Michigan State University - Red Cedar Log Yearbook (East Lansing, MI)

Page 22 text:

T ,g 3' ,Q 4 HE OTHER HALL, Saint's Rest, was to be the Gunni- sons' home while they were at college. The basement, where they would spend many leisure hours, contained the kitchen, washrooms, students' dressing room, storeroom and cellar, with a cooking range and cold and hot water tanks and washing equipment. The dining room, sitting room, reading room and steward's apartment occupied the first floor. The second and third floors were well-ventilated dormitories, in which students slept four to a room. The capacity of Saint's Rest was the limit of College enroll- ment, for neighboring farm houses could not accommodate roomers, and the road to Lansing discouraged thoughts of daily travel. tx x ll N 'xg N 1 l s ll I 4 .I K. , . xy, 2 ,T 4 I jj ,X 1 .7 ff 1 ' 1 si-f' 2- '. . ..ry , Europe for his health in 1873-74. 16 if Theophilus Capen Abbot, president from 1863 to 1884. Pr0f. George T. Fairchild acted in his place when he went to

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greet jimi Jtudentr HE BUILDINGS, if not complete at this time, could be improved as the needs arose, the 'fcampusv was not even clear of slashing and brush-but that was part of the plan, to have students attend ucollegei' part of each day, and work the rest of the time on the grounds as part of their education and ukeepf' Such manual labor was considered vital to the development of well-rounded, responsible citizens. To the Gunnisons it looked good. After President Williams had enrolled them and introduced them to some of their classmates they set out on a tour of the three buildings and the grounds. College Hall was a three-story rectangular structure of orange-red brick, 50 by l00 feet, built on a gentle rise. The first floor had a partially-supplied chemistry laboratory at the north end, an assembly hall-chapel at the south. Un the second floor were two large classrooms and two offices, one for the presi- dent, another for the college treasurer, on the third floor, a meager library in one corner, a museum in another, and three small class- rooms. The horse barn was of brick, two stories above a cellar. It was housing for the stock the students would need to work the farm and grounds. i . x Rf The first greenhouse, built in 1866, soon proved inadequate, and this one was built in 1874, at the edge of the river, overlooking the hollow in which the Beal gardens were later planted. 15

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A bridge over the Red Cedar was an early requirement. This one carried Farm Lane. he dream of the century comer true This was the College of May 31, 1857. Four brick homes to house faculty families would be built before the end of 1857. A wooden farm house that came with the prop- erty would be rebuilt. And students soon would build a bridge over the Red Cedar river. On the day of the Collegeis opening, these and many other things were still to come. There was still a sharp odor about the farm,,, from the breaking of rich, virgin soil. For the dedication, the chapel in College Hall was filled, interested people had come from miles around. On the platform were Kinsley S. Bingham, governor of Michigan, Joseph R. Williams, president of the College, Calvin M. Tracy, professor of mathematics, and Lewis R. Fisk, professor of chemistry. The governor and his staff had ridden from Lansing in a horse-drawn hack. Many of the others had ridden behind oxen. As stumps were pulled and sloughs drained. landscaping started. None of these small conifers rem . 1 ., 1' a . L. 1