Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 134

Worcester Polytechnic Institute to the material interests of the city and county." He also granted to the Institute at the end of twenty years the right to erect an attractive educational building on a portion of this park, facing its present property and covering an area 200 by 150 feet in dimensions.

From time to time Mr. Salisbury gave funds for beautifying the park. He provided the stone wall around the pond, the winding drives, the boathouse, pavilion and bandstand. In 1892 he had an arch bridge built from the northwest shore to the island. It was later partially destroyed by fire, then removed. He also built an artistic reproduction of the old "Norse" tower at Newport, on a high point of land opposite the Institute campus.

The Salisbury Laboratories were expected to provide ample facilities for a long time in the future, yet within four years after they were occupied the Mechanical Engineering department was seeking more space. On petition of Professor Alden, the trustees' committees on Mechanics and Current Expenses studied the needs of this department. Mr. Washburn, reporting for the committee in June, 1893, recommended that a new building be provided and that the Institute acquire some neighboring water power for making tests of hydraulic machinery. An alternative suggestion was that the Salisbury Laboratories might be enlarged.

Later in the same year a special committee submitted a detailed plan for the enlargement of facilities, with drawings of proposed buildings. The trustees approved the general plan, and discussed means of securing funds for its execution. The best solution appeared to be to memorialize the Legislature for a gift of $100,000. Judge Aldrich, Mr. Lincoln, and Mr. Hoar were given the task of submitting the Institute case. A committee, consisting of Morgan, Whitcomb, Washburn, and Salisbury, was given full power to perfect plans and secure estimates for erecting an engineering laboratory, power house, and hydraulic testing plant.

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