The Origins of Old West and Evolution of Its Uses
By Joseph Imperiale & Christine Line

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Courtesy of the Dickinson College Archives

Burnt down February 3, 1803 after four years of construction and was rebuilt in 1804.

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 The construction of Old West, known then as 'New College' was authorized and began in 1798. The effort was in response to the complaints that students could not live at the College. On June 20, 1799, the first corner stone was laid by John Keen of Carpenters Co., Philadelphia. While in construction in 1803, however, the brick West College burnt down. In an attempt to rebuild a building that would be compatible with that of Princeton University, Judge Breckenridge went to Philadelphia to consult Benjamin Latrobe, the builder of Princeton's Nassau Hall and the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. .

Latrobe was a willing contributor to the new design of West College. In a letter dated May 18, 1803, a copy of which may be seen in the Dickinson archives, Benjamin Henry Latrobe replies to Judge Breckenridge's request for drawings in great detail. Latrobe addresses the aspect of weather in Carlisle because of the extreme temperatures and amounts of moisture it acquires annually in the winter months. He explains that his design of the building allows for optimum light absorbtion through the windows and explains that the stone provides adequate shielding from the strong, crisp wind. The attention to stone as a weather-proof material was to have a lasting effect, as noted below.


Benjamin Latrobe
courtesy Dickinson College Archives

In explaining the architectural design chosen for the building, Latrobe comments that he went against the
then current trends to allow optimum usage for West College. He suggests that there are several
disadvantages to those designs such as noise, hallway darkness and the amount of active space used compared to wasted space. He believes that his design defies those disadvantages.

Addressing the issue of maderials, Latrobe strongly suggests using the Limestone of our area of central Pennsylvania. This suggestion provided Dickinson with the character it thrives on today, as all the buildings on the old campus are made or jacketed in stone and the "alma mater" celebrates the "old grey walls."
 

Latrobe's Drawings
Courtesy of the Dickinson College Archives

The newly built West College was first used in 1805. It was successfully completed in 1821. The first estimation before construction from John Montgomery, the treasurer, was that the building would cost approximately $9,000.  Reports from April 1803 to January 1804 totaled $13,553. Upon completion in 1821 the cost was an astounding $20,000!


Earliest Picture of Old West - c1860
Courtesy of the Dickinson College Archives

According to the Pennsylvanian Cumberland County Register, the new building was first used on November 4, 1805. There were several rooms prepared for the reception of classes. Unfortunately, there were no conventional means to heat the rooms. The design of the building was constructed to accommodate the sunlight on its many windows allowing natural warming.

The Rooms of Old West

Within the walls of Old West lie many rooms and each room has its own long story.  From classrooms to housing for students and the College president to today's administration offices, Old West's story is still unfolding.
A Student's Room in Old West 1891
Courtesy of Dickinson College Archives

The Durbin Oratory, named for John Pierce Durbin, was located in the lower level of Old West.  John Pierce Durbin, the eighth president of the College (1833-1845) was the first Methodist  president of the College.  The chapel was originally called the 'religious room' where YMCA and YWCA members would hold meetings.  This 'religious room' was constructed for only $5,000 in 1949.

On Tuesday, February 23, 1954 the 'religious room' received a new name - The Durbin Oratory.  This chapel was dedicated in honor of John Pierce Durbin, a noted Dickinson pioneer, according to the dedication address the College president, William W. Edel, gave at the time.

In the summer of 1968, the Chapel under went serious re-construction as it sought to meet the needs of both Jewish and Christian worship.  The chapel was given a thanksgiving re-dedication reception by Howard L. Rubendall, president of the College, in October 24, 1970.  On February 2, 1989 the Chapel was again re-dedicated as an Interfaith Chapel by A. Lee Fritschler.  This was done in response to the growing spiritual needs of the College community.

Memorial Hall

  Courtesy of the Dickinson College Archives
 
The room in Old West now known as Memorial Hall for many years served as the College chapel.  The room was remodeled as a memorial hall in recognition of the services of the eight hundred and ten young men of Dickinson who fought in World War One.  The furniture of the room was modeled in the pattern in Old Senate Chamber in Independence Hall, Philadelphia.  On June 4, 1921,a service was held in which a bronze tablet was hung on the wall in order to commemorate the fifteen young Dickinsonians who gave their lives in that great conflict.
 
 
On December 13, 1946, the Omicron Delta Kappa Fraternity discussed plans for a similar tablet in honor of the young men of World War II, which was also hung in the hall upon completion.  On February 24, 1959, a third tablet was displayed in Memorial Hall in honor of Dickinson College Faculty who served their country.  The room today still serves the same purpose and the tablets still hang on the walls of the hall.  Korea and Vietnan are not to be seen, however.  And the most recent Gulf War is unrepresented in the room; the tablet commemorating the Dickinson alumna who lost her life in the Gulf during that conflict hangs in the Holland Union Building.

The impetus behind the creation of Memorial Hall was World War I.  The Dickinson College community felt the burden of  War.  Enrollment was obviously down, due to the 810 sons who served in he war.  In addition to the dedication of memorial Hall, the Microcosm of 1919 and 1920 stated, "To those who have  offered, and to those who have sacrificed their lives upon the altar of liberty 'to make the world safe for democracy'  this 1919-1920 Microcosm is reverently dedicated."

The two years of the yearbook were combined because of the decreased enrollment the war caused. The dedication of Memorial Hall in Old West and the bronze tablet commemorating the men who fought on June 4, 1921 would make West a much more solemn place.  The antics reported by the Microcosm in Old West in 1918 would soon cease as Old West would move from a dormitory and student oriented center to the administrative center of the campus.  The diary in the Microcosm on December 30, 1918 read, "War's over.  The college again comes to life."  This move to commemorate a sad and stagnant time in Dickinson's history served as a catalyst behind the transformation of the uses of Old West.  Although it was recorded in the Microcosm on March 3, 1924 that a poker game had taken place, this was the last account of this type recorded in the yearbook concerning Old West.  The dedication of the room is definitely a turning point in the way the building was utilized.

Today, Old West houses the presidential and other administrative offices.  Memorial Hall in particular is the home of various distinguished speakers, cultural symposiums, and mass every Sunday night.  The tablets still hang on the walls for all who visit to observe.

Bibliography:

Texts:

Morgan, James Henry. Dickinson College; The History of One Hundred and Fifty Years, 1783-1933. Carlisle, Dickinson College. 1933.

Sellers, Charles Coleman. Dickinson College; A History. Middleton, Wesleyan U.P. 1973

Drop Files, Courtesy of Dickinson College Archives

Old West

Durbin Oratory

Memorial Hall