The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-09-11
MICDLEBURYs NEW BUILDING
Another Gift to College from Barton
Hepburn of New York.

Hepburn of New York.
Middlebury, Sept. 9.-In addition to
the mems dormitory, the gift of A.
Barton Hepburn, the New York bank
er and alumnus of Middlebury col
lege, Middlebury college has receiy-
ed another gift from the same gener-
GUS donor in the shape OF funds to
build a commons and social hall for
men. Work on the erection of both
buildings is well under way.
Hepburn hall, the mems dormitory,
given several weeks ago, stands on a
height west of the old college nearly
100 feet above the village and com
mands an extensive view of the Otter
Creek valley, the Green Mountains
and TO the west the Adirondacks. 1t
is little to the south of the white
marble Mead Memorial chapel the
spire of which is now under construc-
ton.
Although connected by an enclosed
passage or loggia with the dormitory,
the commons is virtually an independ
ent building. The main feature is
large dining hall. 80 by So feet, sufli
ctent to seat 125 comfortably The
ceiling is high, and there are five
large arched windows on either side,
making an imposing effect. There
will be a spacious fireplace at one
end of the room. 1t will be finished
in colonial design.
On the floor above an equal space
will be devoted to social rooms,
large common hall, headquarters for
the "Middlebury Union the student
self-goyerning organization of the
men of the college, a 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 stor-
les in height and 65 by $50 feet in ex-
ternal dimensions. II has wings at
either end. allowing abundance of
light and air for each room.
The Arrangement of rooms is un-
ique, q special design of the archi-
tects, Rossiter & Muller of New
York.
Each two students have a study, II
by Is feet, with single sleeping
room, by 10, ON either side, and
between each two sleeping rooms is
n toilet room exclusively for the two
students. 1t was Mr.. Hepburn's idea
that men these days want room
with private bath and that students
should have the same privileges The
amount of plumbing provided in the
dormitory is therefore extraordinary.
The baths proper will appeal particu-
larly to young men, being shower
baths only, two rooms of three show
ers 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 es-
capes would he necessary There will
not be a wooden floor in the build
ings, all being of composition with
sanitary rounded corners.
The contract for both commons
and dormitory has been let to Thorn
no ..g a
Calhoun & Son of Middlebury have
the heating and plumbing contract
The buildings will be heated by
steam from the central plant, built
large enough several years ago to pro
vide for just such additions to the
plant OF the college. 1t is expected
that the hall will be completed in
time for use during the summer ses-
sion of 1916
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 construc
tion. He was impressed with the oh
the Vermont colleges, like those else
where, do not give sufficient attent-
ion to the environment in which their
students live and that lin none of
them does the dormitory life furnish
an element in the students better
ment." 1t was this suggestion which
led him to add the commons to the
dormitory he had originally planned
and also to include an attractive
apartment for those having care of
the building His desire is to equip
Middlebnry college with as good ac-
commodations, living, dining, and so
cial rooms, under one roof as those
possessed by any college in the Unit
ed States.