Photo 1
Project
If you want to model an urban school on your layout, here is what one often looks like. These schools were taller than schools in rural or suburban areas. Also note the sparse ornamentation. This is Public School 152 (abbreviated as "PS 152") in Woodside, New York (in the Borough of Queens). Note the asphalt play area and the super tall fence. In fairness, this is the rear of the school Photo 1; there was and is a quite elegant entrance on the other side.
Photo 2 Photographer Unknown
Note that in Photo 2 a short fence protects a gap that allowed sunlight and ventilation into the basement that contained the boilers (heating and hot water). Incidentally, a neighbor boy named Italo once got lost in that basement. Note the concrete ramp and handrail on the left side of the school near the stairwell (Photo 1). That was for the use of handicapped children. In the 1960s many children suffered from polio and could only walk with crutches. Yes, the polio vaccine had been introduced in the United States in the 1950s - incidentally, where I reside in McLean, Virginia (at the Franklin Sherman School).The vaccine came too late for them. The school also served as a polling place at election time. Interestingly, New York City police officers were stationed at polling places to keep the peace! I guess New Yorkers were a cantankerous bunch and this was required.
An interesting memory. In November 1963, To the right of the building (closer to Northern Boulevard) as seen in Photo 2, I encountered a harbinger of the John F. Kennedy assassination . Exterior - probably granite - few steps existed between the school building corner and my school's property line. As I walked down these steps to street level, some older boys called out to me, laughingly and with mischief in their hearts. They said something to the effect, "your dad is dead" - something told me to not pay them any mind. When I got home some 10 minutes later - I walked home alone as was my habit, I found my mother crying over the news of the assassination. I did NOT conclude my dad was dead but I concluded those boys - should I call them miscreants? - were real pieces of work .
Interestingly, when I attended this school, the fourth floor was empty - I think the top floor had been used as a Junior High School (I had been up there once just for a moment - I thought I spied some laboratories up there). Now this elementary school is full and has even had a modern addition added.
When first built this school had the moniker as the million dollar school as it was purported the "first" elementary school to cost one million dollars to build - I am sure land costs made up a large share of the bill - even though the front of the school faced a light industrial area (near Northern Boulevard).
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