Lighting and Windows
When it came, and actually comes to Rosenwald Schoolhouses, light was an important factor in understanding and experiencing the space.
When first constructed, electricity did not exist within the buildings, so daylight was key and the primary light source during the school day. The students and teachers needed to maximize their days and gain as much out of them as possible.
St. Johns was and still is no different from that of the "typical" community plan Rosenwald School. It has 3 primary bays of larger double-hung sash windows lining the east exterior wall. Originally there were four bays, but over the years and, due to private use, the most southern bay was removed and replaced by a back porch door and smaller windows.
The original wooden windows have been replaced with modern vinyl ones, however, it appears they stayed true to the planned locations.
The 9-by-9 windows maximize the light, while also allowing for great ventilation of the space.
For full text and image citations reference the two linked PDFs in the website footer, at the bottom of the page.
Imagine Yourself In The Space
Take a moment to look at the images above, you do not need to know the exact location of the windows, however, think about the effect this amount of light would have on you. When you are stuck in a small limited windowed classroom for hours you start to go stir-crazy. How do you alleviate that? You escape.
Hover over the image of the dark space. See what is exposed. Which do you prefer? Which would St. Johns' students prefer?
Some of the students were going from a poorly built shed, with no light other than from the door opening, to this two-teacher schoolhouse. The amount of light available in the space altered the experience completely.
“Windows Vs. Windowless | Wittwer, Kendra R.”
East Wall, Northern Most Room, St. Johns School. Glatt