The
Origins of Old West and Evolution of Its Uses
By Joseph Imperiale & Christine
Line
Courtesy of the Dickinson
College Archives
Burnt down February 3, 1803
after four years of construction and was rebuilt in 1804.
click
here for video
History of Construction
The construction of Old West, known
then as 'New College' was authorized and began in 1798. The effort was
in response to the complaints that students could not live at the College.
On June 20, 1799, the first corner stone was laid by John Keen of Carpenters
Co., Philadelphia. While in construction in 1803, however, the brick West
College burnt down. In an attempt to rebuild a building that would be compatible
with that of Princeton University, Judge Breckenridge went to Philadelphia
to consult Benjamin Latrobe, the builder of Princeton's Nassau Hall and
the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. .
Latrobe was a willing contributor to the new
design of West College. In a letter dated May 18, 1803, a copy of which
may be seen in the Dickinson archives, Benjamin Henry Latrobe replies to
Judge Breckenridge's request for drawings in great detail. Latrobe addresses
the aspect of weather in Carlisle because of the extreme temperatures and
amounts of moisture it acquires annually in the winter months. He explains
that his design of the building allows for optimum light absorbtion through
the windows and explains that the stone provides adequate shielding from
the strong, crisp wind. The attention to stone as a weather-proof material
was to have a lasting effect, as noted below.
Benjamin Latrobe
courtesy Dickinson College Archives
In explaining the architectural design chosen
for the building, Latrobe comments that he went against the
then current trends to allow optimum usage
for West College. He suggests that there are several
disadvantages to those designs such as noise,
hallway darkness and the amount of active space used compared to wasted
space. He believes that his design defies those disadvantages.
Addressing the issue of maderials, Latrobe
strongly suggests using the Limestone of our area of central Pennsylvania.
This suggestion provided Dickinson with the character it thrives on today,
as all the buildings on the old campus are made or jacketed in stone and
the "alma mater" celebrates the "old grey walls."
Latrobe's Drawings
Courtesy of the Dickinson College
Archives
The People and
Places of Old West
According to the Pennsylvanian Cumberland
County Register, the new building was first used on November 4, 1805. There
were several rooms prepared for the reception of classes. Unfortunately,
there were no conventional means to heat the rooms. The design of the building
was constructed to accommodate the sunlight on its many windows allowing
natural warming.
The Rooms of Old West
Within the walls of Old West lie many rooms and
each room has its own long story. From classrooms to housing for
students and the College president to today's administration offices, Old
West's story is still unfolding.
A Student's Room in Old West 1891
Courtesy of Dickinson College
Archives
One of the more interesting 'finds' on
the search of the usage of Old West was the Microcosm yearbook that
combined years 1918-1920. The yearbook format is in a diary fashion,
allowing the most descriptive details of events. Here are a few:
April 23, 1918
Cake eating contest in West. Morganthal and
Fox tie for first place. Archie a close second.
January 3, 1919
The Bolsheviki suite in West have open house.
Warne refuses to attend. Plans made to initiate Dr. Sellers.
January 30, 1919
Speaker in Chapel. Everybody cuts but Sophs. There's a reason. Ask
Divinick.
March 26, 1919
Fat Baker is flunking Gym. and doesn't feel
a bit ambitious. Y.M. and Y.W. social tonight. Mike Glowa
appears in Chapel Hall for the first time
in four years.
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Durbin Oratory
Custom made rotating altar
Courtesy of the Dickinson College
Archives
The Durbin Oratory, named for John Pierce
Durbin, was located in the lower level of Old West. John Pierce Durbin,
the eighth president of the College (1833-1845) was the first Methodist
president of the College. The chapel was originally called the 'religious
room' where YMCA and YWCA members would hold meetings. This 'religious
room' was constructed for only $5,000 in 1949.
On Tuesday, February 23, 1954 the 'religious
room' received a new name - The Durbin Oratory. This chapel was dedicated
in honor of John Pierce Durbin, a noted Dickinson pioneer, according to
the dedication address the College president, William W. Edel, gave at
the time.
In the summer of 1968, the Chapel under went
serious re-construction as it sought to meet the needs of both Jewish and
Christian worship. The chapel was given a thanksgiving re-dedication
reception by Howard L. Rubendall, president of the College, in October
24, 1970. On February 2, 1989 the Chapel was again re-dedicated as
an Interfaith Chapel by A. Lee Fritschler. This was done in response
to the growing spiritual needs of the College community.
Courtesy of the Dickinson
College Archives
The room in Old West now known as Memorial Hall
for many years served as the College chapel. The room was remodeled
as a memorial hall in recognition of the services of the eight hundred
and ten young men of Dickinson who fought in World War One. The furniture
of the room was modeled in the pattern in Old Senate Chamber in Independence
Hall, Philadelphia. On June 4, 1921,a service was held in which a
bronze tablet was hung on the wall in order to commemorate the fifteen
young Dickinsonians who gave their lives in that great conflict.
On December 13, 1946, the Omicron Delta Kappa
Fraternity discussed plans for a similar tablet in honor of the young men
of World War II, which was also hung in the hall upon completion.
On February 24, 1959, a third tablet was displayed in Memorial Hall in
honor of Dickinson College Faculty who served their country. The
room today still serves the same purpose and the tablets still hang on
the walls of the hall. Korea and Vietnan are not to be seen, however.
And the most recent Gulf War is unrepresented in the room; the tablet commemorating
the Dickinson alumna who lost her life in the Gulf during that conflict
hangs in the Holland Union Building.
The impetus behind the creation of Memorial
Hall was World War I. The Dickinson College community felt the burden
of War. Enrollment was obviously down, due to the 810 sons
who served in he war. In addition to the dedication of memorial Hall,
the Microcosm of 1919 and 1920 stated, "To those who have offered,
and to those who have sacrificed their lives upon the altar of liberty
'to make the world safe for democracy' this 1919-1920 Microcosm is
reverently dedicated."
The two years of the yearbook were combined
because of the decreased enrollment the war caused. The dedication of Memorial
Hall in Old West and the bronze tablet commemorating the men who fought
on June 4, 1921 would make West a much more solemn place. The antics
reported by the Microcosm in Old West in 1918 would soon cease as
Old West would move from a dormitory and student oriented center to the
administrative center of the campus. The diary in the Microcosm
on December 30, 1918 read, "War's over. The college again comes to
life." This move to commemorate a sad and stagnant time in Dickinson's
history served as a catalyst behind the transformation of the uses of Old
West. Although it was recorded in the Microcosm on March 3,
1924 that a poker game had taken place, this was the last account of this
type recorded in the yearbook concerning Old West. The dedication
of the room is definitely a turning point in the way the building was utilized.
Today, Old West houses the presidential and
other administrative offices. Memorial Hall in particular is the
home of various distinguished speakers, cultural symposiums, and mass every
Sunday night. The tablets still hang on the walls for all who visit
to observe.
Note on the music heard, with appropriate
hardware: Mozart's music was a feature of this time; the opening of his
"Fantasy in C Minor" is included here.
Bibliography:
Texts:
Morgan, James Henry. Dickinson
College; The History of One Hundred and Fifty Years, 1783-1933. Carlisle,
Dickinson College. 1933.
Sellers, Charles Coleman. Dickinson
College; A History. Middleton, Wesleyan U.P. 1973
Drop Files, Courtesy of Dickinson
College Archives
Old West
Durbin Oratory
Memorial Hall