Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 50

the alumni office, and the president's sanctum at the east end of the building. The north side of this floor contained a large physical laboratory, later to be the registrar's office, an instrument room, later to be the faculty room, a coat room, and rooms for chemical reagents and balances. On the second floor was a chemical lecture room, class rooms, a small lecture room, and a drawing room. The third floor accommodated the chapel, a large mechanical drawing room, lecture room, model room and office.

The ceremony of dedication was opened with singing by a quartette. Following this D. Waldo Lincoln, vigorous chairman of the building committee, formally delivered Boynton Hall to the trustees. In his address he recounted the steps in the process of raising funds, grading the site, and building the structure, giving suitable credit to all who had shared in the successful prosecution of the work. In closing he said,

We surrender to you a tasteful and substantial edifice, alike creditable to him who has designed and to those who have executed it, and which will go far to remove the reproach which has sometimes been cast upon our city for the ordinary character of its public buildings. For its commanding and admirable location, for the beauty of its architectural design, for the general excellence of its workmanship and finish, for its adaptation to the uses for which it is designed, and for the economy of its construction, we believe it will rank among the model public buildings of the Commonwealth.

President Salisbury received the possession of the building on behalf of the trustees and added further expressions of gratitude and commendation. After bestowing appreciative remarks upon all who had aided in the foundation of the Institute, he called upon Rev. Dr. Sweetser to express thanks to the source of all just works, for, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it." Dr. Sweetser's prayer of dedication was fervent and impressive.

Mr. Salisbury then addressed the assembly, bringing forward for discussion the questions: what is the need of establishing this school, and how can its object be best

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