To Elaine Povich, and all others Interested in the History of Bath:

We were delighted to read your recent letter in these pages about your experiences at the Huse School. It was great to read your evocative memories from your student days. We really like your suggestion to preserve the name and legacy of John E.L. Huse as we renovate the existing school building into residential apartments. Construction of the Huse School in 1942 was directly related to Bath’s shipbuilding boom during World War II, and we agree that John E.L. Huse is an important part of this legacy.

If we are able to obtain Planning Board and City Council approvals, and assemble the complex financing required for this project, our renovation will include restoring the building to its original architecture. This would include expansive windows, glass-block detailing, and even the original signage, which sat atop the entry canopy. Based on photos taken after the original construction, we think that this signage read “JOHN E.L. HUSE MEMORIAL SCHOOL,” and we would suggest that this signage be restored exactly as it originally looked.

As you point out, John E.L. Huse’s legacy includes his stellar careers at Morse High School, West Point, and in the Army Air Corps. We suggest his legacy could be honored with a prominent display in the lobby of the new apartment building that would include a portrait of John E.L. Huse along with his mementos and the history to which you referred, written by Franklin Wright, his Morse High School classmate.

We think that the firing range in the basement of the 1949 addition is another important piece of the history of the school, and we suggest that the lobby could also include a display of trophies from the marksmanship team, targets, and other artifacts from the firing range.

Thank you for your letter and interest in this proposed project.

Nathan S. Szanton
President, The Szanton
Company
Portland