Facadectomy proposed for Adamson High under DISD bond package

Included in the bond package scheduled for voter consideration on May 10 is a significant amount of money set aside for a replacement high school for W. H. Adamson High School in Oak Cliff. The exact pedigree of the building is a little sketchy at this point, but it is clear that it is the most modern manifestation of the first Oak Cliff high school built in the 1890's. This building sits on the site of a 1915 high school, but looks to be from the late 1920's. Could be a remodel.

Concern about the future of the building has been raised by the Adamson Alumni Association, who have begun an effort to seek local historic designation and protection for the building. As noted in the update on the Association's website, however, the Dallas ISD is proposing to retain the original facade and construct a new building behind it. This was done in the spirit of preservation of the building.  This is known in historic preservation circles as a facadectomy. It's a derisive term used to describe the destruction of a building while retaining only the outside skin, usually just on the front. The retained skin is then typically incorporated into a new building. Unfortunately, it's only preservation if that is all that is left to begin with, like buildings in London after the Blitz. That's not the case here.

From what I know at this point, the motivation for such drastic measures stems from unspecified structural concerns with the original building, an issue noted in the update at the  Alumni Association website. My concern is this, if the structural problems are so bad that we need a whole new high school, why weren't these concerns addressed in the last bond issue which is still finishing up?

I admit to being out of the loop on this school so far, so my post is more of a question than a criticism, but just barely.  However, it is clear that District representative feel that such treatment to a clearly historic building is an appropriate way to preserve it and appear to have sold that idea to loving alumni. This is a very disquieting step for a school district who's building inventory is more than half comprised of schools in excess of 50 years of age, the threshold for historic designation.

Comments

[school architects]

Despite being highly controversial and denounced by many preservationists as vandalism, facadism is used as the demand for new development is overwhelming community desires for preservation.

[Bob]

The original portion of the building dates from 1916 which makes it the oldest continually operating high school in DISD. James Madison (nee Forest Avenue)high school opened the same year, but was closed as a high school and converted to elementary use in the 1970's before returning to high school use later.

The Adamson building had structural work around the front entrance of the building in the 1940's which is documented in yearbooks showing the front facade open where the entrance is located. That's the portion of the building that shows cracks now.

[James Napper Jr]

Thank you for expressing what any of us involved in the construction know to be factual. I have spoken in regards to this issue on several other blogs. You seem to have caught the attention of the DMN. Would you please be so kind as to explain to them this also, In order to preserve the exterior facade of the building while constructing this "State of the Art " facility that the district will have to repair the failing foundation that emperils that very facade ! And that , kind sir is the reason that the district uses as argument for this insane endeaver. To qialify my statement consider this. If the Bond proposal is voted down, this school will continue to function "AS IS" until the next bond proposal. And this "HISTORIC PROPERTY" , if we chose to designate it as such, will be allowed to further decline. My short point is this, Rehab of this structure to preserve it's classroom count in the district is optimly less expensive than a rebuild of the structure. That is of course if the district hasn't allowed the structure to slip beyond remediation and survival by non-action on what may be minor structural needs based on street realinements in the past few decades.
Just the observations of a 35 year hammer swinger with an eye for details.