PLAN AND DESCRIPTION OF THE NORMAL AND MODEL SCHOOL-BUILDING AT TORONTO, UPPER CANADA. The Normal and Model Schools for Upper Canada, are situated upon the center of an open square, bounded on the north by Gerrard Street, on the east by Church Street, on the south by Goold Street, and on the west by Victoria Street, in the city of Toronto. The distance from the bay is about three quarters of a mile. The situation is very beautiful, being considerably elevated above the business parts of the city, and commanding a fine view of the bay, island, and lake. The square, which contains seven acres and a-half of ground, was purchased in August, 1850. The amount of the legislative grant for the purchase of the site and the erection of the buildings, was £15,000. The principal normal school building, as seen in the perspective, Fig. 1, is 184 feet 4 inches frontage, by a depth on the flanks, east and west, of 85 feet 4 inches. The front is in the Roman Doric order of Palladian character, having for its center, four pilasters of the full height of the building, with pediment, surrounded by an open doric cupola, of the extreme height of 95 feet. The principal entrance (to the officers of the educational department, &c.,) is in this front; those for the male and female students being placed on the east and west sides respectively, C and D. In the center of the building is a large central hall, (open to the roof, and lighted by a lantern) with a gallery around it, at the level of the upper floor, at B, in Fig. 3, approached on each floor by three corridors-south, east, and west-and opening on the north to the Theatre or Examination Hall. On the east side, the accommodation on the ground floor is as follows: Female Students' Retiring Room,. Second Clerk's Office,. Female Students' Staircase A, 21 : 0 28 : 0 22 : 8 36 : 0 66 Recording Clerk's Office, with fire proof vault,. 37 :11 14: 3 11 : 0 North of the Central Hall is the Theatre, with Lecturer's entrance in the center, and side entrances east and west, d, d, for male and female students respectively. Here the aisles are marked a, b, and c, with seats arranged between them: the Lecturer's platform being placed between B and e. This portion of the Theatre will accommodate 470 persons, and including the galleries, 620. Around the Theatre, and beneath its gallery, are east and west corridors, by which the students reach the Model School. By this arrangement, except when actually in the presence of the masters, the male and female students are entirely separated. Passing (by the corridors last named) to the Model School, which is 175 feet 6 inches frontage, by 59 feet 6 inches, the students enter the boys and girls' schools by doors to the east and west, each of which has a large school-room at its center, 56 feet 6 inches by 33 feet, capable of accommodating 300 children, with four smaller class-rooms adjoining it, about 17 feet by 15 feet 6 inches each. The boys and girls' entrances (like those for the students of the normal school already described) are at the east and west ends of the building-such entrances having each a hat and cloak room and master's (or mistress') room on either side. These schools accommodate 600 children. Returning to the Normal School, and passing to the upper floor: on the landing of the staircases A, A, are entrances to the gallery of the Theatre, which is designed to accommodate 150 persons. On the upper floor is the Central Hall, with its gallery B, connecting the east and west corridors, communicating with the following rooms: Class Room. No. 1.. ..... 56′ 0′′ bv 36′ ୯ |