Barnard College - Mortarboard Yearbook (New York, NY)

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BARNARD COLLEGE DORMITORY BUILDVHG HOUSING AND HOME FINANCE AGENCY PROJECT NO N.V. 30 CH-llS ID) O ' CONNOR AND KILHAM ARCHITECTS IR.H. CONSTRUCTION COF GENERAL CONTRACTOR. Construction of Reid Hall, 1961. 1889 Barnard ' s first home was a town house at 343 Madison Avenue because no building could be found in the vicinity of Columbia Coll. at a rent that would fit the $1,800 budgeted for it. 1907 Fifb -six women moved into the new Brooks Hall dorm while men were still working on the building. It had a more modern interior than Milbank, but the materials, brick and limestone, harmon- ized with the architecture of the earlier buildings.

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n October 7, 1889, fourteen freshmen mounted the steps ot343 Madison Avenue, a high-stooped brownstone, the headquarters of the newly established women ' s college of Columbia Uniuersit];. Frederick A. P. Barnard, President of Columbia Uniuersibj, said of the downtown location: ' . . . the temptations of the City although different in character, are no more cor- rupting than . . . (those) of the countn;, and whatever advantage there may be in a countn; place is dearly; purchased ... at the cost of sacrificing the convenience, the intellectual stimulus, the opportunities of observation, and the man]; other advantages which students . . . enjoy in great cities. It is my well- settled belief that in the selection of a site for a college, the most populous town should be preferred to any location in the countn;, however apparently; tempting. The ph[;sical facilities were poor. Two rooms were fitted as classrooms, and the butler ' s pantn; served as a locker room. Six subjects were offered to the first freshman class: Mathematics, Greek, Latin, and English, all required, and a choice of either French or German. With these limited facilities and a total budget of $7,500, which exceedea me .cpected income, Barnard College began to develop the spirit and tradition which we have inherited. In 1896, Barnard moved to new and larger quarters on Broadway;, between 119th and 120th Streets, opposite the new Momingside Heights campus of Columbia University. Fiske Hall served as a dormiton;, while the adjacent Brinckerhoff and Milbank Halls contained the academic and administrative facilities. The atmosphere was much more favor- able to the growth of the college than the prev ious cramped conditions. Student Government, Bulletin, Mortarboard, and the Athletic Association began. The Banjo Club, Hockey Club, and Baseball Club were flourishing organizations. Chapters of seven national sororities- then called ' fraternities ' -were formed. In 1903, Mrs. A A. Anderson, the donor of Milbank Hall, gave the College the three and one-half acres from 116th to 119th Street, bounded by Broadway and Claremont Avenue, thus securing the Barnard Campus against the encroachment of a rapidly growing New York. A dor- mitory. Brooks Hall, named after Rev. Arthur Brooks, the first Chairman of the Board of Trustees, was built in 1907. In 1910, Barnard came of age when one of her alumnae, Virginia C. Gifdersleeve ' 97, was appointed Dean, in which capacity she served for thirty-six years. Under her guidance and leadership, the college expanded, despite the Great Depression and two world wars. In 1915, to commemorate his fiftieth year in America, Jacob M. Schiff, first Treasurer of Barnard donated funds for an additional building to house student organizations, athletic, medical, and lunchroom facilities. An additional Dormitory, Hewitt Hall, was built in 1925. In 1947, Dean Gildersleeve retired and Millicent Carey Mcintosh became Dean of Barnard College. In 1952, she became the first president of the college. Since then the presidencey has changed hands several times. Now hold- ing the office is Jacqueline Anderson Mattfeld, who took office in 1976. Virginia Crocheron Gildersleeue Millicent Mcintosh

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1897 Construction ofMilbank Hall was begun. Toda ;, the building sewes as the home for a wide array; of depart- ments and classrooms. In addition, within Milbank is the Minor Latham Pla jhouse and the Ella Weed Room, a facult] lounge. 1917 Barnard Hall was constructed. This building contains classrooms and the medical office. 1925 Construction of the dormitory Hewitt Hall was begun. It was designed to house 250 students and to provide a dining room and reception areas on the first floor. . .T- . It h — r -f c E li IE