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As
the 75th anniversary of the opening of the school that is now
P.S. du Pont Intermediate is commemorated in September, planning
will be underway to totally renovate it during the 2006-07
academic year. A key element of those plans will be to preserve
the historical features of the building.
Just as the building of nearby
Harlan, which opened in 1934, anticipated the design and
construction of P.S., the renovation will, in a sense, emulate
what was done with Harlan during its renovation. It is generally
agreed that that result was modernization without losing a
sense of its heritage.
Although both schools now draw
from a wider area, they have, over the years, been an integral
part of their north Wilmington neighborhood.
P.S. started life as a high
school. Today it serves about 1,000 fourth-, fifth- and
sixth-graders and, in a separate area, kindergarteners.
Brandywine School District
officials have said that, as was the case with other buildings,
relatively little of the work that will be done at P.S. will be
visible to the public. It will involve heating, ventilation,
lighting and mechanical systems. Among other things, the
building will be air conditioned.
Here, though, is a glimpse at
some of the features of the building which are visible and which
it is intended will remain after the renovation is finished.
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The copula
which is the building's signature feature was
restored several years ago while the former high
school was remodeled to meet the needs of
younger students. |
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The
entranceway and foyer beyond are decorated
in a style used by schools today, but a
plaque commemorates the education officials
of three-quarters of a century ago
responsible for its construction. On the
opposite wall is one listing members of
P.S.'s first nine graduating classes who
served in the military during World War Two. |
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