The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-01-05
cToR
A REN


ciety of Concord, N. H., and hospital
and nurses home to the city of Exc
ter, N. H. Mr.. Tucke is a cousin of
Mrs. Edward P. Tucke of this city.
Mr.. Tucke is very wealthy. He re-
ceived has education at Concord and
was born at Exeter, hence his gifts.
Speaking of the new home for the
historical society, the Concord Even
ing Monitor says:
Historical Society Building
The new home of the New Hamp-
shire Historical Society, the gift of
Edward Tucke of Paris, was recently
formally dedicated, and the general
public was permitted to view the mag
nificent work wrought by the artisans
through the munificence of the man
whose gifts made possible the placing
in Concord of one of the finest build
ings of it's class in this country, if not
in the world.
Built of Concord granite, the struc-
ture rests on foundation of the same
material, so strong that neither time
nor the elements can weaken or de-
stroy, and fashioned throughout in it's
interior of steel, concrete, marble and
bronze, making it in the nature of a
monument to it's giver, as well as a
home for the society, which will en-
dure for ages.
Grecian in it's type of architecture,
the outside of the building represents
the highest thought on the part of
the architect, and in it's interior the
building presents series of pictures
that will command the attention of
connoisseurs who will make the jour-
ney to Concord especially to study
them.
Chief of these is the main rotunda,
octagonal in form, and with ceiling
arched and vaulted, all in Old Con-
vent gray Sienua marble, and its
grand stairway, breaking to the right
and left and leading up to the second
story, with it's heavy ballustrade of
marble and bronze, and the massive
table of bronze, the gift of Hon. Ben
jamin A. Kimball, at the head of the
main fight of marble steps, telling in
simple words the story of the gift:
"This building was presented to the
New Hampshire Historical Society by
Edward Tucke, Ammo Domini. 1910.
This tablet was given by Benjamin
Ames Kimball to express and perpet-
uate the gratitude of the society for
the munifcence of Edward Tucke."
Entrance to the rotunda is through
the heavy bronze grill, over which, on
the portico surmounting the main en-
trance, is the sculpture of Daniel
can artist, which adds materially to
the dignified appearance of the build
ing, and has the distinction of being
the largest work of the kind sculp-
tured from a single block OF granite
in the United States.
In recesses in the rotunda walls on
either side of the entrance have been
placed busts of Amos and Edward
Tucke, father and son.
From the rotunda corridors run to
the east and west, the former termi-
mating in the main lecture room, fin
ished in white marble, with platform
of gray marble and ceiling deeply
paneled, with furniture and furnish
ings, all in heavy mahogany of the
richest red; while on the west is the
reading room, with fireplace at the
south end, over which on a back
ground of purest marble. in letters
of bronze. are recorded the names of
those VINO contributed to the fund for
the purchase of the lot and care for
the building.
In the assembly hall light at night
is furnished from electric lamps
which are placed in the center of the
ceiling panels, while in the reading
room adequate light is furnished by
bronze electric candelabra, arranged
on the pillars on either side of the
apartment, between which and the
wall the book stacks are arranged.
On either side of the corridor are
the various committee and admins
tration rooms.
On the second floor the rotunda is
finished in Caen stone and the open
ing to the room below is protected
by a heavy railing of bronze. On this
floor over the assembly hall is the eX-
hibition room, with flooring of quaint
brick thing All the walls of the
building are tinted in light and quiet
colors, which are charming in their
contrasts with the ivory white of the
ceilings, and all of the finish in the