Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 133

ing a copper box filled with contemporary documents. From this time on the work of construction progressed rapidly, but it was not until June, 1889, that apparatus in Boynton Hall could be dismantled and transferred to the new laboratories.

This change left Boynton Hall in a somewhat dilapidated condition. It needed a new heating plant, toilet facilities, and locker rooms; the old Chemistry laboratory had to be converted into a drafting room for Civil Engineers, the Physics laboratory into a reading room, and the whole interior needed painting. A communication to the trustees, in January, 1890, stated that: "the whole has been done at a total expense of $12,840.35 and every bill has been paid, and the whole amount has been cheerfully contributed and donated by yours respectfully, G. Henry Whitcomb, Stephen Salisbury."

Mr. Salisbury's next benefaction was a grant of land, involving an interesting piece of city planning. The city had proposed to lay out Jo Bill Road as a public street in a straight line over the hill west of Boynton Street. Mr. Salisbury saw a happier solution. In 1889, he appeared before the Board of Aldermen and proposed that the street be relocated on graceful curves at the base of the hill, thereby giving the Institute about an acre more land. He also suggested that "Institute" would be a more suitable name for this street than "Jo Bill," which he considered undignified and meaningless, even though it had been a tradition since 1749. Both proposals were approved.

In June, 1887, Mr. Salisbury made a gift to the city of Worcester which directly affected the Institute. From his extensive real estate holdings in the vicinity, he donated a tract of about 18 acres on the north side of Salisbury Street east of Park Avenue, to be used as a city park. This area was largely covered by Salisbury Pond but it provided abundant land for park development. The gift assured to the Institute freedom from encroachment for all time on one of its principal boundaries. Mr. Salisbury specified that "this area shall be called Institute Park in recognition of the usefulness of the

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Last Modified: Fri Jul 30 11:15:25 EDT 1999