The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-11-28
The Polytechnic College Of the state of Pa.

1nefe is proDaDly no other large city
either in Europe or America, the institu-
tutions of which are SO little known to the
general public, as are the institutions of
Philadelphia. Whether this is owing
to the modesty, the Indifference, or
Observation-Disclosures of its citizens, or to
the want of enterprise in its journalism, we
do not now care to inquire. While to most
of our readers the very existence of the
Polytechnic College of the State of Penn
sylvania is probably unknown, yet for more
than q quarter of century, this institution
either as institute or college, has been set
ting before the young engineers, metallur-
gists, and draughtsmen of the Quaker City
higher and higher aims, and training those
youth in the highest departments of pure
and applied science. If the history Of the
college shall ever be written, it WILL we
think, prove to be one of the most interest
ing and instructive episodes in the growth
of technical education in America. For q
number of years, the Polytechnic College
existed under an academic organization as
an institute but, in 194S, an attempt was
made TO obtain from the State of Pennsyl-
vania college charter.
Pending the granting of the charter, viz,
in October, 1851, the present President of
the Faculty, Dr. Alfred l.. Kennedy, began
tour of inspection of the Polytechnic in
stitutions of Europe. After an absence Of
year, he reported the result of his visit;
recommending that no one foreign institu-
tion be accepted rs a model for the college,
but that plan be adopted based upon both
the German and French methods /; viz those
practised at Carlsrhue in the P0lytechnischen
Schule and at Paris in . Ecole CoRtrate des
Arts,-which recommendation was approx
ed. The charter was most liberal in its
provisions, comforting full university pow
ers and, as the institute already had its
cabinets, laboratories, and apparatus, the
first step in its elevation demanded enlarg-
ed accommodations so the college, in the
autumn of 1858, just 18 years ago, was for
mally opened in the commodious building
at the corner of Penn Square and Market
Street, directly opposite the site upon which
the new municipal buildings of Philadelphia
are now being erected There were at first
but two technical schools viz, the School
of Civil Engineering, and the School of
Chemistry and Metallurgy; but so rapid
was the growth, that, in the following year,
1854, the School of Mines, and in 1860, the
School of Architecture. AS these required
more space, the building was sold to the
Third National Bank, and a lot secured ON
Market Street, between Seventeenth and
Eighteenth, three blocks west of Penn
Square and on this lot 80 feet front, ex-
tending from Market to Barker Street, 1877
feet the new edfice has recently been COM
pleted. This consists of main building
four stories high on Market Street, and two
rear wings OF pavilions extending south
ward that on the east being III feet long
and three stories in height; that OH the
west, 1T feet long and two stories high,
for the better lighting and ventilation of
the courtyard. The wings are connected
ot tha Rarlyar- front bu huildi,.r,
three stories high. The plan of the build
ing is therefore quadrangle, from the
courtyard of which rise four staircases, one
at each corner, leading to the upper stories.
The lower floor is chiefly taken up with
vestibules, entrance-hall, business offices,
reception rooms, and quarters for the ,Iani-
tor and his family.
In the second story is the College Hail.
80 feet in length, with 10 feet ceiling; adj
joing it, the Cabinet of Technology, 45 by
25, with gallery. In the east wing are the
Analytical Laboratory, Balance-room, Chem
ical Stock Room, and Metallurgical Labor
atory. In the west wing, the Cabinets of
Physical Apparatus and of Machine Models,
and the Junior Mathematical Classroom
On the Barker-street front, the Lecture
Room for Chemistry, Mineralogy and Geolo-
gy. In the third story are the Classrooms
for Mechanics and Architecture, and the
Museum of the School of Mines, contain
ing the celebrated Freiberg models
The fourth story contains the draughting-
room, the Cabinet of Architecture, and the
Classroom for Engineering and the higher
mathematics.
In the fifth story are the Gymnasium,
and the rooms for modelling in clay and
plaster. Students are admitted to the Col
lege at the age of sixteen, and the duration
of the full course is three years.
good idea of the extent of the accomo-
dations may be gained, if we imagine the
wings which now run to the rear, to be
placed as is the usual custom, on the right
and left of the main building. The front
would then be 284 feet, equal to the finest
collegiate structures in the country. The
number of the rooms, and tho uses to which
they are applied, attest, without further de-
scription the comprehensiveness of the in
struction. The influence exerted on the
economical development of the industries of
Philadelphia by the hundreds of graduates
of her great technical school must have
been most salutary. It's organization, even
before the London Exhibition of 1851,
awakened England and the world to sense
of the value of art schools and science
schools, is highly creditabe to the forecast
of our sister-city while it serves to lessen
our surprise that she should maintain her
ascendency in the beauty and excellence of
her varied manufactures, and control the
most powerful railroad management not
only in the Union but in tho WORLDLY. y
Itchnologist.