Ward Belmont High School - Milestones Yearbook (Nashville, TN)

Page 20 text:

The Campus — Continued It is a still morning, the upper windows are open and you can hear typewriters click in a room on the third floor, and ambitious Expression students emitting rather weird sounds in the studio above. In the basement is the gymnasium and the inviting white tile swimming pool, truly a thing of beauty. But you have not yet seen all, for behind the Academic Building is the greenhouse, with its ferns and fountain and gold-fish. Surrounded by trees and shrubbery and attractive statues is the historic old Belmont Tower, which has proudly stood for unnumbered decades while countless romances have been woven about it. And hiding behind Pembroke (surely, unsuccessfully, for who could not find the tea-room?) is a quaint, little octagonal building, age old, the nature of whose usefulness years ago we all wonder about, but which at any rate now proves a God-send to throngs of hungry girls. Across the street are the tennis courts — but let us wander back to the campus. I do not wonder you want to linger here. It is lovely to look upon as it slopes gently from South Front down to the Academic Building. It was an artist ' s mind that planned it and placed its delightful summer houses, its fountains and stone figures, its walks and arbors, its urns and sun-dials, and the trees — magnolias, cedars. 1 can tell you why you love the trees so. They look as tho they had never been planted, but grew by God ' s own will. And because you know this was once a garden where Nmeteenth Century belles and beaux have walked, it is more fascinating still. I cannot say when 1 have loved it most. It is exquisite now with the soft airs of spring abroad. Thru the green grass a hundred hyacinths have sprung, and the rose bushes are covered with tiny, tender leaves. And a brilliant-hued cardinal calls up with his song an answering note in our own hearts. But picture the campus in January, when the master hand has touched it with another brush, transforming every statue, every shrub into pure and softened loveliness, and then has turned the sunlight full upon it that we might see its beauty glisten; or the campus in October, painted with the reds and golds of autumn; the campus at dusk when one star has peeped thru the blue, when the first shadows of night and the departing lights of day mingle lovingly to give the impressionistic indefiniteness of twilight. Picture it on an enchanting evening in middle May, when the moon has reached her perfection, and rides supreme in the heavens, bathing the whole world in mystic mists of moonlight. Now you have seen Ward-Belmont and you have been shown by one who loves every bit of her. You have seen the beauty of her buildings and grounds, and, with her dignifying memories of the past, her vitality of the present day, the great promise of her future, you are surely convinced that she must offer infinite inspiration to all who come under her influence. —E. B.

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The Campus [HERE is nothing about Ward-Belmont that is not dignified and beautiful. Consistent with her lofty ideals and the admirable grace with which she does everything, are Ward-Belmont ' s buildings and campus, which contribute their large share toward the unequaled atmosphere of the place. Come with me and let mc show you how charming it all is! As we drive up the avenue you get your first impression when you see stately North Front, with its huge granite columns. The building is beautifully simple, while the fountain and statues upon the lawn have been placed to excellent effect. But come around the corner and the winding, sloping drive. You must alight where formidable looking lions guard South Front — lovely South Front at one time the residence of long gone Southern belles, whose spirits seem to hover round the place where they once dwelt, as tho they adored it still and chose to continue lending their grace and charm to this old mansion. Here, just as they were in the earlier days, are the drawing rooms, where we are proud to receive our visitors; and Recreation Hall, the scene of many a gay party. South Front is the mother and round about her have grown up the more modern buildings. On either side are the twin dormitories. Fidelity and Founders, much bigger than South Front, yet they nestle close to her, as tho for protection and inspiration; while little Middle March hides bashfully behind her mother ' s skirts. From Fidelity come inharmonious noises — the unhappy results of mingled and varied strains from piano, violin and voice — for here on the lower floor are the practice rooms. On the corresponding floor in Founders you hear a great bustle and clatter — yes, the kitchen and dining rooms are here. Here, too (but far above on the fourth floor) is that dreadful place, the infirmary. There are girls passing con- tinually to and fro thru the doors of Middle March and perhaps you have guessed that it holds our popular mail-room. But you must become acquainted with the other children. These long, rambling buildings that lie perpendicular to Founders are Heron and Pembroke. Aren ' t they attractively colonial with their dormer windows, neat red brick walls and white pillars? In Heron reside most of the ' preps, and there is also that haven to which we all rush at every opportunity, where Vito reigns on gala nights and we dance our cares away. Pembroke is a close neighbor, where re- turning old girls who knew Ward-Belmont invariably insist upon living. The Academic Building — a wise son with learned mein is built perpendicular to Pembroke, facing South Front across the campus, and forming the third side of what is almost a quadrangle. It is of red brick with a high snowy colon- nade. After one look, you know this can be nothing but the Academic Building, where you find the offices, the laboratories, the library, the Art Department, and, oh, those cruel class-rooms!

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WARD-BELMONT. NORTH FRONT OVERLOOKING THE CITY