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Show Here's one place where you're encouraged to sleep in school by DAVID HAMPSHIRE Record editor It's the Park City counterpart to the fable of the boy who cried wolf. Stories about plans to renovate the Washington, School have been going around so long that old timers just laugh when you mention the name. Well, it's time to stop laughing. More than half a century since it saw its last student, the Washington Washing-ton School is occupied once again. On Saturday, June 1 the old limestone building will be rededi-cated rededi-cated as a bed and breakfast inn. Guests at the ceremony will include some of the school's former students. Saturday's celebration marks the culmination of a two-year project which turned the old school from an abandoned shell into a luxurious 15-unit inn at a cost of about $1.6 million. The original structure was built in 1889 for about $13,000. Park City developer Malcolm "Mac" MacQuoid said he first tried to buy the old school about five or six years ago. ' ' I wasn' t sure what I wanted to do with it, but I wanted to do something." To his dismay, he was outbid by a group from San Diego. That group announced plans to develop devel-op the site, including the old building, as a condominium project. But those plans were never realized. Then, in early 1983 MacQuoid heard through preservation architect archi-tect Wally Cooper that the building was back on the market. He discussed it with his friends and business partners, Frank and Donna O'Bryan, part-time Park City residents. "Donna and I put our heads together and the two of us came up with the idea of turning it into a bed and breakfast inn." The O'Bryans threw their support behind the idea. "Without "With-out their faith and dedication this project never would have happened." happen-ed." Although the building's rock walls looked sturdy enough, the early stages of the renovation were done very carefully. The foundations were replaced, bit by bit, to bring the structure up to earthquake code. "We never knew from the day we started on that whether the building was going to fall down." The walls were braced with a steel cage then sprayed with gunnite. Three large interior concrete walls were added to provide extra support. "Once that job was done, we knew the building wasn't going anywhere." Under the direction of Wally Cooper (whose credits also include City Hall and the Miners Hospital), the reconstruction of the interior began. MacQuoid said efforts were made to save as much of the remaining woodwork as possible, and to fill in the gaps with faithful reproductions. The Salt Lake mill which made the original molding, still in business, was signed up for the project. MacQuoid first planned to open July 4, 1984. But then came problems, first with the financing. financ-ing. "Banks don't understand the bed and breakfast (concept). They don't even know what it is." Then came a struggle with the federal Department of the Interior about the building's designation on the National Register of Historic Places. Keeping that status was important because of the tax credits associated with it. MacQuoid wanted to add four new dormers, double the existing number. The federal government balked at anything that would change the exterior of the building. The turning point came when someone came up with evidence that the exterior had already been altered. "It was a picture of the school as it looked before the (1898) fire, and there were no dormers at all." Painters add finishing touches to the bell tower. A reproduction of the original school bell is being installed. The Washington School was one of the few buildings in the Main Street area which survived that catastrophic fire. Cooper worked out a plan to divide the building into 12 hotel-type rooms (each with its own bathroom) and three suites. The focal point of the building is a large central staircase directly underneath the old bell tower. There is also a living room with fireplace, a kitchen, a dining room, a mezzanine overlooking the living room, several small sitting areas throughout the building, and a basement which houses a spa, sauna, steam room, lockers, wine cellar and a laundry. In trying to use the space efficiently, Cooper divided the old west wing, with its 16-foot ceilings, into two levels. But that meant the windows were cut in half by the newly-created second floor. A creative solution was devised (see photograph) to make the bisected windows fit in with the new decor. MacQuoid said no expense was spared in furnishing the rooms with antiques compatible with the reconstruction. Efforts have been made to include artifacts from the old school. "One guy even sent a report card," MacQuoid said. "Each suite or room will be named after a former teacher, or after something to do with the school." Among the former students expected to attend the ceremonies ceremon-ies are Park City residents Nan McPolin and Mel Fletcher. According to records compiled by the Utah State Historical Society, the school was built in 1889 of limestone quarried in Peoa. It had three classrooms, each 30 feet by 30 feet. It was originally known as the Central School, then renamed in 1897. It continued to serve the needs of Park City students until 1931. At that time the school and the lot were listed for sale, appparently because of declining enrollments. It was sold in 1936 to the Veterans of Foreign Wars for $200 and was used for several years for meetings and dances. Saturday's rededication ceremonies cere-monies will begin with a champagne brunch for invited guests at 11 a.m. At 1 p.m. there will be a public ribbon-cutting. From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday there will be an open house with refreshments and entertainment. ' 1 "II 1 I ' ' ' ' I tr-1 11 .id ii.' 11 1 I "'t I II i q . I if m M ' 1 ".i.- : 1? V.:... " - The Washington School as it looked in the early stages of renovation. What do you do when the floor bisects the window? This is architect Wally Cooper's solution. Below: Mirror reflects quiet elegance of the Washington School Inn's dining area. 1 4 r' toll11 'Vt "Vw. VH 'Z ysfiJrvi'Ji r'M' - ' v " . - - . , , Wliilb - '--. ' .. , v a Vt . r ii- V', it fil-l . - A;v,s"A ' '-- ;.-. -J;n . : . . ' : . ; . ..Vr-,.-,-:. - - v ' -J : |