Monmouth College - Ravelings Yearbook (Monmouth, IL)

Page 19 text:

Monmouth College Gymnasium For many years the dream of generations of Monmouth students has been a new gymnasium. The first issue of the college paper back in the year 1867 spoke of this crying need. The sixties and the seventies and the eighties and the nineties came and went and the crying need was not met. With the opening of the twen- tieth century a frame structure costing then something like $3,000.00 was erected. It was intended to be temporary; it has carried on for almost a quarter of a century. After Library and new main building and science hall and two halls of residence for young ladies had been built the gymnasium question again obtruded itself. The New World Movement of the United Presbyterian Church seemed to render possible that which had so long been cherished as a hope. Mr. Dan Everett Waid of New York City, a graduate of the class of ' 87, was chosen as architect and after months of study and investigation presented a plan that was accepted by the Board of Trustees. On the 21st of July, 1923, the contract for the building was awarded to P. H. Lorenz Company of Moline, the contract price being $228,073.00. Ground was broken on the morning of August 14th and since that time the work has been going steadily on. Sometime during the school year of 1924-25 it is hoped to have this building ready for use. When finished it will be one of the finest and most complete structures of its kind on any campus in the middle west or anywhere else for that matter. It is 122 feet in length by 84 in width, not counting the front and back pro- jections which add some 35 feet to the total width. It is built of reinforced concrete from basement to main floor; from main floor upward the material is Purington paving brick with stone trimmings. The roof is of reinforced concrete. It is a building for which Monmouth College has been waiting sixty-eight years. It will serve her for many years to come not only as a gymnasium com- plete in its appointments but on occasions as an auditorium fitted to accommodate crowds such as at present can find no accommodation on her campus. It is being built not for to-day alone but for a forward looking institution with a future.