Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-13
SEMINARY TO OPEN.
THE NEW BUILDINGS TO BE DEDI'
GATED ON OCTOBER oTH.
THE FACULTY ALREADY HERE.
Ninety students Are Expected-His-
torfcaI sketch of the Institution
The Movement Tint Brought II to
Thi. City. i 81 as
This City.

service. The work of construction ha
been pushed forward so quietly, yet s
! persistently, that they have been com
pleted before 1t had well been realizes
| that they had been begun.
The members OF the faculty, with III
exception of Rev. Dr. Walter w. Moore
have arrived and taken up their quarter
in the new buildings on The Brook road
They came to the city last Monday, ant
expect the senior professor to join then
tomorrow. Although they were in the
throes OF getting straight" when seer
/ yesterday by a. Dispatch reporter, witt
| carpets in a state Of topsy turvey. anC
| furniture and books TO be unpacked, ,heJ
| had still found time TO examine tneii
surroundings. and they are quite enthI
siastic with the situation and all the r.
! rangements. Hampden-Sidney. the old
home OF the seminary, bears no favor
able comparison with this new location
they say, and they are particularly san
guine as TO the future OF the lnStitu-
ton.
MANY STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED.
1t is not definitely known at present
of the senior and middle classes are eX-
pected to return. and thirty-3even Eppli-
cations have been received from new
men, who desire to enter. Then, too, let
tiers are being received every day, and
1t is thought that the total enrolmen;
will be at least ninety.
The programme for the dsdicatorv ex-
ercises has already been outlined, but
some changes are contemplated, and it
will not be published until these nave
been made.
Following these ceremonies, which will
take place in the morning, will come the
opening exercises Of the academical year
in the afternoon, the chief feature of
which will be an address to the students.
AN IDEAL SPOT.
Professor English said TO a Dispatch
reporter that with the Inauguration of
the postal delivery system. which takes
place tomorrow, and a better schedule
for the car service, which is promised in
the near future, the seminary would be
an ideal place. 1t occupies spacious
and beautiful site on the Brook road,
where the conditions Of health, quiet,
and accessibility are perfectly met. The
elevation of the whole section above the
level of the highest points of the city.
the pure Artesian water with which ii is
supplied, and the sfine system of sewer
age with which it is provided, give as
surance that the superior healthfulness
ascribed to this specific locality by the
medical experts Of the city and state
viii be maintained. The fact mat the
grounds of the seminary lie in one body,
bounded on every side by broad avenues,
the conditions under which the adjacent
lots are held and sold and the character
Of the surrounding community, guarantee
the seminary against the encroach-
ment of any distributing features Of the
city. and secure the seclusion mat IS so
desirable for such an institution.
HANDSOME AND SOLID BUILDINGS.
The buildings are handsome and solid
structures of dark-red pressed BRICK,
trimmed with red sandstone and terra
Gotta, and covered with heavy slate roof
ing. They are all constructed or the
same materials, so as to make a harmo-
NOUS group in appearance. The chiet
stress has been laid on the qualities or
durability, convenience, and adaptation
10 the actual uses of a working seminary
Watts Hall. the administration build
ing. contains five large. well-lighted, end
well-ventilated lecturerooms, reception
parlor, offices, cloak-rooms, and dormi-
tories for fifty students.
The Spence Library contains in the east
ern end flreproOf stack-room, with iron
and cement floors, and metal shelving for
so 900 volumes and in the western end
spacious and wellfurnished reading
rooms on the two main floors, separated
from the stack-room by wide halls rum
ming north and south, the whole being
covered with an iron and slate roof In
addition. therefore, to the Indispensable
uses which 1t serves as the literary work.
shop of the seminary, il provides what
has long been needed by the Church, an
easily accessible and perfectly safe place
of deposit for all kinds of valuable eccle-
siastical documents.
Westminster Hall contains a refectory
and dormitories for thirty students.
All the buildings are provided with
bathroom conveniences, are heated with
steam in addition TO open CRATES, and
are lighted with gas or electricity
REASONS FOR REMOVAL.
When the seminary was established in
Prince Edward, that and the surround
ing counties were occupied by popula-
ton OF ample wealth, and of a degree OF
cultivation and piety, which made that
region of Southside Virginia most suita-
BILE TOR the environment Of a divinity
school. But the changes which followed |
the war between the States broke I'D |
these prosperous communities, and most |
Of the whites have moved TO other parts |
Df the State or country. Besides that, |
the tendency of population TO the cities |
has made il necessary TO place insttu- |
lions for educating men for the profess |
;ions in some town or city. So the Iues-
lin of removing Union Theological Semi
nary 10 a city has been mooted for a long |
line. About fifteen years ago Major T. j.
of Lynchburg, on being
elected member of the seminary Board
# Trustees, made his first speech in that
)ody in opposition to proposal to put
Ip additional buildings for the institu-
ion. because" ne said, " the seminary
will have soon to be moved to a city"
rhe great difficffiulty was to secure the
means for so expensive an undertaking.
HOW SECURED FOR RICHMOND.
1t was in the spring OF 1894 that the
'oard Of Trustees appointed committee
D entertain offers for the transfer of the
lstitution. Lynchburg entered into the
ace with Richmond. but the board i'm
osed the condition that no offer would
e accepted unless accompanied by a cash
Inscription of 10000. DR.. w. w. Moore.
snior professor in the seminary, proposed
hat II Richmond would raise $4,000 he
ould guarantee an equal amount from
ersons outside the city. Rev. DR.. Robert
err was appointed chairman Of the COM
Iittee to secure site and raise this SUBJ
,rlption, and besides securing the $4,000
e was offered no less than nine sites.
When the board met in Danville. October
/. 1895, the offer of the tract OF IL $40
cres donated by Major Ginter, and the
description of $4,000 were considered suf-
Client inducement for the seminary to be
rought to Richmond, and this offer was
accepted, with only one dis
nting vote. Professor Moore announced