Tennessee Wesleyan College - Nocatula Yearbook (Athens, TN)

Page 9 text:

Old College Chapel In the Bulletin of Tennessee Wesleyan College (a monthly publication no longer issued) for May, 1928, an account is given of the razing of the old college chapel and the construction of the auditorium-gymnasium, re- dedicated in 1951 as Townsend Memorial Hall in honor of Colonel W. B. Townsend, generous benefactor of the College: The old college chapel held memories sacred to many students during the more than forty years of its ex- istence. It served its day and served it well. Onlv be- cause of the need for a larger and more adequate building was the decision finally made to tear away the old chapel. The final, farewell chapel service on Wednesday, November 14, 1923, was an impressive one. Prof. D. A. Bolton, who had been present at the laying of the cornerstone in 1882, was the chief speaker. The new auditorium-gymnasium is a real delight. . . The building was dedicated by Bishop W. P. Thirkiekl on October 28th, 1924. All who had any part in pro- viding this beautiful and serviceable building for the College have just cause to rejoice in the achievement. These two buildings, the old chapel on the one hand and the new auditorium on the other, are typical of the linking of the old and the new in Tennessee Wesleyan College. Just as the new building is built on the founda- tions of the old, so the new Tennessee Wesleyan is being built on the foundations— the history, the traditions, the ideals, the lovalties — of the old.

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PRINT OF OLD COLLEGE Old College Hall Considered a fine example of early American archi- tecture, Old College Hall is rich in tradition and service. Although one source indicated that the build- ing was erected in 1853, the date most frequently given is 1858. During the War between the States, it was used as a hospital for the wounded. Among the distinguished alumni and contributors to the Col- lege who studied here are Bishop R. J. Cooke, whose library was given to the College; The Reverend Mr. John J. Manker, a former President of the College and one of those for whom Petty-Manker Hall is named; and Professor David A. Bolton, a graduate of 1872 and a member of the faculty from that time until his retirement in 1920, in whose memory Bolton Hall is named. A historic print of Old College, original building on the Tennes- see Wesleyan College campus, erected in 1858 and recently reconditioned. In eighteen hundred seventy-two This hell began its summons true: Lad and lass! Come to class! And still each hour we hear its call Echoing from ' Old College ' Hall. Those who are summoned to classes with electric buzzers miss the charm and tradi- tion of the college bell, still a landmark on many campuses. This bell, now in the tower of the library, was in service for many years. In looking for historical material to be used in the Centennial yearbook, a member of the staff found an album which con- tained this picture. Under the picture were these lines, probably penned by a student of another day:

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Elizabeth Ritter Hall Through the years the Holston Conference of The Meth- odist Church has been joined in its support of the College by individuals and organizations both within and without the church. The Elizabeth Ritter Hall, erected in 1891, is owned and supported by the Woman ' s Society of Christian Service of the Board of Missions of The Methodist Church. The McMinn County Sentinel for May 17, 1907, carried a full and interesting story of the close of the year at Grant University. Included in the article was this statement con- cerning the first major improvement to Ritter after 1891: During the past few months a $12,000 addition to Ritter Home has been under construction. It is not yet complete, but it will be before the opening of the next year, and the old part is to be repaired. The new addi- tion provides new and more commodious rooms for dining and study rooms, and rooms for the accommoda- tion of thirty-two more girls. Banfield Hall C. H. Banfield Memorial Hall was erected in 1901, a gift of a long-time trustee and liberal contributor to the College.