Evening star., 1935-12-12
CORNERSTONELA|D
FOR Y. ". BUILDING
Donor, Leaving Sick Room,
Uses Silver TroWel
in Ceremony.

Leaving a sick room where she had
been confined for more than year,
Mrs. Henry Alvah Strong picked up
silver trowel today and laid the corner
stone of the eight-story brick building
she donated to the Y. w. c. A. as a
residence for girls.
The building will house 200 girls.
It is located on Seventeenth street
back of the "Y" Administration Build
ing at Seventeenth and K streets to
which it's residents will have access
through a pasSage-way so they can
use the swimming pool, gymnasium,
club and dining rooms.
The gift of the building by Mrs.
Strong was announced last January,
with the condition that the necessary
land be given by friends of the Y. w.
C. A. Money for this purpose was
contributed in amounts ranging from
a dime per square inch up. Young
business women using the "Y" and
little Girl Reserves joined more afiuent
contributors.
10,91O Cared for Last Year.
Need for the building was demon
strated to Y. w. c. A. officials by
the fact the organization took care
of l0,910 girls last year, most of them
transientS seeking work and a place
to live here. They were housed in
the transient residence 614 E street;
the Elizabeth Somers Home, Eleventh
and M streets, or in private houses.
Girls coming to the "Y'' next year will
be accommodated in the new residence.
Mrs. Albert Atwood, president of the
Washington Y. w. c. A, presided at
the cornerstone laying ceremonies.
She introduced Mrs. Frederic M Paist.
president of the National Board of
Young Women's Christian Associations
of the United States, and other mem
berS of the National Board, including
Mrs. John Finley, Mrs. James Cush-
man, Mrs. Thomas Hewitt and Miss
Margaret Mead.
Mrs. Atwood reviewed the history of
the new residence and recited a poem,
THE Mystery of a Building"
Miss Elsa Peterson, chairman of the
Building Committee, presented sealed
box containing a New Testament, the
names of Y w. C. A. trustees, direc-
tors, staff members and members of
the Building Committee; an archi-
tect'S drawing of the building, a list
Of donors of the land, a picture of
Mrs. Strong. copy of today's pro-
gram. newspaper clippings about the
building and two brochures about the
"Y"
Sealed With Silver TrOwel.
This box was placed inside bhe cor
ner stone and sealed by Mrs. Strong
with the silver trowel given her by
the Rochester IN. " Y. w. c. A.
board at the time of the laying of the
corner stone of the Rochester ''Y"
administration building, the gift of
her late husband, in 1912. Mrs. Strong
then was president of the Rochester
Y. w. C. A.
DR.. William S. Abernethy, Y. w.
c. A, chaplain, offered prayer, which
was concluded by an Amen" sung by
members of the 'Y" glee clubs from
windows of the administration build
ing. Guests then adjourned to Bar
ker Hall for luncheon given by the |
Corner Stone Committee, Mrs. Harlan |
Fiske Stone. Mrs. Wilson Compton
and Miss Peterson.
The new building was designed by |
Alexander Trowbridge, former dean of |
the College of Architecture at Cornell |
University, and Waldron Faulkner. It |
was constructed by the william p. |
Lipscomb Co. It has a center private |
court to be Handicapped as an outdoor |
sitting room. single and double rooms |
with running water, sewing rooms, tea |
pantries, parlors, game rooms and a
roof garden.