Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-09-16
COMMONS HALL
FOR M|OOLEbURY
A HEPBURN GIFT
Handsome Structure Now Being
Erected-The Second DOna-
ton by Generous
New Yorker.
IR

Middlebury. Sept. 9.-Tn addition to the
mems dormitory. the gift of A. Barton
Hepburn of New York. an account OF
which was published some weeks ago,
Middlebury College is erecting a COM
mons and social hall for men, the gift
Of the same generous donor. Although
connected by an enclosed passage Of
loggia with the dormtory. the commons
Is virtually an Independent building.
The main feature is large dining hail.
35x65 feet sufficient to seat 1875 com.
fortably. The ceiling is high. and there
are five large arched windows on either
side. making an imposing effect. There
will be spacious fire place at one end
OF the room. 1t will be beautifully
finished In colonial design.
On the floor above an equal space will
be devoted to social rooms. n large com
mon hall, headquarters for the mid
dlebury Union" the student self-govern-
ing organization of the men of the
college. a trophy room and reading and
game rooms. These features are design
ed to make the commons the social CEN
ter for the men of the college.
On the ground floor Is a kitchen. store
room, milk room. coal room and large
bath room for servants.
The dormitory proper is five stories in
height and 65x15O feet in external dimen-
sions 1t has wings at either end, allow
ing abundance of light and air for each
room The arrangement of rooms is
unique, a special design of the archi
tects, Rossiter and Muller of New York.
Each two students have a study. 12x13
feet, with a single sleeping ROOM 9x12,
sleeping rooms Is a toilet room
clusivcly for the two students 1t was
Mr.. Hepburn's idea that men these days
want a room with private bath and that
students should have the same priv
leges. The amount of plumbing provided
In this dormitory is therefore extraordin-
airy The baths proper will appear par
ticularly to young men, being shower
baths only, two rooms of three showers
each on every floor.
Both buildings will be as nearly fire
proof as they can be made and the State
board of health has notified the college
that no external fire escapes would be
necessary. There will not be a wooden
floor in the building. all being of COM
position with sanitary rounded corners.
Mr.. Hepburn has been studying the
plans for these buildings for several
years and has personally visited many
of the leading colleges of the country
for ideas as to their construction. He
was impressed with the observation of
the Carnegie report that the Vermont
colleges, like those elsewhere, do not give
sufficient attention to the environment In
which their students live and that lin
none of them does the dormitory life
furnish an element In the students bet
torment" 1t was this suggestion which
led him to add the commons to the DOR
mitory he had originally planned and
also to include an attractive apartment
for those having care of the building,
His desire is to equip Middlehury Col
lege with as good accommodations. liv-
ing. dining and social rooms under one
roof as those possessed by any college
in the United States.
The site OF the building-or course II
will be known as Hepburn halls par
ticularly inspiring. 1t Is on a height tt
the west of the old college, nearly !"
feet above the village. commanding ar
extensive view of the Otter valley. the
Green mountains and the Adlrondacks
A little TO the north is the white marble
Mead Memorial chapel, the spire o.
which Is under construction.
The contract for both commons anC
dormitory has been let to Thomas w
Rogers Of Brandon. Allan Calhoun q
Son Of Middlebury have the heating an'
plumbing The buildings will be heated
by steam from the central plant, Dull
large enough several years ago to pro
vide for just such additions to the plan
of the college. 1t Is expected that TN
hall will be completed in time for us
during the summer season Of 1916.