Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-08-18
THE UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS I
THE PAST.
sketch of the Old Structures.

} Now that the main college edifice is in pro-
cess of reconstruction, some account of the
, various buildings erected for the uses of the
University may not be without interest to
the graduates and friends of the institution,
and to the general public. The following
sketch has been prepared from various rec
ords and from original sources of nforma-
ton
The first meeting after that at which the
corporation of the University of Vermont
was organized. the trustees set off (June,
1884, from lands owned by Gen. (then Colo
neD Ira Allen, plot of fifty acres for the
grounds Of the University, and appointed a
committee TO see that II portion of the lot
should be cleared of the stately pines which
were then growing on it, as also to secure
donations and make preparations for tie
erection of apublic building for the instr
tuition. In October, 1793 they voted that
carly in the next Summer u house shall be
built on the college square for
the use Of the University" This
building was intended for the residence of
the President. 1t was begun in 1894, and
nearly completed in 1906, but was not finish
ed so as to be occupied until 1899. 1t
was situated on the east side of what IS
now University Place, little to the south
and west OF the present Library building.
1t was OF wood, AZ by 80 feet, two stories
high, with hipped roof. The Rev. David G.
Sanders, then the only resident clergyman
In Burlington, was authorized TO occupy this
house, and opened in it school in which to
fit boys for college. In October of the fol-
lowing year MIR. Sanders was chosen Presi-
dent of the University and empowered to en-
ploy tutor Four students, one of whom
was the late Charles Adams of this place,
were admitted, and regular instruction was
begun. In seven years this number was in
creased to Az. After serving its original pur-
this building became unfit for the
residence Of the President, and de-
generated into tenement house. 1t was
commonly known, forty years ago, as "thc
Old Yellow House among the students,
owing to the number and variety of its occu.
pants as the blouse OF the Seven Nations
One still, cold night in the Winter Of 1874 it
was burned to eground-by stroke of light
ming, as was said by the students. The fac
ulty, however, had different theory of the
matter.
!
erected in 1901. In October OF 1893 the cit
liens of Burlington offered to the corporation
a special subscription of $4,000 to aid in the
erection OF this building and in the procur-
ing OF books and apparatus, and contracts
for the building were made the next year.
The structure occupied the same site as the
present edifice. and was of brick, 100 feet
long, 10 feet wide 10 the CENTRE and A. in
the wings, and four stories in height 1t
contained chapel, public rooms and As
rooms for students. A cut of this Building
may be seen in Thompson's Vermont, Part |
p. 144 It'll also depicted on the front of clock
manufactured in Burlington by Curtis & Dun.
ming, clock makers, which is now the prop
erty of the University. In 1S11-12, for
some eight months, ending with Commence
ment, the First Congregational church of
Burlington seems to have used the chapel
as their place of worship. The war of 1912
had serious effect on the University. In
1873 the college building was seized by the
United States Government for an arsenal,
and In March, 1914, was again demanded for
barracks for troops. The building was there
upon rented to the United States for $4,000 a
year, the salaried officers of the college were
dismissed, and the students recommended to
other institutions. On the return of peace,
the institution was reOrganized in the Sum
mer OF 1876 the buildings were put in CON-
plete repair again at an expense of about
$4,000, new faculty appointed and college
work resumed. On the eth of May, 1924,
the mobile college ediice," as Thompson
calls 1t, was reduced to ashes by an accident
al fire, along with portions of the library and
apparatus. The different college buildings"
were stated, by the Vermont Sentinel in |
July, 1905, to have cost thus far S24, 391 |
but this must be too low figure, as Thomp- |
son gives the cost of the original main build. |
ing alone at about $35, 900, "the greater part |
of which was contributed in Burlington and
vicinity" 1t appears too, that the funds
for building the original Presidents house
came mainly from Burlington.
Before commencement, in August 1924. |
the town had rallied again TO the help of the |
college, more than $4,000 having been sub.
sciibed for new buildings. The work of |
erecting these was begun in 1925, General La |
fayette laying the corner stone of the south |
building on the Goth of June of that year.
This foundation stone, with its appropriate in
scription, was placed at the northwest corner
OF the South College" The new plan embrace
edthree buildings, the two end ones being each
three stories high, and rs feet long by 36
wide, while the middle one was SO feet long,
with projection in front and rear, and was
designed for administrative purposes. 1t
contained the chapel, museum, library and
lecture rooms, besides two rooms which were
assigned to the two rival debating societies,
the PM Sigma Nu" and university Insti-
tute, each with its separate room for a H.
brary. The North and South College build
ings were finished in the course of 1926 20,
and cost about $40, 900, "nearly all subscrib.
ed by Inhabitants of Burlington and vicinity"
The middle college was erected and nearly
completed 10 1899 and cost about $4,000. The
dome by which 1t was srmounted and which
for more than fifty years served as beacon
Tor the wide region of country between the
Green Mountains and the Adirondacks, was
designed and the working plans therefor exc.
G Gu by the late Prof George w. Benedict
This prominent object came very naturally
to be regarded by alumni and the
permanent residents of Burlington with spe.
clal interest and numerous and sometimes
pathetic have been the requests from distant
and long absent graduates of the college, that
whatever might be done with the rest of the
'Old Brick Mill, its shining dome, the great
landmark OF the valley, might be preserved
In It's integrity. 1t seemed, to the older alum
nj especially, to be sort of exponent of the
work and aim of the University: Flammam
dome contained famous dark room or
BLACK hole" made without any window,
and painted black, and intended for optical
experiments and astronomical teaching. How
much it was used before l843, we can not
affirm. After that it was at times used for
limitations into college secret society, but
was chiefly kept as u symbol and suggester
of ''Erebus and Ancient Night"
The north and south college buildings
were fitted for dormitores. Each was
built in two divisions" separated by parti-
ton walls. There were no halls length
wise OF any OF the buildings, and it was
impossible to pass from one division to an
other or to the centre building without
going out of doors. All the build. ,
ings were of brick and covered origin