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After decades of being bricked up, the original windows of Frederick's historic Lincoln Elementary School will open again.

The oversized arched windows — a reminder of the school's rich history and early 20th century architecture — are now blocked and serve as walls in the school gymnasium. But after the long-awaited modernization of the 86-year-old school, they will open again to shine light into a brand-new, spacious, two-level library.

All changes will be part of the Lincoln Elementary modernization — a project that aims to restore the school's historic look and, at the same time, bring Lincoln into the 21st century.

"It will combine the new technology with the old technology," said Mark Herr, Frederick County Public Schools' senior project manager.

Lincoln Elementary is one of the oldest schools in Frederick County. Its oldest parts first opened in 1922 as Lincoln High School, the first African-American high school in Frederick County. The school received further additions in 1938, 1953 and 1974, but it was never renovated after that.

Today, it has open-space classrooms, no sprinklers, no smoke detectors and no elevators. The school is housed in two separate buildings, located across the street from one another, which creates a constant safety hazard for student walkers.

To solve these problems, school system staff and architects worked to develop plans for the modernization and presented them to the Frederick County Board of Education in December.

"When this project is done, they are going to have the latest and greatest of everything," Herr said.

According to the plans, the new building will include more than 70,000 square feet of new construction, including a cafeteria, media center, computer rooms and classrooms.

The modernized school will have a capacity of about 700 students and will bring all Lincoln Elementary students under one roof. Lincoln's current enrollment is 347 students; the two buildings together can accommodate 575 students.

"The biggest challenge was to keep the historic portion of the school and to be able to fit the new parts of the property," Herr said. "The architect said it was like designing a Swiss watch – everything has to work together."

During the modernization, most of the current Lincoln "B" building will be demolished. About 25,000 square feet of the original 1922 and 1938 sections of the school will be preserved, restored and will be used as a model for the outer appearance of the new school.

The school will also gain a brand-new library and a much bigger gym at the opposite side of the building.

The modernized Lincoln Elementary will have a number of eco-friendly features and will aim at receiving a certification in Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design (LEED). The certification is given to buildings that incorporate a certain number of eco-friendly and energy-efficient features.

With the exception of the Earth, Space and Science Laboratory, Lincoln Elementary will also be the first county public school to have a geothermal heating and cooling system.The system includes pipes that run deep into the ground, where the temperature is constant. In the winter, that temperature is typically higher than the air above ground and in the summer is typically lower.

The technology is more efficient than air conditioning, which heats cold air in the winter and cools hot air in the summer.

At this stage of the process, Herr would not release the cost of the full project. Eventually, the modernization will also include the cost of new technology and equipment for the school, he said.

For now, school system staff plans to start working on the project in 2010 and have it completed by 2012. During the time of construction, all Lincoln students will be moved to Lincoln "A" building, which will also be equipped with additional portables.

It is not yet clear what the school system plans to do with the Lincoln "A" building, once it is complete, Herr said.

The Frederick County Board of Education reviewed the schematic design in December and voted 6-1 to approve the project. Board member Michael Schaden was the only board member who voted against the project. Among other issues, he was concerned that the building was too spread out, making elementary school students to walk "almost a city block" from the gym to the cafeteria.

However, Lincoln Principal Ann Reever said she was happy with the modernization plans. She said it solved one of her main concerns by consolidating students in one building. The new project will also improve bus and car drop-off patterns and eliminate the constant danger for students crossing the street, she said.

E-mail Margarita Raycheva at mraycheva@gazette.net.