Fresh-air schools were built across the country in the early 20th century for underweight children and those at risk for tuberculosis. Fresh air classrooms were unheated. A contemporary film of another fresh air school shows the children wearing similar hooded capes and walking rapidly around the classroom together to warm up. This picture of the interior of a fresh-air school was taken by William Kollecker, Saranac Lake photographer, without a date or location. Between 1925 and 1928, the Saranac Lake school district built a fresh air school at River Street for the care of underweight children, at a cost of $12,000. That building, now used for a nursery school, is located behind the former River Street School. In 1937, when the popularity of fresh-air schools was already waning, a six-room addition to Petrova School was made to house the fresh air school which was formerly in River Street, in a small frame building. The annex is three stories high. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, April 23, 2011. Address: 3 Brandy Brook Avenue (Behind River Street School, near Pendragon Theatre)
Old Address: 138 River Street
Other names: Kids 'R' Us Preschool-Childcare Center
Year built: c. 1925-1928
"The Fresh Air school is a novel feature in health work and disease prevention. All of the children in our schools are examined and weighed periodically and X-Rayed annually and those found underweight are sent to the Fresh Air school for treatment. We employ a full time nurse, a full time dental hygenist and expect to employ in the coming year a full time physician. Lunches are served at the Fresh Air school cafeteria and also at the High school cafeteria, mid-session lunches are served to those underweight who do not care to attend the Fresh Air school whose physical condition does not warrant sending them to that school."
"In the past three years this school district has completed the following new schools: . . . Fresh Air School at River Street for the care of underweight children, at a cost of $12,000."
From the program for the opening of the New Town Hall auditorium (Harrietstown), October 3 & 4, 1928.
Lake Placid News, February 4, 1937
School Addition Given Approval
The six-room addition to the Saranac Lake high school was approved last week by the PWA and announced ready for occupancy. The addition was built under the direction of Moore Parland and Reinhardt, PWA engineers and with the contractors, L. F. Murtagh, Carson Brothers and William C. Shackett. A final inspection of the building was made by the engineers, contractors and Clerk Walter Noble of the board of education. The building will house the fresh air school which was formerly in River street in a small frame building. The annex is three stories high and encloses six rooms. The school district's share of the cost was $23,000 while the PWA granted $18,000 for the project.
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