I’m here at Keith Junior High School in the basement, in a place that I bet not many of you have ever been. No matter how many people went to school here, not many have seen what we call the mechanical room.
One of the real highlights of this space is the old coal boiler. It’s an impressive piece of equipment—those doors alone must weigh thousands of pounds. This chute is where the coal was originally dropped in.
There was a track above that would carry coal from outside the building into a bin, which would then drop it right into this chute.
Everything about coal boiler systems is massive. This is where ashes would have been removed, and this arm here—according to HVAC professionals—is about ten times larger than what you would see in a typical home coal furnace.
It’s a fascinating piece of history, and I just wanted to share it because I’m sure not many people have seen this part of the building. Just one of many interesting features here at Keith Junior High School.
