The Good, and Challenging, News for Anna Head School June 26, 2024
We are writing to report critical developments over the last half year in our effort to save Anna Head School. Last December, we described progress on the development of a master plan for Anna Head School. In April we were pleased to receive a master plan report for the Anna Head School site by a nationally recognized architectural firm that was commissioned by the University. Shortly after that, Channing Hall was unfortunately occupied in connection with the protests at UC Berkeley about the war in Gaza, and the building was vandalized by graffiti and broken windows.
We have studied the Anna Head Report carefully and understand the University is considering four models in its plans for the school, three of which would save Channing Hall (Building C), the largest and architecturally most important building of the Anna Head campus. The architects’ analysis used the criteria of Historic Significance and Critical Housing Capacity to evaluate each model. The four models include student housing in various configurations of low- and high-rise structures. The Steering Committee has written to the University to express its preference for the planning concept of a model called “Bar” because of these features described in the report: “low-rise massing responds to scale of adjacent buildings” along Bowditch, “Channing Hall is relocated on the site,” and “critical viewshed from adjacent hillside is preserved.” As the report also notes, this model would provide “open green space” in an area of the campus with a very high population density. We think “Bar” would fit best into the scale of the neighborhood if it were located on Haste Street, where it could also provide a significant increase in the amount of housing. We have developed several alternative models that would place student housing adjacent to the future People’s Park dormitory and relocate Alumnae Hall and the Counseling Center, which have already been renovated, along with Channing Hall, to the Northeast corner of the site to create an Anna Head center for student services or some other function. The “Bar” model in the Report would add much needed housing that would make a significant addition to the University housing supply. We understand that, unfortunately, all plans call for the destruction of the Gables (B) and Study Hall (D). While we wish all the buildings could be saved, we know that the renovation expenses are significant, and the University needs space to build additional housing.
As we reported to the community previously, we received the news on May 16 that protestors had taken over, occupied, and vandalized the school, principally Channing Hall. We appreciated the swift response of the University to the occupation and the removal of the protesters the next day, actions we believe likely prevented a long and potentially even more destructive occupation. As follow up we have shared our concern with the University about the damage to Channing Hall. We are worried that this incident has telegraphed to the wider community that the Anna Head School is abandoned, that it is an attractive nuisance, and that Anna Head could suffer another catastrophic fire like the one in May 2022, either by accident or by arson. We have asked the University to expand security coverage, ensure that all Anna Head buildings have operational and monitored fire alarm, smoke detection, fire sprinkler, and motion detection systems. We requested a report on the occupation of Anna Head and what will be done to address the vandalism. We believe failure to address these issues swiftly will contribute to the perception that the school is abandoned and vulnerable.
We are hopeful the University leadership will respond to our appeals, and our offers to help, in the effort to save Anna Head School and to continue a dialogue on how to save the school. We thank you for your support and your own efforts to help the University see that saving the legacy of Anna Head would be a win--for the University, for the City, and for the Anna Head/Head-Royce community.
Paul Chapman, Chuck Palley, Kit Ratcliff ’68, Nan Warren ’60 AHS
The Anna Head School Steering Committee