THE NEW NATURAL SCIENCE HALL
Chairman, Department of Biology
The new home for the natural sciences is now under construction and will be ready for occupancy at the beginning of the spring recess. It was designed by the college architect Mr. Larson. It is located on the site of the old KKK house on the west side of North Main street. It has two wings, fitted together in the form of a letter T, one wing facing east and extending parallel to Main Street, the other facing south and extending parallel to the Tuck Drive. If the future expansion of the sciences makes it necessary, a third wing will be added facing north and extending parallel to Webster Avenue, thus changing the shape of the whole building to the form of the letter H.
The south wing of the building, the cross bar of the T, is 134 feet long by 37 feet wide, and rises three stories and a half above the basement. The half story or "attic" is lighted by a skylight and the basement is lighted by the usual type of basement windows. Both basement and attic are usable. The north wing of the building, the one facing Main Street, rises four full stories above the basement and measures 85 feet by 58.
The several departments of the natural science group are distributed through the building by floors. The first floor will be occupied by the departments of Evolution and Zoology. On this floor are located laboratories, recitation rooms, conference rooms, offices, etc. A special feature on this floor is a large lecture room, seating about 200 men. This lecture room occupies a part of the basement as well as the first floor. The second floor will be occupied by the department of Botany. In addition to the usual laboratories, recitation rooms and offices, there is a large herbarium room to hold the valuable collection of plants presented to the College by Professor Jesup. The third floor will be.occupied by the departments of Geology and Geography. It has laboratories for the study of mineralogy and the making of maps, recitation rooms and offices. A special room on this floor will hold the New Hampshire collection of rocks gathered by Professor Hitchcock.. The fourth floor of the north wing and the attic of the south wing will house the advanced courses in Anatomy, Embryology and Genetics.
As a supplement to the Natural Science Hall there is being designed a greenhouse and gardens to be located on a lot east of Main Street and North of Elm. Street. The plans for these are not yet complete.
In drafting all these plans an especial attempt has been made to "humanize"' the sciences by promoting informal relations between students and teachers and. by bringing students into closer relationswith the material studied. A large number of conference rooms are provided, each with a "round table" for the use of small classes and conference sections of large classes. In the basement of the building is a comfortable club room with a kitchen attached. This room will be used by the Biology Club, the Scientific Association and similar organizations, and will be especially useful for holding informal meetings of the smaller advanced classes. The exhibits of the present Butterfield Museum, such as are not removed to the present Wilson Hall for display, will be shdwn in wall cases in the corridors throughout the new building. The policy will be adopted of making each case illustrate some law or principle, such as protective coloration, effects of parasitism, communal life etc. Near the entrance to the main lecture room will be a special exhibit illustrating the evolution of man.
The teaching force will be very well cared for in the new hall. Each professor will have a comfortable office of his own with a private laboratory or work shop attached. The basement contains a modern workshop which will be fitted with lathe, saw etc. There are numerous store-rooms conveniently located near the laboratories and a large general storeroom in the basement. Each office will be provided with its own telephone, connecting with the janitor or technician as well as with the outside world. The entire building will be equipped with the latest and best of modern instruments such as binocular microscopes, electric incubators, stereopticons, etc. The building gives us exactly what we want, a comfortable, practical workshop situated right in the heart of the college plant.
The Architect's Drawing of the New Natural Science Building
The Natural Science Building in early November
