The Topeka High School Foyer was rededicated this Monday at 10:45 AM, after a 10 week long renovation process.

The job was funded by Dorris Derrington’s estate, who donated $140,000. The whole task involved meticulously scraping off four to six coats of white paint that covered the walls of the foyer.

Additionally, the display cases were also restored and placed back in their original locations.

“The process was long and grueling,” said one of the paint strippers, hired by J.F. McGivern, “Our company started by doing a sample of the original paint. Then we had to duplicate the original paint sample and reproduce the same color.”

The last coat of white paint was added in December 1978, to make the walls easier to clean. Adding a sealant over the plaster bricks fixes the problem of difficult cleaning.

However the paint from the ceiling couldn’t be removed, so they painted the ceiling gray to match the rest of the walls. Green and yellow accent colors were added to the floral motifs throughout the ribbed-ceiling.

The newly refurbished foyer will live on as a testament to the beauty of Kansas architecture.