Do It Yourself Students
Location: percival side entrance (south)
Students from the ‘50s sure knew how to raise the roof—literally. Industrial Arts students worked together to build a complete house from the cement bottom to the shingled top. The whereabouts and current condition of this house are unknown, nor is it known if it was ever occupied. The photographs of this structure act as a testament to the skill of the students, now well equipped with the knowledge and experience they need to professionally operate outside of the classroom.
House construction was a huge project for the practical arts department. But it wasn’t just houses that were being built. Countless projects, ranging from big to small, were the result of the dedication and hard work the students put forth. Check out the blueprints for a knife box below - just one of several projects that students would manufacture in their classes:
But it wasn’t just building projects like these; the department also operated a printing service called Practical Arts Press. They printed various documents and publications on campus in the print workshop.
The reception to these projects outside the school appeared to be a positive one. An article from the Boston Globe dated January 3rd, 1915 discusses the efforts of Fitchburg’s practical arts program, and praises their quality:
“A neat little bundle bearing the imprint of the Fitchburg State Normal School arrived in the Globe office a few days ago and its contents were laid out [...] outside of the labor involved in their making, the three things did not represent a material value of more than 17 or 18 cents; yet if one tried to purchase them in some gift shop or craft room he would have to be prepared to sustain a considerable dent in a $5 bill.”
With praise like this from such an established newspaper, the Practical Arts Program at the Fitchburg Normal School gained even more recognition for their students’ good work.