Schools designed by John Shaver & Company

[Katrina Ringler]

The Kansas SHPO received an inquiry today from a colleague in Colorado:

"Greeley, Colorado has six schools that are either round or hexagonal
designed by John Shaver and Company Architects out of Salina, KS in the
early-mid 1960s which were very controversial. According to an article
about them, people from all 50 states and 25 countries came to see them,
study them and see how they worked out. The information I found
indicated John Shaver designed around 300 schools. Do you know of any
in your state or community? Do you know of any schools Shaver
designed? I would be interested in any information about them or their
significance if you have it."

A search of our inventory records hasn't produced any significant
information on John Shaver & Company's school buildings in Kansas. Does
anyone know of any schools in Kansas with a round or hexagonal layout?
Other schools or buildings designed by John Shaver & Company?

Thanks,
Katrina

--
Katrina L. Ringler
Grants Manager / CLG Coordinator
Cultural Resources Division
Kansas State Historical Society
6425 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka KS 66615-1099
(785) 272-8681 ext.215
(785) 272-8682 FAX
krin...@kshs.org

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[Carl Edwards]

Three buildings come to mind rather quickly.....


The now-demolished South Junior High in Lawrence

Central Heights schools (USD 288) in rural Richmond (actually a grouping of three connected round buildings with later additions)

Fine Arts Center at Bethel College, North Newton.


Carl Edwards

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[murl riedel]

There was nothing worse then getting lost in one of those blasted round schools!  Or, using a classroom that is the shape of a slice of pie.

Not sure about the Shave connection, but here are a few round schools:

-Ransom High School. I think the school is now called Western Plains

-Hiawatha High is an awesome structure that looks like a couple UFOs!...silver dome roof and all!

-Luray Elementary School

-Downs High School had a round addition on the back of turn-of-the-century school

On Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 2:41 PM, Katrina Ringler <krin...@kshs.org> wrote:

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Murl Riedel

[Burger, John]

Katrina,

John Shaver, Charles Shaver's son, designed the South High School in
Salina that opened in 1970. Wilson & Company were engineering
consultants. This structure has three circular classroom pods, with
domed roofs and a lateral general services core for student gym and
cafeteria. All told, the Shavers designed 800 buildings of many types in
the mid-west, mostly schools. This one seems to be the most analogous to
the Colorado one. We should be able to get additional data to you on the
South High School if needed.

John Burger, Assistant Planner
Development Services/Planning Division
300 W. Ash, Salina, KS 785-309-5720
john....@salina.org

Thanks,
Katrina

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[Claire Willenberg]

I checked on the old Circle High in Towanda, Ks but that was a different architect. The only thing I found around Wichita, KS was a reference to a commercial building for Foley tractor.  Although the blog lists some other buildings and a grandson.  They may have already found this.  http://kcmodern.blogspot.com/2009/03/foley-tractor-by-architect-w-i-fisher.html

Claire Willenberg

Wichita

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Claire and  Warren Willenberg, CRS, GRI

Realtors, J.P. Weigand

316.990.4407

 http://clairew.weigand.com

 

[bbo...@kc.rr.com]

Katrina,
There is a school in Leavenworth that was known as West Middle School that is completely built in the round. I think it is used as an intermediate school. I don't know the architect. You could. probably get some info by calling the school district. 913 684 1400.
Bobbie Bower
(I'm in Fl at the moment.)
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

-----Original Message-----
From: Katrina Ringler <krin...@kshs.org>

[Terry Blackwell]

Salina South High School has 3 round sections attached to a rectangular section. Could this be a John Shaver design?

-----Original Message-----
From: preservi...@googlegroups.com [mailto:preservi...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Katrina Ringler
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 2:41 PM
To: Preserving Kansas

Thanks,
Katrina

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[Sue Sutton]

I’m not sure about an entire facility, but I’m familiar with the theatres that were designed for a number of these modular/podular buildings.  The designer was James Hall Miller.  His name today is like waving a red cape in front of a bull – among theatre folks.

Sue

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Murl Riedel

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[John Holecek]

McPherson High School was designed by John Shaver and was one of the first (maybe the first) of the hexagonal-module buildings. I was in the first senior class to experience the building (Class of 1964), and we didn’t like it. I still can’t find my way around in that section of the high school (subsequent additions were constructed as rectangles) and the central rooms generally were repositories for junk. My mother was on the school board at the time, and I was quite interested in architecture (still am). John Shaver was very gracious to me and let me visit his office and interview him for a paper I did on architecture as a profession. And, yes, people did come from all over to see our high school.

 

Sincerely,

John Holecek, Executive Director

McPherson Opera House Company

620-241-1952

316-648-5010 (mobile)

john.h...@mcphersonoperahouse.org

www.mcphersonoperahouse.org

[Geo]

Hi, Sue,

Nice seeing your name -- hope all is well. Is your Dodge City movie article on line ?  Seems I couldn't find it recently. Perhaps my mistake -- ?

best, from Dodge City, George

[Bob Marsh]

Katrina,
Try contacting AIA Kansas and their Historic Resource Committee.
Bob Marsh

[Christy Davis]

Sedgwick High School, my alma mater, was a series of round "pods."  I became intimately familiar with it when I worked on the summer cleaning crew.  The building was designed for air conditioning, with inoperable windows; but the AC was value-engineered out.  This was tough in the days before shorts were allowed.  I believe the building was designed in 1969 - we used to joke that it was designed on an LSD trip.  At Christmas time, they used to install Las Vegas lights around the top - looked like a UFO taking off.  Among the less-desirable features were moveable accordian walls between classrooms.  If you sat at the back, you learned more about the class next door than the one you were in.  I'm checking to see who designed it.

  

Christy Davis
Davis Preservation LLC
909 1/2 Kansas Ave, Suite 7
Topeka, Kansas 66612
785-234-5053
cda...@davispreservation.com

---

From: Katrina Ringler <krin...@kshs.org>
To: Preserving Kansas <preservi...@googlegroups.com>

Sent: Tue, February 21, 2012 2:41:08 PM
Subject: [preserving-ks] Schools designed by John Shaver & Company

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[Andy Badeker]

South Junior High School in Lawrence was round and '60s-ish. Don't
know about architect.

Also, might have been razed in last few years?

-- Andy

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[Andy Badeker]

Late add to Christy's note: South Jr. High also had the accordion
walls. Ditto on the experience of trying to learn in it.

[Sue Sutton]

Hi, George.  The article was on line, but the last time I looked, it wasn’t there.  Now I can’t remember who was responsible for putting it out there.  Would you like a copy?

What has happened with the Dodge Theatre?  Sue

[Elizabeth Hammack]

I went to West Middle School in Leavenworth - unfortunately walls were added inside the pods soon after I "graduated".  Those of us who sat at the back of the class got to listen to four lectures at once!

Elizabeth

[Sally Hatcher]

Katrina,
Brookridge Elementary School in the Shawnee Mission district was like a
figure 8, 2 rounds put together but built in 2 phases c. 1970. The circular
halls were confusing at first. I taught there for 3 years and can confirm
the problems with the accordion room divider.
Sally Hatcher

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From: "Katrina Ringler" <krin...@kshs.org>

Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 2:41 PM

To: "Preserving Kansas" <preservi...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [preserving-ks] Schools designed by John Shaver & Company

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[Heather Fuesz]

Pratt Community College is round in design. I believe it was built in the 1960's.  Their mascot is the Beaver. The main portion of building houses the basketball court and commons area... IE: The Beaver Dome. I don't know who built and designed it. I do know the halls are color coded. Without this, students would be wandering aimlessly (well, even more aimlessly). Heather Fuesz