Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 211

Streets, overlooking Institute Park. A large portion of its 900,000 cubic feet was devoted to a laboratory, greatly exceeding in size any college engineering laboratory previously built. The estimated cost of the project, including grading, was $150,000, though efforts were made to reduce this figure. Changes necessary in the Salisbury Laboratories to expand the facilities of the Physics and Chemistry departments were estimated to cost $20,000, and $11,000 was allowed for power house equipment. Other small sums were appropriated for the Mechanical department.

Contract for the building was let to the Central Building Co., headed by Edward F. Miner, '87, in May, 1906, and with Professor French as superintendent of construction, excavation began in July. The structure was completed the following year. It aroused much interest in educational and engineering circles, and became the show place of the Institute. The item of equipment that aroused the most comment was a full-size electric railway car, equipped with instruments for testing electric traction lines. It was beautifully proportioned and attractively decorated. In succeeding years it became well known throughout New England, for it was run out over the tracks of the Worcester street railway system and thence to the extensive network of New England traction lines, where it was used by instructors and students to make commercial tests.

The amount received from the Salisbury estate, less interest on money borrowed for construction, was $248,800. Of this sum, about $5,000 was used for current expenses, and $36,000 for equipment and alterations in other departments. The balance of over $200,000 went into the Electrical Engineering building and its equipment. Many members of the faculty felt, with perhaps some justification, that this was a disproportionate use of Mr. Salisbury's legacy, or that the erection of such a structure was not justified by anticipated student enrollment, and that its maintenance cost would be a serious drain on inadequate endowment income.

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