capacity to hold 1,500 students.

The article goes on to say that in 1926, the building was “the best in the state, designed with the modern conveniences and touted as the most attractive and expensive public building erected in the state.”

The alumni association letter states: “While Bolton holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many as an educational institution, Bolton High School as a structure possesses a unique character among RPSB facilities. No other building in the district holds the independent architectural significance of Bolton, and perhaps no other is as emblematic of the success or failure of its surrounding community. The district holds both the honor and the burden of being the ultimate custodian of the architectural integrity that underpins those defining traits.”

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Replacing Bolton's windows raises concerns about 100-year old school's architectural integrity