Design No. 18 — Design for Village Schools, and Reading Room
This building is about to be erected in the county of Norfolk. It will contain a boys’ and girls’ school, with two rooms each, forming a parlour and bedroom, for the master and mistress; a is the entrance porch, d and d are the two school rooms, and e and e the living rooms. The centre of the building forms the reading, lecture, and meeting-room for the village. The small room c, leading out of it, is a book room for the secretary or attendant; b, b, are open yards; each master and mistress have private entrances, and yards to themselves. The construction is of the cheapest kind; on a brick foundation, quarter framing is placed, filled in with brick, and plastered inside and out. The columns in the centre are trunks of trees, standing on stone slabs, and each has a flat stone capping. This building complete should not cost more than 850l. It is much to be desired that every village should have a room set apart, distinct from any public-house or tavern, where newspapers and books can be provided, lectures given, and various entertainments supplied the villagers.