Pinon Boarding School, Dormitories, Navajo Route 41, North of Navajo Route 4, Pinon

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS ARIZ,9-PIN,1C-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The wings of Building 316 are the two original dormitory buildings built in at the Pinon Boarding School. They were built in the Pueblo Revival Style which characterized most of the PWA reservation school buildings of that era. The two buildings differ from the other structures by having flat overhanging roofs and random ashlar masonry walls. PINION BOARDING SCHOOL, DORMITORIES (Pinon Community School, Building HABS No. AZ-162-C (Page 2) PARTI. DESCRtPTION EXTERIOR. The dormitory building consists of two Pueblo Revival sandstone wings to the north and to the south of a central concrete block addition built in The two wings are "L"-shaped, single story mirror images of each other. [Figs. The random ashlar walls are constructed of native Dakota sandstone blocks.

The roof is flat with overhanging eaves. The center concrete block addition is painted and has a flat, overhanging roof that is lower than the roofs on the wings. INTERIOR. The two wings where the children slept have wood floors throughout with painted plaster walls and ceilings. MECHANICAL. Building 316 is heated by an oil-fired hot water boiler, Well-McLain (Model The boiler also heats domestic hot water through a heat exchanger. AH mechanical equipment is located in the mechanical room of the new addition. The original mechanical systems for the buildings are unknown. COST. According to an American Indian Engineering survey completed in the cost of the original dormitories was PART II.

History

The wings of the dormitory building are the two original dormitories built in The south building was for boys, the north for girls. Drawings dated call the south building and the north [Fig. 1] (These are not to be confused with the 311 and 312 listed in the Pifion building inventory in The Navajos and the BIA.) In the two buildings were joined by a concrete block addition which added new toilets and shower facilities, a mechanical room, and a two bedroom staff apartment. Once joined, the building became dropping the previous 311 and 312 designations. [Fig. 2] The carefully cut and dressed random ashlar walls of the two dormitories differ notably from the coursed rubble walls of the other buildings.

It is probable that the dormitories were built by the more skilled white workers employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps while the other buildings were built by the more numerous local Navajo workers who were relatively unskilled. (The Navajo Civilian Conservation Corps became skilled in production and learned from the education programs quickly. By it was considered a model for all Indian Vertical lines carved into the sandstone blocks are visible particularly on the north and south elevations. One long-time resident who attended school here explained how, as children, they would rub the sandstone with rocks or sticks to make very fine sand which they used to make sand paintings on the ground.

A new complex of buildings has been designed for the Pinon site*, and the center concrete block addition between the two wings is scheduled for demolition. This will return the wings to freestanding buildings as they were originally built. The boys dormitory (south wing will be restored and used as a library and cultural center. The girls building (north) will be relinquished to the Navajo tribe and its fate is unknown. Architect: Lescher and Mahoney/DLR Group, Phoenix, AZ PINON BOARDING SCHOOL, DORMITORIES (Pifion Community School, Building HABS No. AZ-162-C {Page 3) PART III.

Sources

Parman, Donald L. The Navaios and the New Deal New Haven: Yale University Press, Threinen, Ellen. The Navajos and the BIA: A Study of Government Buildings on the Navaio Reservation. American Indian Engineering, Inc./Bureau of Indian Affairs Other possible sources: Indians at Work. Issues published from - PART IV.

PROJECT INFORMATION This survey is a mitigative recording required by a Memorandum of Agreement signed by the following parties: Phyllis Badoni, Executive Director Pinon Community School Board Tom Tippeconnic, Assistant Area Director Navajo Area Office, Navajo Area BIA Jim Garrison Arizona State Historic Preservation Office Alan Downer, Historic Preservation Officer Navajo Nation Historic Preservation Department Robert Bush, Executive Director Advising Council on Historic Preservation The survey documentation was completed in July by Lescher and Mahoney/DLR Group with the cooperation of the following: Pinon Community School Board Bureau of Indian Affairs Gallup Office Bureau of Indian Affairs - Albuquerque Office Arizona State Historic Preservation Office Navajo Nation Historic Preservation Department David Sloan and Associates, Architects Prepared by: Brett A.

Hobza Affiliation: Lescher and Mahoney/DLR Group, Architects Phoenix, Arizona Date: July PINON BOARDING SCHOOL, DORMITORIES (Pirton Community School, Building HABS No. AZ-162-C {Page 4) (Sii^Sc > ygwup Figure 1. Site Plan - PlfiON BOARDING SCHOOL, DORMITORIES (Pifion Community School, Building HABS No. AZ-162-C {Page 5) Figure 2. Floor Plan - Building 316 DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATION (Pages PINON BOARDING SCHOOL, DORMITORIES (Building HABS No. AZ-162-C (Page 6) FIGURE 1 Photocopy of civil engineering drawing (original drawing located at Navajo Area Bureau of Indian Affairs, Window Rock, Arizona). DETAIL OF SITE PLAN, SHEET 07. FIGURE 2 Photocopy of drawing (original drawing located at Bureau of Indian Affairs, Gallup Office). FLOOR PLAN OF BUILDING