BUILDING SUBBEEMENT.
A GROUP OF YALE BUILDINGS ERECTED BY SPERRY & TREAT (FORMERLY SMITH, SPERRY & TREAT).
THE YALE BUILDING ERA.
With a Sketch of the Works of Those
who have Taken the most
Active Part in it. .
The time never was—certainly under
the present administration,—when Yale
was not quietly reminding her friends
of the opportunities for the investment
of funds for their own memory, in the
cause of education and for the advance-
ment of Yale, in building projects of
onemeansoranother. Notafew of these
suggestions have been responded to with
the largest liberality in recent years. In
fact, these latter times will always be
noted in the history of the University as
the building era. In view of this fact
the WEEKLY has arranged for the repro-
duction, in this special issue, of addi-
tions to Yale that have, in compara-
tively recent times, been made. Only
two or three of the buildings here re-
produced date beyond the last twelve
years or so.
The men who have erected the build-
ings of an institution like Yale, become
in a manner more or less identified with
the institution, and the works of those
who have had the largest part in the
construction of buildings of Yale are
here reproduced quite fully. These
next few pages, by their very nature,
must be, in a very real and substantial
way, an advertisement for the builders
who are mentioned therein, and it is to
be clearly understood that the expenses
of the preparation of these articles are
borne by these builders who are here
mentioned. It has been, however, the
purpose of the WEEKLY, in introducing
this illustrated and historical chapter on
Yale buildings, to present a review of
this part of the history of Yale in an
accurate and, as far as possible, an
interesting way, and the matter has
been carefully edited with that end in
view.
A Prolific Yale Building Firm.
One can hardly turn to the right or to
the left in going through the buildings
of Yale, without casting his eye upon
some structure which has been con-
structed by the New Haven firm of
Smith, Sperry & Treat, now Sperry &
Treat. The illustrations on this and
on the third page give their main opera-
tions here. The total value of the struc-
tures which they have raised for Yale
must run considerably over a million of
dollars. This chapter does not treat,
with a single very recent exception, of
the society buildings which have been
put up within recent times. The beau-
tiful brown stone building on Prospect
street, the home of a very widely known
Academical society, is a part of their
work. Its appearance is familiar to all
who have been in New Haven for a
good many years.
It is not without interest to Yale men
to be reminded that Mr. Sperry, of this
firm, is the present Congressman from
this district who fought so well for Yale
and all universities against the Dingley
tariff on books and instruments. In his
long and distinguished service in the
New Haven post office and in other pub-
lic positions, he has become known to a
large number of Yale alumni.
Farnam Hall.
The first piece of work this firm un-
dertook for the College was the build-
ing of Farnam in 1869, about 28 years
ago. This dormitory is the oldest of
the newer structures that became nec-
essary when Old Brick Row was taxed
to its utmost limit. It is mainly the
gift of Mr. Henry Farnam, whose name
it bears, and consists of forty-nine
rooms, reached by three entries. Its
construction material is red brick with
stone facings, and two pillars of gran-
ite at each entrance. At the time this
dormitory was proposed the question
arose as to where it should be placed in
order that the plan of the College yard
might be changed with a view to the
construction of future buildings. It
was finally decided to place Battell
Chapel on the corner, and Farnam Col-
lege in immediate contact with it. This
was done in the expectation that the
later buildings should be placed on the
outer lines of the College yard, facing
inward, |
Durfee Hall.
Two years later, or in 1871, the same
firm completed Durfee College, which
at that time stood unrivalled among
buildings of its kind the country over.
It is situated on Elm street at the north
end of the College Campus, and occu-
pies in part the site of the old Divinity
College. The dormitory was the gift of
Mr. Bradford M. C. Durfee, and was
completed just before his death. The
building contains forty suites of rooms,
grouped on five staircases; each suite
occupies the entire width of the build-
ing, with the study facing on the Col-
legé yard, and two bedrooms directly in
the rear. Its dimensions are 181x40
feet, and its material consists of New
Jersey sandstone with belts of Hudson
River bluestone, and red trimmings.
At the time of its construction it was
recognized to be one of the finest college
dormitories in the country, and until
the construction of Welch, White and
Vanderbilt Halls was almost exclusively
occupied by Seniors. Its proximity to
the fence, the centre of College life and
spirit, renders it still more desirable.
Battell.
' The third building erected on the
Campus for religious services, Battell
Chapel, has been generally considered
one of the handsomest of the buildings
of Yale. Theonly criticism that is ever
made in connection with it is in regard
to its location, which has somewhat
prevented the appreciation of its archi-
tectural beauty.
The addition to the Chapel, recently
made, brings the whole structure some-
what within the history of the recent
growth of Yale. The original Battell
Chapel was huilt mainly by the funds
given by Mr. Joseph Battell of New
York City, and on its dedication .on
June 18th, 1876, it was given its present
name in his memory. Its situation on
the corner of Elm and College streets is
in accordance with the plan for the
quadrangle then conceived. Its erec-
tion was entrusted to this same firm of
Smith, Sperry & Treat of New Haven.
