The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-21
BACHELOR POUNDS
WOMAN'S COLLEGE
William Smith, Aged Millionaire
Nurseryman of Geneva, N.
Y, Plans Memorial.

GENEVA, NJ Y, Aug. 2o.-The avow-
ed intention of William Smith, the mil
lionaire nurseryman of this city, to leave
the greater part of his fortune to the
William Smith College for Women,
which he has founded and endowed with
$3.50, 600 has attracted considerable at
tentfon Mr. Smith has done a great deal
for Geneva, but his latest plans for the
building of a non-Sectarian college for
women are of greater import than any
thing in the line of his many benefac-
lions.
Plans for the college building have
already been drawn, and have been sub
mitted to contractors and builders for
estimates. The handsome thirtyacre plot
of ground known as Smith park, COM
handing fine view of Seneca lake. has
been given by Mr.. Smith as site for the
college.
The plans call for main building
with frontage of 216 feet, with two
wings at either end, each 165 feet long.
esque, and will be executed in light
brown brick, trimmed with Medina sand
stone: The central part of the building
will be known as the administration
building, while one wing will be designat-
ed the education pavilion, and the other
as the residence pavilion. The latter will
be the dormitory. and will have seventy
five rooms, which will accommodate $50
students. The building will be three
stories high, with basement, the latter
being above ground.
In the central part of the ground floor
there will be grand entrance and hall
way, with an Office and council rooms
on one side and reception parlor and
library on the other The upper floors will
be devoted to dormitory purposes. In the
basement there will be gymnasium. The
oormtory wing, or residence pavilion,
will be entirely devoted to dormitory pur-
poses, except the basement where there
VIII be large recitation hail. 50x120 feet
in dimension.
n Cd L
VIII contain at one end a domestic science
demonstration hail. while at the other
VIII be located the dining room. There
VII be a central hall running through
the wing, on one side of which there
VIII be two class rooms, and on the other
q stewards room, pantry and kitchen.
On the floor above there will be- dem
onstration hall, 28x42 while at the OPP
poslte end will be assembly rooms on
either side of a hall running through the
center.
The building will : be modern in every
respect, heated by steam from a separate
plant outside of the building and the
residence portion. The cost of the build
ing Is estimated at 100000 to $150,000,
and it will take at least a year, and,
possibly, more. for its erection.
The college. when built will be turned
over to a board of trustees. who are to
control and manage. it. Nearly all of
for the maintenance of the Institution
Mr.. Smith is bachelor, and is eighty
five years relds He has many nieces and
nephews, but. they will receive little, If
any, part of his wealth. Work on the
college building will be- rushed Jas speed
lily as possible, as. Mr.. Smith is DESTROYS
of seeing the Institution well under. way
before his 4deatb,seqAss he is hale and
hearty. the probabilities are that his
wishes will be Pealizeds eJe etat
Among the many public buildings which
will stand as monument to Mr.. Smiths
benevolenceo are, the. Smith opera house
and the Smith astronomical observatory.
The opera house rise.one ofttfle., finest in
the state. 1t was erected not as an in
vestment, but to give the city a theater
of which its citizens might well be. proud.
The observatory was built fifteen years
ago and has been maintained by Mr..
Smith. The observatory Is in charge of
Prof. William r. Brooks, the comet
finder and a professor of astronomy in
Hobart college. The general public is
of extending astfonomical knowledge
of the finest in the world.
Mr.. Smith came to this country from
England in his youth. He. was a poor boy,
and the first money he earned in Amer
lea was in digging potatoes on shares for
a farmer near Geneva. He was frugal
and saving. and in time was able to pur
chase plot of twenty five acres and he
took up market gardening. He drifted
into the nursery business and grew up
with the Industry in this state. The
greater part of his fortune was made in
the culture and sale of nursery stock.