Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1915-09-10
HEPBURN HALL.
Co IONS Dining Hall and Dor
mitory Being Erected for COL
Ieee. A Magnificent Gift.

IeQe. ~ WI ntrlCe
In addition to the mems dormitory,
the gift of A. Barton Hepburn of New
York, an account of which was pub
lished some weeks ago, Middlebury
College is erecting commons and So
cial hall for men, the gift of the same
generous donor. Although connected
by an enclosed passage or loggia with
the dormitory, the commons is virtually
an independent building. The main
feature is large dining hall, 35x65
feet, sufficient to seat l25 comfoI tably
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 fin
ished in colonial design.
On the floor above an equal space will
be devoted to social rooms, large
commons hall, headquarters for the
"Middlebury Union" the student self
governing organization of the men of
the college, trophy room, and reading
and game rooms. These features are
designed to make the commons the
social center for the men of the
college.
On the ground floor is Kitchen store
room, milk room, coal room, and large
bath room for servants.
The dormitory proper is five stories
in height and 65x150 feet in external
dimensions. 1t has wings at either
end allowing abundance of light and
air for each room. The arrangement
of rooms is unique, special design of
the architects, Rossiter and Muller of
New York. Each two students have a
study, 12x13 feet. with a single sleep
ing room, 9x12 on either side. and be-
tween each two sleeping rooms is a
toilet room exclusively 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 privileges. The amount
of plumbing provided is his dormitory
is therefore extraordinary. The baths
proper will appeal particularly 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 be
ing of composition with sanitary round
ed 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
ment in which their students live and
that lin none of them does the dormi-
tory life funish an element in the stu
dents betterment. 1t wss this sug-
gestion which led him to add the COM
mons to the dormtory he had originally
planned and also to include All attrac-
tive apartment for those having care of
the building His desire is to equip
Middebury College with as good ac-
commodations, living. dining and social
rooms under one roof, as those pos
sessed by any college in the United
States.
The site of the building-of course il
will be known as Hepburn Halls par
ticularly inspiring. 1t is on height to
the west of the old college, nearly l0C
feet above the village, commanding ar
extensive view of the Otter Valley, the
Green Mountains, and the Adirondacks.
A little to the north is the white mar.
bic Mead Memorial Chapel, the spire OF
which is under construction.
The contract for both commons and
dormitory has been let to Thomas W.
Rogers of Brandon. Allan Calhoun &
Son OF Middlebury have the heating
and plumbing. The buildings will be
heated by steam from the central plant,
built large enough several years ago tC
provide for just such additions to the
plant Of the college. 1t is expected
that the hall will be completed in time
4for use during the summer session of
1916.