1 15 1 https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/2537fd4083cd84a94b25e2a715d99161.pdf 5087ac1379fe6f35a629ba58e0559a89 PDF Text Text CATALOGUE �Parr:i.sh Hall 16 South River Street Parrish Hall stands today as a monument to the era when the economy of Luzerne County was dominated by the anthracite industry. The building was erected in 1909 to house the offices of the Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal Company. 1 It was designed by the Wilkes-Barre architectural firm of Welsch, Sturdevant, and Poggi. 2 The office building was purchased by Wilkes College in 1958 from the Glen Alden Corporation, successors to the original firm. 3 The structure is presently used to house classrooms and offices and is named in honor of Charles Parrish, a founder of the Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal Company. Architecturally, Parrish Hall is an example of late Victorian commerical architecture of the Hacademic• trend. The masonry structure has five stories and measures approximately sixty feet by one-hundred feet. The front section is heavily decorated with classical details while the middle and back sections show little aesthetic striving. The name of the originql firm is carved below the cornice on the street facade. The entrance and stairhalls have marble wainscoting and tile floors. A decorative motif composed of the initials of the Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal Company is found through out the interior. An interesting feature of the interior is the floor to floor mail shute, said to be 1 �2 the first such system in Wilkes-Barre. Minor alterations have been made to the building over the years, however, the basic structure remains intact. Parrish Hall stands on the east side of South River Street near the intersection of West Market Street. The land was originally a portion of plot number six as laid out in 1770. Two of the finest hostelries in the history of Wilkes-Barre stood on this site and that of Chapman Hall to the south. The Phoenix Hotel was erected about 18Jl• It was replaced by the Wyoming Valley Hotel about 1864. The Wyoming Valley Hotel was torn down in the early twentieth century. Legend says that Arnold Colt operated a tavern in a building that stood on or near this site in the early years of the Dineteenth century. 1 oscar J. Harvey and Ernest G. Smith, A History of Wilkes-Barre and W omin Valle (Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Smith-Bennett Company, 19JO, IV, 1922. 2welsch, Sturdevant, and Poggi, architectural drawings, August 29, 1908. (Wilkes College, Business Office) 3 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1412, p. 82. �16 S. River St. PARRISH HALL Parrish Hall was built 1908-09. It was the former Lehigh and Wilkes -Barre Coal buiiding. Wilkes College ~cquired the building in May of 1958. The imposing five-story building houses the Finance department, the department of Political Science, Commerce and Finance, Business Administration and Psychology. It was acquired through generous contributions including gifts from the Alvert A. List Foundation, Inc. and RKO Theatres Foundation. The property includes the fivestory buiTding at 16 South River St., the adjoining President's House at 34 South River Street, and a large parking lot behind both buildings. The building was renamed Parrish Hall after the noted leader in the development of hard coal. The President's home was renamed Isaac Chapman Hall. - Added: 1 March 1983 From information in the Archives Files at Wilkes College Gerogetta Nelson Added: 14 March 1983 After the 1972 flood, damages to both these buildings was in excess of $400,000. gn • �J Ill. No. 1 Parrish Hall 16 South River Street spring, 1972 sources author Note, Parrish Hall was built in 1909. �4 Ill. No. 2 Phoenix Hotel sourceJ Wyoming Historical and Geological Society Note, The Phoenix Hotel, built circa 18Jl and razed circa 1865, stood on the present site of Parrish Hall. �5 'i-/~~~f/lf~1$"'" . · · ·'"·-1.\\)~~~-:;.' ~-:,· -~: .. '' :•,_:ft:~ : ~;-:~- ~ ... , . ... ~ ,;-ti:~:> ~-r;·J! ,...,_,..c."-J\ ;-.-~-~-~ . , ,; ~ .... ~....,f.,.~~: ?:tJffef/ ... .Y - • .);t;~ •. • , · - ..... !,, Ill. No. 3 Wyoming Valley Hotel source, Wyoming Historical and Geological Society Note, The Wyoming Valley Hotel was erected about 1865 and razed in the early twentieth century. It occupied the sites of the present Parrish and Chapman Halls. �6 • Ill. No. 4 Wyoming Valley Hotel sources Wyoming Historical and Geological Society Notes In the late ninet~eth century the roof was remolded in the Mansardic style. �Isaac Chapman Hall 24 South River Street The history of Chapman Hall is closely associated with that of Parrish Hall. The structure, which sets to the south of Parrish Hall, was built in the mid 19J0s as the residence of the president of the Glen Alden Corporation. 1 Wilkes College acquired the building in 1958 when it purchased the corporation's property holdings in the first block of South River Street. Chapman Hall is a three and a half story, brick structure with a tile roof and a portecochere ori the south side. The name honors Isaac Chapman, an early resident of the area and the author of History of Wyoming • .i,y,l,::,,/-{c1 /4,tfu,utU.. /o/{)'l i¼. ;?rlucli',:1,,J--icvftr ~J /J.tc u~H,c {tv'-£1 jCj/&, ~CO f(_l r-<-;J-<-f-l,(A,l (.-{._ f-0. .6-Ju A uv-d Vi/- .1 (01!- t7 2 Hu pv t:? . .,A,~it ~--Z_ };;euc 1%-itn 4rf, • 1 rnterview with Dr. Eugene s. Farley, Wilke~-Barre, Pennsylvania, November 11, · 1971. 7 �24 S. River St. CHAPMAN HALL The college acquired the Coal Company buildings on 6 May 1958 (see Parrish Hall), through generous donations and contributions including gifts from the Albert A. List Foundation, Inc., and RKO Theatre Foundation. ' The property was built in or about the mid-1930s. This building and the Parrish Hall building also acquired at the same time, were erected on the site of the former Old Wyoming Vall~y Hotel. Added: 1 March 198J Ge0rgetta Nelson: from information in the Wilkes Archives files �8 m llii1 r- --r --~- ~ . . .. ---, -.:. J :. m~u . - I ·• a;;::;sg ■ &"Was°lia Ill. No. 5 Chapman Hall 24 South River Street spring, 1972 sources author �Guidance and Placement Center J4 South River Street The structure presently used for the Guidance and Placement Center was originally the office of Andr~w Todd McClintock, an attorney. Although the exact date of construction is unknown, the building was erected in the mid nineteenth century. The earliest known record of it is a circa 1868 photograph of South River Street. The history of the building is closely associated with that of McClintock Hall to the south. Mcclintock Hall was built as the residence of Andrew Todd Mcclintock. The building was erected in three sections. The I.I! original portion s~ts close~to the sidewalk and has a center door flanked by two windows. The back or east wing was erected about the turn of the century. It is not shown in the 1894 Atlas of Wilkes-Barre but is shown in the 1904 edition. The last section built was the south wing al though the exact date is not knownhu/ f~Jc,,'t' fo/r>i• I The proerty was acquired by the college in 1959 from the estate of Gilbert S. McClintock. 1 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1440, p. 40. 9 �10 , , .,,. r .,. _ __, r'•.-: -..; ' ~ >:ft .,, :~~ ~ ~ Ill. No. 6 Guidance and Placement Center J4 South River Street spring, 1972 sources author �Mcclintock Hall 44 South River Street ;:f c (/4...._-k,,, k It is generally accepted-by-hi-st-orians-v))a-c-Mce-1-i-ntock Hall was built as the residence of Andrew Todd McClintock (1810-1892), an attorney. Although a substantiated date of construction is unknown, the house was probably erected in the early 1840s. A note added to an 186J architectural drawing of the house records that it was built in 1841. Until 1951, when the building was given to Wilkes College, the house had been the home of three generations of the McClintock family. The present Mcclintock Hall is nearly three times the size of the original house. The 186) architectural drawing of the plan of the first and second floors and an examination of the structure reveals that the house is made up of four main sections built at different times. The original house was a two and a half story, half Georgian form structure with a recessed entrance and consisted of the present hall and the two rooms along the south side of it. may have been in a separate building, The kitchen In the following years the two first floor rooms on the north side of the hall and a two story service wing were added. The conservatory which stood on the site of the former library may have been built at this time. In 186J the New York architectural firm df Vaux and 11 �12 Withers designed several alterations for the residence of ftA. T. McClintock, Esq., Wilkes-Barre, Pa.- 1 The plans involved the addition of a second and third floor to the north side of the house. The bay window and the floor length windows of the first floor, northwest room were also a part of the designs. The two story arcade and the present vestibule as well as minor interior alterations were included in this plan. A note written on the bottom of one of the sheets of the architectural drawings indicates that the 1863 designs are the work of Frederick Clark Withers. (Withers was the architect of Kirby Hall.) Francis Kowsky, a scholar on Withers, however, feels that the alterations, particulary the arcade, may have been the wori of Withers' partner Calvert Vaux. 2 Kowsky writes that "(the arcade) is totally unlike his (Withers) work, being closer to the Renaissance style that Vaux used from time to time.ft The last major addition was the construction of a library on the site of the earlier conservatory. The exact date in unkown, but this extension was erected in the early twentieth century. The extension does not appear in the series of atlases of the city until the 1933 edition. oriel The window on the south side of the second floor is not shown on the 1863 architectural drawing but does appear on a circa 1897 photograph of the South River Street. Gilbert Stuart McClintock (1886-1959), an attorney, donated the house to Wilkes College in 1951 for use as a �lJ residence hall. 3 As Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Gilbert S. McClintock guided the establishment and growth of Bucknell Junior College into Wilkes College. A grandson of Andrew Todd McClintock, Gilberts. Mcclintock acquired the property from his father Andrew Hamilton McClintock (1852-1919), an attorney. McClintock Hall is not a "period piece" but a house which, from circa 1841 to 1951, clearly shows the everchanging style and taste of its occ~pants. In addition to the house, Wilkes College · also acquired a large portion of the McClintock collection of antique furniture and art work. The McClintock Room in the Farley Library is the repository for ~ -'&' prints, books, paintings, and manuscripts pertaining to the history of Northeastern Pennsylvania that were collected by the McClintocks. Mcclintock Hall stands on the site of a building that was used in the early nineteenth century by Jacob Gist as a store and post office. 4 Cist, who was married to the daughter of Matthias Hollenback, resided in a house that sto ~d where now stands the Baptist Church on South River Street. Andrew Todd Mcclintock was married tp Augusta Cist, a.. ~ "' ,( 'it •,, ~ _. > daughter of Jacob Gist. �14 1 vaux and Withers, architectural drawings, 1863. (Wilkes College, Farley Library, McClintock Room) 2Letter from Francis R. Kowsky, March 24, 1972. 3Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1134, p. 350. 4 oscar J. Harvey and E~nest G. Smith, A History of Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming Valley (6vol. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.a Smith-Bennett Company, 1930), IV,1875 • • �44 South River St. McClintock Hall The building was erected around 1841 and donated to Wilkes College in 1951 by Attorney Gilbert Mcclintock. Attorney McClintock was a staunch friend and advisor of the college. During the later years of his life, he was known as "Mr. WilkesBarre" and his intimate friends respected him as such. The bulk of this estate was bequeathed to Wilkes College and he also left all prints, books, paintings and manuscripts to the college. Built in 1841 for Andrew Todd McClintock (1810-1891) and his bride, Augusta Cist; cost was $3000 . Four children and two grandchilfren were born in this ho~se of successful corporate lawyers and civic leaders. The builder came from Montgomery County of Northern Isish parentage and thus did not build i~ the traditional New England style. Given to Wilkes College in 1951 by Gilbert S. McClintock. Style: Modified New England with wing at rear, separate bath house and stables· (now destroyed). Construction: Native brick with imported Philadelphia brick facade. Later Construction arld remodelling: Building extensively re ·modelled in 1865 (Side entrance changed to a center entrance, interior moldings, ceilings, fireplaces, rooms added to the third floor),; in 1901 (the handsome library replaced the arboretum); at sometime in the late nineteenth century the cellar was excavated to install a furnace. Details of interest: The facade has thinner mortar than the rougher local bricks; the evidences of the entrance from the side porch on the left; the beautiful ceiling moldings; the ty \ ical front and back parlor arrangement on the right; the shutters and risers. (Greek Revival with Victorian additions) Although his forebears settled in Northumberland County in 1795; Attorney Mcclintock was born in Wilkes Barre. Educated at Princeton University, he received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Throughout his life he was identified with commercial, financial and cultural organizations of the community. Prior to 1970, McClintock Hall was placed on the Pennsylvania Register of Historical Buildings. It was placed there by an alumni, Ron Andrews '70 . 1i ·· 't,,_.. At the time of the 1972 flood, damages to McClintock Hall were totaled at about $75,000. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson: from information in the College files. �15 \~ ~,~ Ill. No. 7 McClintock Hall 44 South River Street January, 1972 sources author �16 8 Ill. No. k house McClintoc Farley 1 6 post ~ ~cClintoct.f~~:•collegeh source Library,_ the bea:ct w ~k The man ~it n the sidewa_s Note, ·s standing of the steps i ~ fo~! ~t the To Andrew ~cClintock. �17 ,.,. Ill. No. 9 Entrance Hall, Mcclintock Hall circa 194) source, Wyoming Historical and Geological Society Note1 Original photograph made by Ralph DeWitt, Forty Fort, Pa. �- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - 18 . ·t ' -.JllJf~,:,_ :(!:1 :./<''(.~\ Ill. No. 10 South West Room, First Floor, . McClintock Hall circa 1943 source, Wyoming Historical and Geological Society Note, Original photograph made by Ralph DeWitt, Forty Fort, Pa. �19 ~ -~ - - · (f ,~- --~ ~>-~ ~ , f'1 I ~ l - wwwf •- • .27'/ ., ,. ,- :• -=- ~ . _ -.,....... _., J I , 1, , ' 1l ~ le ~., ~1 ~. '_ ~~--( & ), ~• . :,..: ! ,., : I; • ,'i,.,_: ... '. Ur 1 _:_ II? ~'1 -•. •, ~ ; l.l'l ' r'\' ~.. ~; ~- r"..f'Y·./ ' \·. ! I • - -. ~.. l _ : •·\' • Ill. No. 11 South Center Room, First Floor, McClintock Hall circa 1943 source, Wyoming Historical and Geological Society note, Original photograph made by Ralph DeWitt, Forty Fort, Pa. �20 . . . ... 5~c;;,.......... ,. ' . ' •- ~ ~~:-·. • 7'""": . - ,;, =i"'=:.:' -_~..i·::.·-~;:..- - ~!"1-i ~ ~ :~~z-~~--~~~-~~Z~-i~·.;::t:7-· · Ill. No. 12 Looking from south west room back to the library, First Floor, Mcclintock Hall circa 1943 source, Wyoming Historical and Geological Society note, Original photograph made by Ralph DeWitt, Forty Fort, Pa. r~,, ~ ,.., ___ �21 Ill. No. 13 Dining Room, Mcclintock Hall circa 1943 source, Wyoming Historical and Geological Society notes Original photograph made by Ralph DeWitt, Forty Fort, Pa, �- 21A Ill. No. lJA McClintock Hall Architectural Drawings of First and Second Floors, 186J Based on plan made by Vaux and Withers, Architects (Wilkes College, Farley Library, McClintock Room) • �'I; or u! Q co& ~'- .a r ? u r ~ £3t:J::. 1,1 ... t.M.• c <;: II) Pb,-- l!.. Mcclintock Hall 44 South River Street Wilkes College �22 t=7 ; ••, ,., \ • •~~ .... .t· ~ - . . ·..,....,.__ ~ , . . i ' " ! •' i"\ \ .~i . . . ,1. . . . , ·.; ...,_~ ·, - Ill. No. 14 Mcclintock Hall during the 1936 flood. source, McClintock Room, Farley Library, Wilkes College note, The photograph is labled "Mannear March 19, 1936," ·...J -- - \1 ( . ~. ~ - �23 Ill. No. 15 Jacob Gist's Store sources Wyoming Historical and Geological Society notes George Leach, an artist from Wilkes-Barre, made this rendering of what Gist's store looked.:_ like. The store stood on the site of the present Mcclintock Hall. �Sterling Hall 72 South River Street The building which is presently known as Sterling Hall is said to have been erected as the residence of Walter G. Sterling (1821-1889), a financier. Although the exact date of construction is unknown, the house was probably built about 1860 when Sterling purchased the property. 1 The property was given to Wilkes College in 1949 by Carl Sterling, a descendant of the original owner. 2 The building, which stands on the easterly side of South River Street, is presently used as a residence hall. Sterling Hall is an example of residential Italinate architecture of the mid Victorian period. The front porch, which was rebuilt in 1973 after having been damaged by the flood in the prior year, is one of the most prominent features of the facade. Tradition says that the iron work on the porch was made by Robert Wood, a manufacturer of ornamental iron work located in Philadelphia. The principal rooms on the first floor are arranged around an L-sbape hall. the main staircase is located in the southerly section of the hall. Of particular interest is the carved marble mantelpiece in the southwest room of the first floor. It is probably indicative of the mantels that were originally "" :f ;1_ .• . •• used in the other rooms of this floor. Sections of the first floor of the interior were 24 �25 renovated in the twentieth century before the college acquired the building. The alterations generally involved changing the style of the rooms from the original Victorian to an "academic" style. William G. Kaelben of the Rochester, New York architectural firm of Gordon and Madden designed several alterations in 1914 for the dining room to the east of the staircase. 3 The designs called for the replacement of the north wall with a series of open arches and the installation of casement windows and classical style t rim. In 1925 the firm of Gordon and Kaelben, Rochester, drew up a plan to create the present large room, used by the Sterlings as a library, that is on the north side of the 4 center hall. This plan called for the removal of a partition between two smaller rooms. The cornice of this room was designed by the C. H. Rugg, Company of Rochester. 5 1 need, 1860. (Wilkes College, Finance Office) 2 rnterview with Dr. Eugene s. Farley, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, November 1, 1971. This contradicts what is stated in Real Property Inventory of Wilkes College, 1969, which lists Gilbert Mcclintock as the donor. The deed .reference given in this publication, however, does not cover the college's acquisition of the property. I was unable to locate the proper deed. ~ ~(._ - ;✓ )William G. Kaelben of Gordon and Madden, architectural drawing, 1914. (Wilkes College, Business Office) 4 Gordon and Kaelben, architectural drawing, September, 1925. (Wilkes College, Business Office) 5c. H. Rugg, Company, architectural drawing, 1925. (Wilkes College, Business Office) �7'2. S. Kiver St. I I I II I I STERLING HALL f I 11 I Wilkes acquired this building through a bequest of Col. Walter C. Sterling in 1949. The building is said to have been constructed earlier than 1896. This building, with its lacy ironwork reminiscent of the New Orleans Latin Quarter, extended the campus into the first block of South River St. Built in 1860, Sterling Hall was acquired by the college in 1949. Prior to 1970, Sterling Hall was placed on the Penna. Register of Historical Buildings. Placed· by Ron. Andrews, a Wilkes College Alumni. Walter Carleton Sterling . Blt about 1860. The property that this building was built upon was, at one time , part of the Hollenback Estate. 1805- owned by Matthias Hollehback 1825- o-wned by Ellen J; daughter of hatthias Hollenback (His other children were: George M. Hollenback; Mary Ann, who married Jas . Laning; Sarah H. who married Jacob List/Chester Butler? 1852- George M. Hollenback bought it from his sister, Ellen (wife of Charles F. Welles) 1860- sold to Walton G. Sterling PART OF MATTHIAS HOLLENBACK'S WIFE'S LOT 1805- 1-Jilliam Rolfe-Commonwealth-that part of W.B.known as"Bullfrog'' 1805- 25 June deed to William Wright td Josiah Wright .. for 60 feet on River St . next to Hollenback line 1805- 27 June- Josiah Wright to Lord Butler for same land 1817- Deed from Lord Butler to Philadelpnia Bank 1831- August- Bank of _Phila. to Thomas Williamson 1834- Thomas Williamson to David Townerld 1837- March 17- Thomas Williamson, D. Townend, et. al to W.H. Alexander 1837 -March 28- deed of W,H.Alexander to William Bowman 1838- April 6 Deed of ~:r. S. Bowman to H. B. Wright 1856- 20 July D~ed of H.B. Wright to John J. Ulf 1867- John Ulf declared Abraham Martin his trustee 1867- Abe Marti~ sold to G.M. Reynolds 1867- 23 April G.M. Reynolds to W.G.Sterling i ~ · ,t- .,_ .,:. ✓ Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson; from information in the college files �26 - . ,. . )- -- · Ill. No. 16 Sterling Hall 72 R"iver Street s South . pring, 1972 sources author ~,,,-.di:'::".. �27 ...· • ;., -. .. . . ~ Ill. No. 17 Sterling Hall source, Art Work of Wilkes- Barre, 1910 �George Catlin Hall 92 South River Street Catlin Hall was purchased by Wilkes College in 1957 from Dorrance Reynolds, a descendant of the original owner. 1 Mrs. Dorrance Reynolds and her daughter Patricia record that the structure was erected in 184J as the residence of ), a merchant. 2 Elijah W. Reynolds (181J-18 the facade record the year 184J. The leads on In 1859-1860 the property was purchased by William Champion Reynolds (1801-1869~, a brother of Elijah.J William C. Reynolds was a merchant and a lawyer who served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 18J6 to 18J9 and as a judge of Luzerne County in 1841. In the late nineteenth century ownership of the property passed from William C. Reynolds to his son Edward Sheldon Reynolds (1844-1895). An attorney, Edward Sheldon Reynolds was quite interested in the history of the Wyoming Valley and authored several articles on the subject. In his youth, Reynolds is reported to have scratched his name, school, and year - ~Sheldon Reynolds Yale '67N - on a pane of an upstairs window. 4 He is credited with organizing the Yale alumni society for Northeastern Pennsylvania in this house.5 ,: The attorney and banker Dorrance Reynolds (1877- 1959) acquired the property _ from the estate of his father in ·•: ( ..._.... the early twentieth century. 28 �29 Catlin Hall is a Georgian form house with decorative detailing that is characteristic of the Greek Revival style. The house consists mainly of a center hall flanked bj~two · rooms along each side and a service wing attached to the southerly side of the back (east side). The present appearance of the building is the result of the renovations made for Dorrance Reynolds about 1906. 6 Originally, the house appeared much as it does today except that the recessed porch was not enclosed. A· circa 1868 photograph of the building shows how it appeared in the mid nineteenth century. In the late nineteenth century, probably in the 1870s or 1880s, the house was "Victorianized." The roof overhang was extended and the cornice was either removed or covered. The recessed entrance porch was enclosed with large wooden double doors and the trim was painted a dark color. The present marble mantelpieces on the interior are vestiges of these alterations. 7 The earlier wooden fence was replaced by a more fashionable iron type. Early in the twentieth century the building was altered and several additions were made. The facade was returned to its original classical appearance and the roof overhang was 8 shortened. The original front door was rehung. The projection with the French doors on the norhterly side of ~ \ _ the first floor, the oriel on the southerly side, and the extension and the two story . porch on the easterly side were �JO added at this time. Metal and glass doors replaced the wooden one at the street entrance. A brick fence about six feet in height was erected along the westerly and northerly boundaries of the property. This fence was lowered after the college acquired the property. On the interior the circa 1906 alterations included the removal of the partition between the two rooms north of the hall to create one large room. This room was used as the library by Dorrance Reynolds and was lined with bookcases. in this room. A new floor was laid The bookcases were removed by the Reynolds when the property was sold. The original floor is visible in some areas where the bookcases stood. Catlin Hall is named in honor of George Catlin (1796- 1872), the not.ed American artist who was born in WilkesBarre • • �Jl 1Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1J41, p. JlJ. 2Transcript of an informal talk given to the residents of Catlin Hall by Mrs. Dorrance Reynol~s and Patricia Reynolds, May 14, 19 58. The origimftJTs now in the possession of Mrs. C. Welles Belin (Constance Reynolds), Waverly, Pennsylvania. 3Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 80, p. 29. i4- .,.. t"' h' ;;v Transcript of informal talk. In a letter1dated March 19, 1972 Patricia Reynolds wrote in reference to the window pane in question that it "is in the south west front bedroom, the right hand window (next to the bathroom), the top middle pane of the lower sash. It was still there in 1957, • • • " Apparently, the light in question is no longer in existence. 5Transcript of informal talk. 4 6 Transcript of informal talk. 7Letter from Patricia Reynolds, March 19, 1972. 8 Transcript of informal talk • • -r - q:-~... .· �92 South Kiver Street CATLIN HALL The house was built by Elisha Reynolds in 1843, as you can see by the date on top of the rain leader, with the Reynolds "R" under it. He built with care and thought, for stability and beauty. The bricks, brought fran Phila. by canal were carefully selected for their color, a purplish tint so that in 1906, when Col. Reynolds made some additions, it was necessary to color the bricks that were used that they should blend with the old ones. The front door is the original and also the silver door knob now in use. The Reynolds home was purchased by the college in 1957 and renamed Catlin Hall after the noted and highly controversial painter of his time, George Catlin. Catlin was born in Wilkes Varre in 1796. In 1959 , LIFE magazine published a series of color photos and articles of Catlin's paintings. Catlin Hall is considered to be one of the oldest buildings in this area. Elisha Reynolds was a merchant of note and sold his home later to his brother, i-ln. Champion Reynolds, a leader in business, political and civic affairs. Both his son, Sheldon and his grandson, Dorrance, were presidents of the Historical Society. iiilliam Champion needed a big house for he had eight children. Four generations of the Reynolds family lived there before the hane was sold to Wilkes College. Style: Traditional, simple, New England in brick rather than wood. Main front section with wing in rear. Separate stables at the back of the lot. Constructim: Native brick with imported Phila . brick facade, five windows second floor, four m the first floor. Stone sills. on Later additions and_rerrodeling: Marble in frmt hall, cmcrete pillars, fireplaces, hall, patio, and porch at left; (1906), Cellar: Probably excavated later for heating system; Partition between frmt and back parlors. Details of interest: Original door with silver plated hardware; original mahogany handrail; door moldings showing Egyptian influence; lovely parquet floors in the library; first floor shutters and riser design are the same as at Mcclintock Hall; sane of the original glass remains in the home. Catlin was admitted to the Luzerne Bar Associatim in 1819 and following four years of practice, he left the area for Phila. where he established hiS'" career as a painter. He became world famous for his paintings and booRs of American Indian Tribes . In the span of eight years, he visited 50 tribes and brought home a collection of more than 600 oil paintings, landscapes, Indian custans, their weapons , costumes and wigwams . His paintings have been exhibited in Londm, the Louve in Paris, and the Smithsonian Institute. "In his deaf, lonely age, after 30 years abroad," wrote his biographer, "he still signed himself- Georget Catlin of Wilkes-Barre." Prior to 1970, Catlin Hall was placed m the Penna. ~gister of Historical Buildings. After the 1972 flood, damages to Catlin Hall were estimated at about $50,000. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson: from information in the Wilkes College file" �32 -~-.-~ :t;. re":. "' - '--;' ~· l t. ; t. . ' . . ' - ' i_,r~=-=.;.,~~~~~~~~~~~~:_:::~~~1~~/?£g_;;;;;~~~S:;::*:=:=:::"' .~ r--:-~-"'-:--i--...--'-'-,-.c;:.,.:._i;,~~ f "'~:~;- · ~~~ · ~ · ~=~~~.-,,;,.::r.-f=~=-,rn:,,.:.;...i·; _, _ _...-1,,-. •• \. f~~ ::;;~~ ~ .-,=.,,,,.u ~~-~ ·-.:__ - •~ -~:;r.{:~ ;l~.:--:~ .----~,•:---,~ . •. ': ·. <-- !-,..... ~ [i, K-;:T', . .-- . -~ - ~ -• I •. . ,-._.:- . ·~~l! ·:~;-;~~~~r ,"'< ·, ~ ..r- . '" ~ • ~~,:---..! · . . :m , > - . riµJJ r.fa\' - ~ j.,,."';~~;:?;'@~~=---==-= - ~- ."';i:., ..~ ----n•~ ,, ~ -:..,:v. ~~r-:~ ~~m --~-~~ ·:;,.'--,.!I - - -~..,...,,~~ - At..~ .- ,- . ,.:_ .. . . .........~ {=::,-, ~ . . _:, ' ?, u......:.• . r - ~ ;3:-xj,..,e ~..._ ..,._ lb 1. . - ,:l. . : Ill. No. 18 Catlin Hall 92 South River Street Spring, 1973 source, author note, The height of th durin t e water 1 g he flood of 1972 . c early visible on the faisd ca e. ,,,,,. -:.-, :'\. :~:~r"•~~-: :~ h,-~~ • ' '' �33 Ill. No. 19 Catlin Hall circa 1868 source, Patricia Reynolds note, The third person from the right is identified as Judge Edmund Taylor who resided in what is now Weiss Hall. The second person from the ri g ht is id~ntified as being J. B. Woodward who resided in Susquehannock and Butler Halls. �Ill. No. 20 Catlin Hall late nineteenth century sources Patricia Reynolds �Weiss Hall 98 South River Street Weiss Hall is an architectural paradox~ The building is an example of the Queen Anne style of architecture that was popular in the United States in the late nineteenth century. It is a style that is characterized by an irregularity of plan and the massing and a variety of color and texture. Weiss Hall has these qualities, however, the original style of the building was in the Greek Revival mode which emphasizes symmetry with wall surfaces as smooth as the material allows. The building was erected about 1850 as the residence . of the Honorable Edmund Taylor, Judge of Luzerne County. Taylor purchased the property in 1849 from William Ross who owned a large tract of land on the northeast corner of River and Northampton streets. 1 The Taylor house was similar in appearance to that of Catlin Hall to the north, only the Taylor house was a half Georgian form structure. In 1886 Samuel L. Brown (18JJ-1906), a businessman, purchased th_e property from the Taylor estate. 2 Apparently, Brown had the alterations made that changed the style of the building. The 1889 view of the city shows the house in its altered form and a sketch of the structure that appeared in an 1889 publication indentifies it as the residence of Brown. 3 �J6 Although no records .of the alterations are known to exist, an examination of the structure reveals that the changes were extensive and well executed. Prior to the summer of 1971 when the building was repainted, it was possible to see evidence of where the original second floor window openings on the facade were bricked in. The construction of the first floor of the tower in the southwest corner is different from that of the rest of the house. Other evidence supporting the claim that the house was altered is the low pitch of the roof and the narrowness of the center hall, features more characteristic of the Greek Revival style than of the Queen Anne. The interior of the main section of the house has a center hall with two rooms along the southerly side, a room and a stairhall along the northerly side, and a wing off the east end. The first floor hall is paneled with oak and has a fireplace. The walls of the first floor room to the east of the hall had ornate plaster panels above the wainscoting. These panels, however, were destroyed by the flood water in 1972. • The parquetry flooring of the two first floor rooms to the south of the hall may be a vestige of the original interior. The sketch that is illustrated in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the Progressive City shows that there were two porches along the south side. The porch on the end of the main structure · was one story high and was removed in the 1950s or 1960s. The po~ch on the southerly side of the �37 wing had a balcony. This porch was razed in the summer of 1971. The property passed through several ownerships until. 1957 when it was acquired by Wilkes College through the generosity of Aaron and Tess Weiss. 4 presently a residence hall. Weiss Hall is The basic structure remains, intact al though the building was altered in recent years · for offices and apartments. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 49, p. 64J. 2Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 259, p. J21 • • 3 wilkes-Barre Penns lvania the Pro ressive Cit 1 Its Past, Present, and Future n.c.a Enterprise Review Publishing Company, July, 1889), p. 20. 4 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1J6J, p. 124. .. �J?I} 98 S. River St . i. WEISS HALL This building once belonged to W.F. Dobson, but was purchased by Nr. and Mrs . Aaron Weiss and given as a gift in 195/ to Wilkes College . It was understood that the building was to bear the Weiss family name. Mr. Weiss was the founder of the Triangle Shoe company in this city and a trustee of Wilkes College. Weiss Hall was built originally around 1850, a Greek Revival house, and the college used it as a woman's dorm. Prior to 1970 it was placed on the Penna. Register of Historical Buildings. Built circa 1850-Greek Revival Renovated about 1898 to Queen Ann's Style. After the flood of 1972, damages to Weiss Hall were estimated at about $50,000. Added: 1 March 1982 Georgetta Nelson ... from information found in the Wilkes College files on the history of the buildings . • �J8 • • l ~ , ~ '/ I ._,. .. 1• ,' ·-v:~¾ "p ..., . ,. . 'f'" . ' . A . Ill. No. 21 Weiss Hall 98 South River Street Spring, 1972 sources author �39 .fi:f::::.~--.. ,., ,. ·f":!~-~ .Jt :_ · ·;.~·~a~ ·--TK.:: _.. 11· .'; : . ., .... , .it:.;, •,a • ~ • . --r.v :~~-1 .-:-.Jl "i., \ .,. :, ~ 'i -- ' -~ ll]IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII i :'.·1 • I ' . it :,:;imC!!!!!ll ll"UU•-••••o t'l • . . •••• •• •••••••••• .. 11ollllllllllllln j~~~~ • ·~ ~ . ;__ ,..;,.. ~ .... . • . ......_ . 7~~~~ , . ~-•~ '\ ~ ;~-,·a .. ;., , ~ : !' •r-,... .. - ·· .- s. . . , _·-.·._ ~•~:.-~ . . . _ .-..~ - -~- ~--- ..... .. . -· ~··. ·•t · - . ·• ·! .... . •· Ill. No. 22 Weiss Hall sources Wyoming Historical and Geological Society notes A note attached to the photograph identifies the house as ~he home of Judge Edmund Taylor in 1880. The alterations were made within the following decade. �Zebulon Butler Hall 110 South River Street Zebulon Butler Hall was erected in 1867-1868 as the residence of Stanley Woodward (lSJJ-1906), a~ attorney and Judge of Luzerne County in the late nineteenth century. 1 The land on which the house sets was a part of lot number six drawn in the 1772 lottery by Colonel Zebulon Butler (1731-1795), an ancestor of Woodward's wife. Wilkes College purchased the property in 1973 from the estate of the grandaughter of Stanley Woodward, Mrs. Marion Woodward Payne (Mrs. Bruce Payne), thus ending over two centuries of . continuous ownership by the decendants of Zebulon Butler. 2 Architecturally, Butler Hall is an example of the Italinate style of the mid Victorian period. was William w. Neuer of Wilkes-Barre. 3 The architect The building is constructed of brick with stucco exterior walls. Of particular note on the exterior are the carved areas above the window openings and the front porch. On the interior the rooms of the principal floors are arranged around a center hall with a staircase. At the time of college acquisition, the first floor consisted of a library to the south of the hall, the living and dining rooms to the north, and the kitchen and service rooms to the east. staircase rises only to the second floor. .~ The main An early { \.:. ,, twentieth century photograph of Northampton Street shows 40 �41 that the roo:f of the house was crowned with iron work. In the first quarter of the twentieth century the house was acquired by John Butler Woodward (1866-1925), an attorney who, like his father, served as a county judge. Woodward commissioned the Wilkes-Barre architect Thomas Podmore to design several alterations for the house. 4 These included new fenestration arrangements, an extension to the first floor, trim. and minor alterations to the interior The second floor windows above the entrance along River Street were altered from three arched windows to the present large one with sidelights and a fan light. Several of the dormers were altered from multiple windows to include only one large window. The library on the first floor was extended to the west out onto the porch. The "classical• style mantel in the northeast ronm of the first floor, the former dining room, may have been installed at this time. The hatrack in the entrance hall was originally built into the house that John Butler Woodward had built on Northampton Street, now Susquehannock Hall.5 Butler Hall is presently used for classrooms and faculty offices. It is the second building on the campus to honor the early settler. The first building stood at 158 South River Street, now demolished, and was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Payne prior to taking up residency at 110 South River Street in the mid twentieth century. The Woodward house replaced a circa 1794 dwelling • �42 erected on this site for Colonel Lord Butler, the son of Zebulon Butler. It was a two and a half story, frame structure with Classical lines. The Lord Butler house replaced the one built on this site for his father. The Zebulon Butler house was the scene of the first court held in the newly elected Luzerne County in the fall of 1787. 1 oscar J. Harvey and Ernest G. Smith A-History of Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming Valley (6 vol. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.a Smith-Bennett Company, 19JO), II, 637. 2Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1774, p. 92 • • 3wilkes-Barre Penns lvania the Pro ressive Cit a Its Past, Present, and Future n,c., Enterprise Review Publishing Company, July, 1889), p. 25. 4 Thomas Podmore, architectural drawings. These drawings were in the possession of Mrs. Bruce Payne prior to the flood of 1972, They were stored in the closet on the southerly side of the main entrance on the first floor. 5 rnterview with Mrs. Bruce Payne (Marion Woodward Payne), Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, November 15, 1971. �110 S. River St. Zebulon Butler Hall ( Woodward-Payne House) Built in 1866-67 for Judge Stanley Woodward (1833-1906) on the same spot where Mrs. Sarah B. Woodward's Grandfather, Lord Butler had erected a frame house in 1793. Zebulon Butler, Lord's father and Revolutionary leader in the Conn. community came into possession of the land in 1771. The 1793 house was severly damaged in the 1865 flood . t,.oom was needed for a growing family of seven people and servants. Style: Gothic, vertical space; using the romanewque idiom. Construction: Brick covered with stucco, three floors, central heating, installed originally; large panes of glass; large windows. Later additions and remodelling; Front door and vestibule; fan windows on second floor, center; room off library; back hall; and dining room. Most of these alterations were done in 1913-14 to prepare the house for occupation bv Mr. and Mrs. John B. Woodward. Details of interest: Ornate moldin~s ioinin~ the ceilin~ and wall: use of wood carvin~. oriRinal marble fireolace in the oarlor: and manv fine oieces of 18th centurv ~lass. china. and furniture brou?.ht bv the earlv -settlers from Connecticut and New England. Today 110 S. River Street is the site of the New Residence Hall. a Dorm of the college . Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson: from information in the Wilkes College files . • �4J - Ill. No 2 Zebulon•B J 110 Southut~er Hall Ja River Street s/uary, 1973 urce, author �44 Ill. No. 24 Zebulon Butler Hall .1902 spurcea A Histor~ of Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming Valley, 19JO �Weckesser Hall 170 South Franklin Street Weckesser Hall was erected between 1914 and 1916 as the residence of Frederick J. Weckesser (1862-195)). The property was purchased by Weckesser in April, 1914 from the family of Andrew J. Davis. 1 A photograph dated April, 1916 shows the structure as nearly completed • . An architectural drawing of the basement level of the house is labeled as the -Residence of F. J. Weckesser, Esq., W-B" and bears the date February 18, 1916. 2 Charles H. P. Gilbert (1860-1952) of New York was the architect of the house. Gilbert appears to have been mainly a residential architect and examples of his work can be found in the AIA Guide to New York City.J Gilbert's obituary in the New York Times identifies him as the architect of the house of Frank w. Woolworth. 4 Weckesser was a business associate of Woolworth and this connection may explain why Weckesser chose Gilbert. At his death, Weckesser .was a dircetor of the F. Woolworth Company. w. He moved to Wilkes-Barre from New York state about 1900 and became associated with F. M. Kirby and Company. In 1912 when Kirby merged with Woolworth, Weckesser became District Manager for the Woolworth fi-:r.m in Wilkes-Barre. For several years before his death, Weckesser was a member of the Executive Committee of the 85 �86 Woolworth Company. Weckesser Hall is an example of the Beaux-Arts style of architecture that was popular in the United States in the years prior to World War I. The building is one of the few examples of this style remaining in the Wilkes-Barre region today. The exterior has a strong feeling of verticality to it, expecially the center bays -0f the facade. The interior has a center hall with the rooms arranged around it. The interior trim is eclectic in style with Gothic, Neo-classical, Baroque, and Or.iental designs pre sent. The building contains an eleva t .or and a ballroom on the third floor. Wilkes College acquired the house in 1956 upon the death of Mrs. Weckesser. 5 Today the building houses a number of administrative offices. Included on the property is the garage, now known as Weckesser Annex and used as a classroom with offices above. 1 Luzerne County Deed Recordi, Book 497, p. 68. 2 charles H. P. Gilbert, architectural drawings, February 18~ 1916. (Wilkes College, Weckesser Hall basement) JNorvel White and Elliot Willensky, York City (New Yorks Macmillan, 1968). ·( J-i .. AIA Guide to New 4 october 27, 1953. 5 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1J21, p. 397. �170 S. Franklin St. ) WECKESSER HALL This building stands as a monument to the industrial and mercantile strength of Wyoming Valley and to the man who built it and bequeathed it to Wilkes College .. Frederick J. HeckesserUntil the day of his death, he was closely associated with the founding and progress of the great F.W.Woolworth empire. Today, Weckesser Hall embraces the office of the President of the~ College and other administrative offices. Mr. Weckesser was born in Clayton, New York, of German parentage. In 1899, he came to Wilkes-Barre to become general manager and buyer of the Kirby store, the only store in the entire Woolworth chain to still retain the Kirby name. Built in 1914, and designed by Charles Gilbert, this monument stands as a symbol of industrial pride. Prior to 1970 Weckesser Hall was placed on the Pa. Register of Historical Buildings. After the 1972 flood, aamages to Weckesser Hall were estimated at about $300,000. ) Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson- from the Wilkes College files �MORE NOTES ON i-JECKESSER HALL fo/ z. Included in the "Pennsylvania Register of Historic Sights and Landmarks". a. built by Charles Gilbert in 1914. -stands as an example of Beaux Arts style popular before WHI. It was bequeathed to the college by Frederick Weckesser in 1958. b. Weckesser Family biographical: Born in Clayton, New York of German parentage, he entered business world at age 10 working in a general store. At age 19 he secured employment in Waketown, NY and later moved to a position with F.M. Kirby and company, the store which formed the center of F.W. Woolworth enterprises. Came to Wilkes-Barre in 1899-became general manager ~nd buyer of the Kirby store and in 1912, became district manager, a member of the Woolworth board of directors and a leading figure of executive committee-had two daughtersone lived to at least the age of 83. The house is built of Indiana limestone; a . Basement-beautiful nool room Mother of nearl railinry around nool table. ) b. First Floor-massive buffet matching the woodwork rests in main hall -two valuable Chinese tapestries face each other on the grand staircases -grand staircase is all natural wood -Grandfather's Clock matches intricate woodwork of building -Board room-originally dining room-opened to a large pantry -President Capin's office-originally the library-denoriginal paintings in the office -Secretaries off ice-originally the rmiis ic.--room-la ttice walls for pipe organ-piano-opened to a sun porch -Elevator-ran from basement to 3rd floor-now out of use. -Big kitchen with cold storage -Pantry had a maid's section for eating-maid always on call. High chairs part of original furniture-all the marble is from Italy. more �MORE NOTES ON'HECKESSER HALL .- Pg. 3 . Second Floof: all bedrooms-total was 3 -Dean Ralston-Master bedroom plus large batheoom -2 other bedrooms-1 with bath(Lampe's, yes--Kelly's doesn't) -1 dressing room -S.C. ,C.C., I.D.C. offices- plus bathroom and maids quarters Third Floor: opulent ballroom plus bathroom-maids quarters -storage rooms that kept hunting and fishing equipment -no carpeting-all hardwood floors • -extra room never used-mainly a bedroom for guests -Attic-can see whole city of Wilkes-Barre-now houses a lot of the oriental motife as well as some of the natural wood they took out. Annex: gara~e-had round table to turn the car around -livino anartment for servants-chauffer and Pardner -2nd floor used onlv for stora~e Added: 1 March 1983 GeorP.:etta Nelson �87 . ,. -,: . ·' ' ~- \ I ' ---~-t- ~11. No. 44 eckesser H 170 So all 1971 uth Franklin Street sources author �88 ~Wt -. t·f/-·.'. (1-1. ~~:;;;~~t;,i~ic=~~~~~~l7~~~~Ki,:jfitl~~~=jf~~~--. • ----::: • • I ~• • T---~ ___ .. :.,-. . . --:-- -. .~ . -. •~-~-~~: ~.~~~.:~., Ill. No. 45 Weckesser Hall source, Mrs. J. Henry Pool (Marion Weckesser) note, On the back of the 1photograph is written the date April, 1916. .! " - �89 Ill. No, 46 Weckesser Annex 170 South Franklin Street (rear) 1969 source, author \ �V Annette Evans Alumni and Faculty Building 146 South River Street The Tudor Revival style house at 146 South River Street was erected about 1928 as the residence of Harry R. Hirshowitz, a businessman. It was designed by the Wilkes- Barre architectural firm of Innes and Levy. 1 Wilkes College purchased the property in 1949 from Edward Morris. 2 Until mid 1972 the house was the residence of Eugene Farley, the first president of the college. s. The basic structure remains intact with only minor alterations having been made to it over the years. Known today as the Annette Evans Alumni and Faculty Building, the name honors a late member of the Board of Trustees and a benefactor of the college. In her will Miss Evans bequeathed her family home at 117 West River Street to Wilkes College for the use of the alumni association. The Evans house, however, was heavily damaged in the flood of 1972 and is scheduled for demolition. The site on which the house stands is significant in the history of Wilkes-Barre. In the late eighteenth century John P. Arndt operated a tavern on this site. 3 The historian Oscar J. Harvey records that in the summer of 1797, the Duke of Orleans, later Louis Philippe, King of France, and his two younger brothers lodged at the Arndt tavern on their return to Philadelphia from visiting Asylum, 45 �46 a French refugee settlement in northern Pennsylvania. 4 In later years the tavern was operated by Thomas Morgan whose daughter was married in the tavern to David Wilmot. Wilmot later served as Senator from Pennsylvania and authored the Wilmot Provisio. Harvey further records that Harmon Bennerhasset and his wife are reported to have stayed here while visiting her sister after Blennerhasset's downfall and ruin through the Burr conspiracy. The building erected for Arndt was removed in the late nineteenth century, circa 1879, and replaced by the residence of Edward P. Darling, an attorney. - The new house appears to have been a two and a half story structure of masonry construction. The Darling property extended approximately _forty feet to the south of the present line. About the beginning of the twentieth century the property was divided with the southern portion becoming known as 150 South River Street. The 1894 Atlas of Wilkes-Barre illustrates the Darling house as covering most of the width of the property. In the 1904 edition of the atlas series, however, the Darling house is shown as being nearly half the size of the one in the earlier edition. This would seem to indicate that the circa 1879 structure was either drastically altered or removed all together and a new one built. The Darling house was razed for the construction of the Hirshowitz house. The lawn area to the north of the present structure �was purchased in 1941 by Edward Morris. 5 The area was a part of a large lot known as 1J8 South River Street. The property was divided in 1941 to enlarge the adjoing properties, lJO and 146. A three story brick dwelling stood on the site from the early nineteenth century until about the late 19J0s. The house is said to have been built for Henrick B. Wright, an attorney who served in the state and national legislatures. The property was retained by the Wright family until 1941. 1 rnnes and _L evy, architectural drawings, •Residence for Harry R. Hirshowitz•, June JO, 1928. (Wilkes College, Business Office). 2Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1056, p. 155. 3oscar J. Harvey and Ernest G. Smith A History of Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming Valley (6 vol., Wilkes-Barre, Pa.1 Smith-Bennett Company, 19JO), III, 1711. 4 The historical data about the tavern cited here is •drawn from Harvey and Smith, vol. III, pp. 1709-171). 5Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 749, p. 54. ~ ii,·,,.. ' �48 • Ill. No. 26 Annette Evans Alumni and Faculty Building 146 South River Street late 1971 sources author r 'i( ._:o-· �49 -- Ill. No. 26 Wright house 138 South River Street -circa 1920s or 1930s sources Wyoming Historical and Geological Society notes The Wright house was razed in the late 1930s and the property divided in 1941. I �Chase Hall 190 South River Street Chase Hall was erected about 1917-1918 as the residence of Fred M. Chase, a president of the Lehigh Valley Coal Company. 1 The property was given to Bucknell Junior College in 1937 by Harold R. Stark. 2 190 South River Street was the first property in the River Street area to be given to the college for a permanent campus. Chase Hall houses administrative offices and classrooms today. Architecturally, Chase Hall is representative of the Tudor Revival style of the early twentieth century. Of some note on the interior are the mosaic floors in the hallways and the sun room on the second floor. The name and the year ~1918• are recorded in the stainglass windows on the stair landing between the second and third floors. Although the building was altered in the conversion to educational use, the basic structure remains intact. Behind the house stands Chase Annex, the former garage now •used for offices and classrooms. The house stands on the site of two mid nineteenth century dweelings that were demolished for the construction of the Chase house. On the northern portion, known as 184 South River, stood a brick house that is identified on the 1870 map of the city as belonging to M. L. Everitt. 50 This �51 house was later owned by the Bennett family. A frame structure stood on the southern part of the Chase property. -1 Intervi.ew with Dr. Eugene s. Farley, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, November 11, 1971. 2Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 762, p. 159 • • �104-130 S. River St. CHASE HALL This building was the first to be donated to Wilkes when the College was known as Bucknell Junior College. Built in 1917, the three-story building at one time housed the administration offices, the cafeteria, the language department, and the education department. Currently, Chase Hall is utilized as the Admissions Office. At the time of the hall's construction, Fred Chase was the president and general manager of the Lehigh Valley Coal Company. ~t the time of his death ln 1921, he was the vicepresident of Coxe Brothers and Company, vice-president and general manager of the Lehigh Valley Water Supply and director of the Miner's National BAnk. CHASE HALL ANNEX Located at the rear of 184 S. River St., Chase Theatre was one of the first Wilkes College buildings , donated in 1937 by Rear Admiral Harold R. Stark to Wilkes College, when it was still known .. . etc ... above. It was donated as a memorial to Frederick Chase and his wife, Admiral Stark's Sister. Numerous one-act plays were presented by the college Thespians the Cue 'n Curtain Society , until 1965 when the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center for the Performing Arts was completed: Demolished in 1975. After the flood of 1972 damages to Chase Hall and Chase Hall Annex were $200,000 and $20,000 respectively. Added: 1 Marcj 1983 Georgetta Nelson: from information from the Wilkes Files. �52 . . ·t :; . f (._ ,' ·~ ~ . ' ,,.. , . --;.. • • ,\ _,.. . I • , 1 •) ·, .\ 'Jl ~ l \: ;. < ' a Ill. No. 27 Chase Hall 190 South River Street late 1971 source, author �Kirby Hall 202 South River Street Kirby Hall was erected in 1873-1874 as the residence of Stephen Leonard Thurlow, a Wilkes-Barre businessman. 1 Prior to building the South River Street house, Thurlow lived on South Franklin Street in the building now known as Sturdevant Hall. 202 South River Street was given to Bucknell Junior College in 1941 by Allan P. Kirby (18921973), a financier. 2 The building was dedicated as the Fred M. and Jesse A. Kirby Home for Education in memory of Allan Kirby's parents. Kirby Hall presently houses several classrooms and faculty offices. Kirby Hall is an example of the monochromatic form 1-Ji.,h Vicjur 1:1Y' G,.Jnic. of the -Q-lioen=:·A-nne style of architecture of the late nineteenth century. The house was designed by the New York architect Frederick Clark Withers (1828-1901).J A leading architect of the period, Withers was associated with Frederick Law Olmstead and for several years was a partner of Calvert Vaux in the architectual firm . of Vaux and Withers. This firm made renovations to the McClintock house, now Mcclintock Hall, about 1863. The architect's perspective and the plans of the two principal floors were illustrated in the December 9, 1876 issue of The American Architect and Building News, a leading architectural journal of the late nineteenth - 53 �54 century. The perspective, however, was inadvertently reversed in the publishing process. Apparently, Withers considered the Thurlow house to be one of his important works for it is included . in a type-of-advertising pamphlet entitled Buildings of F. c. Withers. 4 This pamphlet appeared in 1877. The property was acquired by J. Franklin Lee about 1880 and sold to Reuben J. Flick about 1886. Fred Morgan Kirby (1861-19 In 1905 ) purchased the house. 5 Kirby opened a five and ten cent store in Wilkes-Barre about 1884 and eventually expanded the business into a chain of ninetysix stores operating under the name of F. M. Kirby and Company. In 1912 Kirby merged his business interests with those of Frank w. Woolworth Company. Woolworth and others to form the F. W. Kirby became a vice-president of the new firm. Kirby had several alterations made to the building. A stone terrace replaced the frame porches originally around the facade. Several of the original two-over-two sash windows were replaced with one-over-one ~ash windows • • The original interior woodwork was replaced with the present "academic- moldings. It appears that minor alterations were made to the floor plan, particularly to the staircase. The floor plan that appeared in the 1876 journal shows the staircase in an E-form with one set of steps rising from the first floor to the landing and two �55 sets of steps leading from the landing up to the second floor. Kirby Hall has a center hall with the principle rooms arrange along the sides. When the college acquired the house, it retained much of the grandeur and some of the furnishings from the years of the Kirbys' occupancy. It was reported in an article that appeared in the school newspaper at the time the building was dedicated that the walls of the main hall on the first floor were covered with scarlet brocade. 6 In the article the southwest room on the first floor was described as having "scenic walls of gray and white decor.• Tradition says that the wall paintings above the wainscoting in the former dining room are the work of Madam.o iselle Juliette Gambaro, a French artist who came to the United States under the sponsorship of the Thur lows. The property at 202 South River Street was originally a part of lot number one as laid out in 1770. Lot number one was drawn by Jabez Sill' who the historian Charles Miner says built the second house in Wilkes-Barre. 7 Miner also recorded that the first marriage performed in the Wyoming Valley took place in the Sill house on this site. 8 The marriage was between Nathan Denison and Sill's daughter Elizabeth. Early in the nineteenth century the property was acquired by Rosewell Welles who served in the Pennsylvania �56 legislature in 1805 and 1806. George R. Bedford notes in Some Early Recollections that Welles was one of the four attorneys admitted to the bar at the formation of Luzerne County in 1787 and that he was married to one of the daughters of Zebulon Butler. 9 The Welles house was described by Bedford as being . one of the social centers of the town and that Harmon Blennerhasset, associated with the Burr conspiracy, was entertained here. The Welles house was razed for the construction of the Thurlow house. 1 oscar J. Harvey and Ernest G. Smith A History of Wilkes-Barre and W · (6 vol. Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Smith-Bennett Comp I, J82. 2Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 809, p. 279. 3Letter from Francis R. Kowsky, November 23, 1971. 4 Letter from Francis R. Kowsky, November 23, 1971. 5Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 426, p. J14. 6 HDr. Marts to Dedicate Kirby Hall,H Bucknell Beacon, October 14, 1941, p. 1. 7Harvey and Smith, II, 729. 8Harvey and Smith, II, 788. 9 George R. Bedford Some Early Recollections Barre, Pa., E. B. Yordy Company, 1917), p. JJ. (Wilkes- �l 2J2 S . .i:Uver St. KIRBY HALL Kirby Hall, constructed in 1873, was designed by the noted American Architect Frederick Clark Withers, and was donated to Wilkes by Allan P. Kirby, who gave it to the college in honor of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Morgan Kirby, in 1941. Fred Morgan Kirby, an American merchant and banker was born in Brownsville, NY in 1861. In 1884, he moved to Wilkes Barre and opened his first five-and-ten cent store under the name of Woolworth and Kirby. Attended High School in Watertown. Son of William Kirby., Capt who sailed around Cape Horn in 1849. In 1887, he acquired C.S. Woolworth's share in the store and reorganized it as F.M. and W. Kirby. In 1912, Kirby was operating 96 stores east of the Miss. River. Kirby Hall was placed on the Pennsylvania Register of Historical Buildings by Ron Andrews, author of this work and an alumni of Hilkes College. Kirby Hall was built by-l1r. and Mrs. S;L. Thurlow. Mr. and Mrs. Thurlow brought with them Mele. Gamboro, a French governess. who came from a wealthy French Parisian family. Mr. and Mrs. Thurlow were in Paris at the time of World War I and to escape the seige of Paris they went to England taking Mele. Gamboro with them. She returned to Wilkes Barre as their governess. Afrer the Thurlowslaft W.B_, Mele became companion to Mrs_ Sarah Atherton and after Mrs. Atherton's death she returned to France_ She was in W.B. for 15 years and was in the vogue to give instructions in the arts here in the Valley. She was an artist, gifted in music and writing and an accomplished linguist_ She was considered a conoisseur and critic and her opinion ultimate_ Long after her return to France her opinions were still quoted and her name considered a symbol of good taste. ""'- Bruce Price-architect, was famous for also building the Hotel Chateau Frantenac in Quebec and many other important buildings. The succession of owners: Originally, Nathan Dennison and Edith Sills built a log cabin on this site_ Nathan Dennison (eol.) was next in command to•Col_ Zebulon Butler and his marriage to Edith Sills was the first to take place in Wyoming Valley. Later a large frame dwelling was erected here by Rosewell Welles, one of the four lawyers admitted to the bar on foundation of the county and organization of courts_ The present mansion was erected in 1873-74 by S.L . Thurlow and was occupied in 1875 by a newphew of Washington Lee, a Nanticoke lawyer. A t1iss Lee from this family married Bruce Price the arch~t~ct. Emily Post, present authority on etiquette, was a daughter of the Prices. more gn �KIRBY HALL page 2 The coach house of the Fred Morgan Kirby property was the cafeteria at Wilkes. In the fall of 1955, a 40-42 foot addition was made to the cafeteria, to accommodate from 500-550 students. The expansion constructed of brick and steel, is two stories high and parallels the walk from the cafeteria entrance to the Kirby Hall Library. Large picture windows beautify the exterior and furnish the interior with ample light. Huge round cherry tables and Federal chairs enable eight students to dine together at one table. Knotty pine paneling and colorful modernistic wallpaper complete the attractive picture. The first floor has additional dining area and also a reception lounge and large rest rooms. The bottom level of the original cafeteria is used by the dormitory students and the remaining three segmants are used by the day students. In 1941 the building was named the Kirby Home for Education and has been used as the college library. Up to 1947, only 2 rooms occupied the library; the remainder was used for classrooms and lounges. The three-floor structure has 18 large rooms and 3 smaller rooms. Between 4-7 thousand books were housed in the library in addition to over 400 periodicals. The staff included 4 full-time members and 18 student part-time workers. In 1983, the Kirby House was used for the Academic Support Center, and the Language and Lit. Dept., Classroom, and Lab. After the 1972 flood, damages to the Kirby Hall were estimated at about $200,000. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson from information from the Wilkes College Files �KIRBY HALL by William V. Lewis, Jr. , '80 It is a building, more elegant and majestic than most otheLp,and with a sense of heritage surrounding it. It is not a hall of government nor an ancient ruin, but an aura of importance and history emanates from this place. As a silent witness to the establishment and development of Wyoming Valley, the land--and later the building- has had a key place in our local history. Kirby Hall has been the site of many of the great milestones in our tradition, and the recent renovations underline the continuting important role that the property will play at Wilkes College and to the Valley as a whole. Indeed, the story of this historic property seemingly encompasses a synopsis of the early and continuing development of the area. The story begins with the founding of the Valley, when the site was listed as Lot No. 1 of the town of Wilkes Barre., in Major John Durkee's original town plan. Jabez Sill owned the lot on which he built the second house erected in Wilkes-Barre. This "house" was, in fact, a log cabin where, on April 1, 1769, the first marriage in Wyoming Valley took place. Colonel Nathan Denison, later famous for signing the articles 0£ surrender following the Wyoming Massacre, and Elizabeth Sill were married at the ceremony. .,,,1 ;( In the early 1800s, the property was sold by the Sill family to Roswell Welles for 200 pounds. Interestingly, the deed contained a clause ~ranting immunity from any claim to the property made under the laws of the State of Coqnecticut- a reflection on the then contemporary Yankee-Pennamite conflicts that the early V~ley settlers faced. Roswell Welles was one of the four attorneys admitted to the bar of Luzerne County when the County was formed in 1787. A Rraduate of Yale College, Welles was to serve the area in the State Legislature, and later as a county judge. The home Welles built on the site was described as a "double-house, ceiled with pine boards and probably never finished in the second story. In front of the home stood the residence of Jabez Fish, on the banks of the river." The Welles home was, in its day, considered one of the social centers of the town. Here Herman Blennerhasset, later implicated in the Aaron Burr scandal, was entertained. Judge Welles died in 1831 and apparently the property then passed through several ownerships. George Bedford, in his SOME EARLY REFLECTIONS described the property during the period in this way: "When I first knew the premises the house was in a dilapidated condition and the large lot surrounding it was utilized as a lumber yard and the whole . neighborhood was uninviting." ,. The site was eventually to be acquired by the Stephen Thurlow family in 1872. The present structure was erected in �KIRBY HALL (cont.) -2- 1873-74 and occupied by the family in 1875. The building was designed by the New York architect Frederick Withers, a leading architect of the period, and is an example of the monochromatic form of the time. The architect's perspective and several floor plans of the building were illustrated in the December 9, 1876 issue of THE AMERICAH ARCHITECT AND BUILDING NEWS, a leading architectural journal of the late nineteenth century. In September, 1880, the home was sold to J. Frank Lee for $40,000. Several years later, in July of 1886, Lee sold the property for $42,000 to Reuben J. Flick. The Kirby family acquired the property from Flick's widow in October of 1905 for $55,100. Kirby made several alterations to the building, A stone terrace replaced the frame porch around the front of the buildin~. Also, the interior woodwork and windows were replaced. The Kirbys did, however, leave intact the wall paintings above the wainscoting in the dining room that were supposed to have been the work of Mademoiselle Juliette Gambaro, a French artist who was brought to America by the Thurlow family. The propert y remained the home of the Kirby family until the death of Fred M. Kirby in 1940. Thereafter, his son, Allan, donated the property to Bucknell University Junior College for use as the "Fred M. and Jessie A. Kirby Home of Education." The intended use was to be an art center and libr~~y for the Colle g e. In giving the property, the Kirbys provided for the use of two rooms on the first floor by the Wyoming Valley Society of Arts and Sciences-a group made up of many area civic leaders. It was ~his Society that was later to give to Wilkes College the land on which the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center for the Performing Arts now stands. The need for a library surpassed the need for an art center in Kirby Hall, but, in a way, the Kirby mansion has more than fulfilled its intended mission. The upper portions of the house were used for classrooms and for several years the top floor of the building served as the President's residence for Dr. Eug ene Farley and his family until the College acquired the present Annette Evans Alumni and Faculty House which was then used as the President's home. The removal of the library collection to the Eugene Shedden Farley Library menat a transformation for Kirby Hall into use by the Foreign Language Dept. Presently, the Department of Language and Literature is based in the building. ~ ·1; .· One of the most historic buildings on campus, Kirby Hall naturally has a number of tales told about it. Supposedly, around the turn of the century, a gambler named Poker Pan was killed in a gambling dispute in what was formerly the music room (now the language lab). Many alumni remember that for years the Kirby's chauffeur, Ted Dugan lived on the second floor of the rear carriage house, which was later to become the College Commons. The first floor, with its revolving turntable in the floor (Used for working on carriages and cars.) was used as a garage by the College until the chaufferu's death .. Then the College converted the carriage house into a cafeteria. �KIRBY HALL (cont.) -3- Worthy of note in Kirby Hall are the terra cota wine racks that are still in the basement, a graphic reminder of how life once was. Finally, it should be noted that while Wilkes College occupies the Kirby building, another school, Lafayette College, has one of its rooms. The Kirbys had an exact reproduction of the home~s library built in Van Wyck Hall at Lafayette and the contents of the Kirby family library were placed there. But of all the tales about Kirby Hall, the story of the life of Fred M. Kirby stands out as the most notable . His life reads like a Horatio Alger story, a young man working his way to the top of corporate and community affairs. Born in Brownsville, New York, on October 30, 1861, Kirby was the son of William and Angeline Slater Kirby. Prior to their marriage, Kirby's father had participated in the California gold rush of 1849 . Fred Kirby received his education in pub lie schools and at a g e 15 became a clerk in a dry goods store in Watertown, New York . Among his fellow employees were F.W. Woolworth and C.S.Woolwcrrth, settting the basis for the later famous and profitable association. For eight years, Kirby worked in the store, until he had saved a few hundred dollars which was to serve as his share of capital in a partnership with C.S. Woolworth. On Sept 1, 1-84, Woolworth and Kirby o pened their first five-and-ten cent store at 172 East Market Street, Wilkes-Barre . When the store first opened, the fixtures were rough and unfinished and the counters were made of hemlock planks. ~irby's desk was an old dry goods box which he kept for years as a momenta of the difficulties faced in his early business career. Kirby however, surmounted those difficulties because after three years he purchased Woolworth's portion of the firm. In 1888, he brought his father in as a business partner. The firm continued to prosper and by 1911, 96 stores east of the Mississippi River were in operation. In 1912, Kirby merged his five-and-ten cent stores with those of the Woolworth family and became a vice-president and director of F.W. Woolworth and Company. I I Kirby's other business interests were numerous. He was a director or officer of many business organizations, including : the Miner's Bank of Wilkes-Barre; the Second National Bank of Wilkes~Barre; the Lehigh Valley Railroad; the U.S. Lumber Company; the Mississippi Central Railroad; the International Equities Corporation; and the Metropolitan Life Life Insurance Company of New . York. ~ t _.<" Many, however, remember Kirby because of his tremendous support of civic , humanitarian and philanthropic causes. His gift to Wilkes~Barre of Kirby Park and the Angeline Kirby Health Center stands out among his many good works. He was .also a significant contributor to Wyoming Seminary and Lafayette College. His generosity is seen in the donation of his country estate in Glen Summit for use by the Episcopal churches of the area. Kirby even turned over his yacht, "Suzannah" to the U.S. government during World War I at no cost, for use by the coastal �KIRBY HALL (cont.) -4- patrol service. And, of course, his generosity gave us what is now Kirby Hall. Honored for his service in so many endeavors, Kirby received the Qistinguished Achievement Medal of the Pennsylvania Society, thus joining the ranks of other noted recipients including Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford and Andrew Mellon. Another outstanding tribute on the part of Wyoming Valley was "Kirby Day", an event during which local ceremonies and publications were dedicated in appreciation for the work of Fred M. Kirby. Also on July 4, 1978, through the generosity of the Kirby Foundation, more than 8,000 local citizens and visitors viewed a pageant reenacting the Battle of Wyoming, presented by the Wilkes College Dorothy Dickson Darte Center for the Performing Arts along the dike at Kirby Park. Preceded in death by his wife, Jesse, Fred Kirby died on Octover 16, 1940 ( just 14 days before his 89th birthday gn), at his Glen Summit estate. Thus, the story of his life ended, but his fame and labors are still very much alive for the people of Wyoming Valley. Of course, it was in Kirby Hall that F.M. Kirby formulated many of his ideas and plans for his community. "If only these .w alls could talk" would be a fitting statement to be made in the building. The site has been a silent witness to events ranging from Indian settlements along the river to General Sullivan's Revolutionary encampment across the road, from steam boats cruising up the Susquehanna to the arrival of the first railroad train to come into the Valley on the adjacent corner in 1843. Here in 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt spoke on the River Common- the river water of many floods inundated its grounds. It has also witnessed the growth of a College and the intellectual development of many minds. It seems fitting that a place so endowed in history and purpose should now serve as a hall of education. Indeed, it appears that destiny has directed this land to become part of an institution of learning. As if almost by an invisivle force, Wilkes College acquired the property and Wilkes College holds as~ goal for its students the constructive participation in the social, economic, cultural, and political life of the community. This institutional commitment is consistent with the Kirby family's philosophy. It is a quiet inspiration to those who learn here. Thus, Kirby Hall shall continue in its rolea source and symbol of our heritage and our progress. The author wishes to express his sincere appreciation to Ron Andrews, alumni of Wilkes-'70,- for the use of his scholarly and distinguished studies of the architectural history of the area. �KIRBY HALL (cont.)_·_ - -5- across the road, from steam boats cruising up the Susquehanna to the arrival of the first railro a d train to come into the Valley on the adjacent corner in 1843 . Here in 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt spoke on the River Common-the river water of many floods inundated its grounds. It has also witnessed the growth of a College and the intellectual development of many minds. It seems fitting that a place so endowed in history and purpose should now serve as a hall of education. Indeed, it appears that destiny has directed this land to become part of an institution of learning. As if almost by an invisible force, Wilkes College acquired the property and Wilkes College holds as a goal for its students the constructive participation in the social, economic cultural, and political life of the community. This institutional commitment is consistent with the Kirby family's philosophy. It is a quiet inspiration to those who learn here. Thus, Kirby Hall shall continue in its role-a source and symbol of our heritage and our progress. The author wishes to express his sincere appreciation to Ron Andrews, alumni of Hilkes-'70 , for the use of his scholarly and distinguished studies of the architectural history of the area . .,, ...... • �57 Ill. No. 28 Kirby H~~lRiver Street 202 Sou • Autumn, 1971 source, au thor �60 I I"" . . f) - . - . .·· ,.; .-- .- . . . --~--. ~;:=;!:2~~~B)~~~~ i • . .· • . ~~;.)</ .. ¥-·~~ . ~~~~ ~;flj ~.... _. .~~ ~ . -~tt!l1t~ -, ~":v..· ' -~ r · ~ s; ~ . -:. ~ ~ : - .·--- · ~pp'~r---•. , . }i{':·· ..f>.. -~. ~ - ~~ . :.- ~~ ~1~... 't:"-i~ - '· d"'!....,_-=!.3":,~,..,3..£~"" ~-,- . . . -· 3'~ Ill. No. Jl Kirby Hall sources U. S. Library of Congress notes architect's perspective The perspective appeared in the December 9, 1876 issue of The American Architect and BuiictTng News. The perspective was published in reverse as to shown here. �58 Ill. No. 29 Kirby Hall sources Centennial Jubilee and Old Home Week, 1906. notes The building is identified as -The Residence of R. J. Flick." ,·•: .> �59 Ill. No. JO Kirby Hall source, Art Work of Wilkes-Barre, 1910. note• The house is identified as the "Residence of F. M. Kirby.~ �61 Ill. No. )2 Kirby Hall Architectural Drawings of First and Second ·Floors, 187) Based on plan made by Frederick Clark Withers, Architect, that appeared in American Architect and Building News, 1876 • �_,,.-~~'}, 1 ) ) :,# • PORCH n I J'l-1. '""" If'.'· 1· Po~c H ~ C+Y~!l_.l\, N 0 N I I f.•='"'i' ,_,. l~=:1 1 L ~.~L.;;~ f LIBRARY ~ C/) j •.!;:>.;:J .1 t: -~ :,,;- c+I-'• '. o' 01-'• o<::X: I-' <l> Ill I-' 'i I-' I-' ct) l)RI\WJ)llj' ROOM Q'q C/) CD ct 'i I r,,;;. CD rKr•••••~~.:1.J&t:! Z ! ~ : ~ - BEb RDOM j ~~r.-:.:.1~ 1/~ll. ~ HJ\LL ct) c+ llOOM DINING :U'< v,t4-u;,:t::a s -• ,., " 1-'•0 I-' s::: ~ co 111 r I CD ::,-' 'i tf_1~. ;svnll~- Fi~ l 'I .,; '1~ 1; ~~JJ B<> RW1 I 13,tr,4 H ~ ~fr~ l-~◄£g' hn 81:b ROC/1 li I L--bI ~ - - ··---_/ : l raRCH Vl'..!TJ!ll)i.E f'C'RCH _I fl~~T F.I.Co~ IB7J ~ECoNO FJ.()oR ( .I �... 248-250 South River Street The brick building at 248-250 South River Street was erected in the early 1900s. The first map that the structure is shown on is the 1904 edition of Sturdevant's Atlas of Wilkes-Barre. The building was used as residences until college acquisition. 248 South River Street was purchased by Wilkes College in 1967. 1 The southerly half, 250, was purchased in the 1970s. The college presently uses the building for offices. - • 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1630, p. 795 • .-. ;f It -,. ¾:..,..r . 6J �248-250 Soutfi Riv~r Street OLD NURSING DEPT. BUILDING With the construction of the new Stark Learning Center and the new second floor nursing facilities, the old nursing dept. building was destroyed . Wilkes College acquired this property from the Simon Grossman estate in 1967. After the 1972 flood, damages to 248-250 S. River Street were estimated to total about ~50,000: Added : 1 March 1983 Go6rgetta Nelson- from the Wilkes College files • �- 64 Ill. No. JJ 248-250 South River Street Autumn, 1971 source, author �1. --· Gutman House 280 South Franklin Street In 1964 Rachel Wolfe Gutman donated her home at 280 South Franklin Street to Wilkes College. 1 Presently • apartments, the house is a frame example of urban domestic : architecture of the mid Victorian period. Stylistically, the building has many features characteristic of the Mansardic or Second Empire period. The basic structure remains intact although alterations were made when the building was converted for apartments. The house was built in the 1860s. Prior to 1864 Franklin Street did not extend further south than South Street. On the 1870 city map the structure is identified with the name "T. Wilson." In later years the property was acquired by the McLean family. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1554, p. 544. 110 �109A 280 South Franklin Street Gutman House Damages after the flood of 1972 to Gutman House were estimated at about $50,000. Added : 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson from the Wilkes College files · • �- 111 : ., r• '/.•.: ., :• .. \ · . ~, : . j : ',, ./ 1' ' ·,·~ ~ ,. . . # .. . ~ . · . . • , "' .,/:___:__ ; ,, . . , _ : :, - ~ ,,, ., ,,, C .- .. ,· ......,.-..._"'---::-:~•-· ,·• : .· ·, . ·. . ~ ?¥ " - ..o..J ..... : - ~ ~ . .. ,-_ . -S'll'Ii;='~~~~;e;::~.:': . , --. . . . . - J l No. 57 Il • House , Street Gutman h Franklin 280 Sout 1973 January,author source, �Miner Hall 264 South Franklin Street Miner Hall was erected as the residence of Charles Abbott Miner (18J0-190J), a businessman and a descendant of the historian Charles Miner. The house appears to have been built between 1864 and 1870. This block of South Franklin Street was not opened until 1864 and .is described by George R. Bedford in Some Early Recollections as being vacant at the time. 1 The building was standing by 1870 for it is illustrated on the Hopkins map of the city that was published in 1870. Miner Halli~ a domestic example of architecture in the Mansardic or Second Empire style which reached its height in popularity in the decade after the Civil War. The building has a center hall with the principal rooms arranged along the sides. Of particular interest is the freize with the sea shell motif around the ceiling in the first floor rooms to the south of the center hall. main staircase rises only to the second floor. The The basic structure remains intact. The building sets on the east side of South Franklin Street near the center of the block formed by South and Ross Streets. On the 1870 map the property is shown as extending eastward to South Main Street. The 1882 atlas shows that the property was reduced in sized by almost 101 �102 half and fronting only on Franklin Street. The property size was further reduced when the Miner family erected a house on the northern portion and sold the southern section and the original house to the college. In the early twentieth century the house was acqui-red by Miner's son, Dr. Charles Howard Miner (1868-19 ). Dr. Miner served as Secretary of Health in Pennsylvania from 1923 to 1927 under the Pinchot administration. 2 The one story wing on the south side of the building was added probably for offices for Dr. Miner. Wilkes College purchased the Miner property in 1961 from the widow of Dr. Miner. 3 I building was a residence hall. For several years the It set vacant for a short period in the late 1960s until the college was forced to utilize the space after the loss of Conyngham Hall. At the present Miner Hall is used for classrooms and offices but is scheduled for demolition in the future. 1 . George R. Bedford, Some Early Recollections (WilkesBarre, Pa., E. B, Yordy Company, 1917), p. JO. 2 oscar J. Harvey and Ernest G. Smith, A History of Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming Valley (6 vol. Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Smith-Bennett Company, 19JO), V, JlJ. 3Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1490, p. 1048. �264 South FrankliQ St. 102A MINER HALL The stately mansion at 264 South Franklin Street will also be razed: Date: 1975. Known as Miner Hall, the 105 year old building, was acquired as a gift from the Miner family in 1961: The college obtained only 90 feet of the 160 feet frontage of the property since the family constructed another home on the adjacent plot. • The building was occupied by the late Dr. Charles H. Miner and was built by his father, Charles A, Miner in 1870. Dr. Miner was recognized as a distinguished physician, serving as State Secretary of Health during Governor Pinchot's administration. He also served as Luzerne County Director of . Health. Since Dr. Miner's death the home was occupied by the Grace Lea Shewmaker Miner before donation to ivilkes College. At first Hilkes utilized Miner Hass as a women's dormitory. Later, the building was occupied by the mathematics department for offices and classrooms. · Damages from the 1972 flood to Miner Hass were estimated at about $50,000. In 1982, Uill::::es College leased the YMCA on South Franklin Street for use as a Dormitory and while under lease it is being called Miner Hall. Added: 1 March 1Y83 Geor~etta Nelson ... from information from the Hilkes College files. �lOJ Ill. No. 52 Miner Hall 264 South Franklin Street January, 1973 sources author - - - - - - -- -- -- - - ----- -~ - - - -- �) 104 J Ill. No. SJ Miner Hall source, History of Luzerne Lackawanna and Wyoming Counties, 1880. ' �105 ~~l. No. 54 iner Hall source, -~"ork Art W of L uzerne County, 1897. �106 Ill. No. 55 Miner Hall source, Centennial Jubilee and Old Home Week, 1906. �./ I ' -,.,. J Obadiah Gore Hall 275 South Franklin Street Gore Hall was probably erected about 1871. The property is shown on the 1870 Map of Wilkes-Barre as being • vacant and a part of a larger tract that extended southward to Ross Street. The house is illustrated, however, on the 1872 view of the city. residence of Elijah c. The structure was built as the Wadhams (1825-1889), a merchant who served in the Pennsylvania Senate from 1876 to 1880. The Wadhams family retained ownership of the property until 1956 when Wilkes College purchased it from the estate of Stella Wadhams. 1 The building is an example of the Italinate style of architecture of the mid to late Victorian period. basic structure remains intact. The There is a center hall with the principal rooms arranged around it. The hardware on several of the interior doors of the first floor is similar in design to that found in the former Conyngham Hall at 120 South River Street. An iron fence similar to that which was in front of Mcclintock Hall until recently was removed by the college. The college also opened the drive on the north side of the house to connect Franklin Street with Wright Street. Now a residence hall, the building is named in honor of Obadiah Gore (1744-1821), an - early settler of the Wyoming Valley. 107 �108 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1322, p. 350. �108A 275 S. Franklin St. GORE HALL Built in 1871, the building was placed on Pa. 's Register of Historical Buildings and Sites . Wilkes purchased the late Stella Wadharn's home in Sept. 1956 and renaf!l.ed the puilding Gore Hall after Obediah Gore, Jr. who was born at Norwich, Conn . in April 1744 . He migrated to Wyoming Valley between 1760 and 1770: At the time of the invasion of the British Tories and Indians, Obediah was with the Continental Army as First Lt. and participated in t .h e leading campaigns of war, including the Sulliv.:m Expedition of 1779 against the Iroquois Indians. After the War' of Independance, Obediah moved to Queen Esther's Plains, the present town of Athens, where he spent the remainder of his life. Today Gore Hall is used as a men's dormitory. WADHAMS FAMILY HISTORY Family was originally from Devonshire England . Settled in Conn. in 1650. Reverand Noah \vadhaBs left Litchfield Conn. and embarked with conrrrenation t _o the Susciuehanna until a vear after ivvominrr Massacre when he moved to Plvmouth. He was the first preacher there. Calvin Wadhams ~as his second son. ,, ◄ Calvin's youngest son, Samuel WadhaI:ts was born in Plymouth and -married Clarinda Starr Catlin. Samuel Wadhams and Clarinda had a son named Elijah Catlin Wadham born in 1825 in Plymouth. It was his brother Calvin Wadhams who founded the 1st Presybterian Church now the Osterhout Library. WADIW·IS OF GORE HALL Belonged to Elijah Catlin WAdhams ... his wife the former Esther Taylor French. !'-Ir . E . C. Wadhams was former state Senator, past president of First. National Bank of Plymouth and first burgess of borough. Wadhams Street in Plymouth (where S, '. Stevens is now) is named for them. The family moved to Wilkes Barre in 1-75 and lived on Union St. two years before establishing residence on 275 S. Franklin St. Four unmarried sisters and a brother lived together at L75 S. Franklin St. until th~ir death. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Helson: from infornation in the Wilkes files. �GORE hALL OBEDIAH GORE Born in Roxbury, Mass. 1714? died in Wyoming 1779. Resided near Boston and moved to Plainfield Conn. 1768. One of the 1st white men in Wilkes-Barre. Commissioned by Conn. Assembly as Ensign of 8th Company, Third Regiment Militia, Lt. in 1762. At time of Wyoming massacre in 1/78, his five sons were in the battle, also 2 sons-in-law. Three of his sons and both sons-in-law were killed. Obediah Gore -One of the most famous figures of Valley • preceding the Rev. Har. Justice of Peace 1777-78, under laws of Conn. His commission was signed by Jon Trumbull, Gov. of Conn. T)t'::l brc'rher Blacksl!l.ith by trade and he and 1:"±-s ~ Daniel were among the first persons to use Anthracite in this country, using it in forges as early as 1772. Among the prisoners taken by Pennamites in 1768. Son-Obadiah-Judge Born 1744. One of the most prominent of the day in Wyoming Valley. Served 6 years as member of Continental Army. Commissioned 1st Lt. by John Hancock and later by John Jay. First Lt. Conn. Militia 1776, and 1 Jan 1777, was on duty in Hestmore· land, Penn. He served Suliivan expedition, June-Aug 1779, and was retired by consolidation 1 Jan 1781. He was one 6f the Judges commissioned at organization of Luzerne County, participated · in 1st and 2nd Pennarnite Wars and land Co in Aprii 1782. One of the 1/88~90. Portrait presently hangs Geological Society, Franklin St., was appointed JP of WestmoreI!l.enbers of Pa. Legis. in Wyoming Historical and W.B. Pa. �109 Ill. No. 56 Obadiah Gore ·Hall 275 South Franklin Street January, 1973 sources author �2J7-2J9 South Franklin Street It appears that this building was erected as a residence in the late 1860s. Franklin Street south of South Street was not opened until 1864. The house was.built by 1870 for it is indicated on the 1870 Map of Wilkes-Barre. The basic structure is Victorian in style with several later alterations. The interior arrangement of rooms was changed when the building was converted for apartments. Stylistically. the main entranceway and the front porch appear to be of a late nineteenth or earl_y twentieth century period. Mrs. E. s. Hanson is listed in the 1897 city directory as operating a kindergarten in the house. The property was purchased by Wilkes College in 1966. 1 A residence hall. the building was named Doane Hall in honor of John Doane, a physican. and his wife Gertrude. who for several years served as Dean of Women at the college. The structure is scheduled to be razed in the future. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1603, p. 572. 99 �'· f. , ,: 217-219 South Franklin Street The building at 217-219 South Franklin Street is a double house that appears to have been built about the end of the nineteenth century. The college acquired the • property in two sections, 217 in July, 1973 1 and 219 in May, 1973. 2 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1791, p. 784. 2Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1785, p. l43. j 95 �99A S. Franklin St. l DOANE HALL Doane Hall, 237-239 S. Franklin Street, was demolished in 1975, At one time a women's dorm, and school infirmary, Doane Hall was acquired by Wilkes in 1966 from Joseph and Mar Built about 1925. Properties. Placed on Pa. Register of Historic Sites•and Damages to Doane Hall after the 1972 flood estimated at about $50,000. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson: tr6m informatic,n in the Wilkes College files . . �100 j Ill. No. 51 237-239 South Franklin Street 1971 source a author �Dan ·1 Hall 2J5 South F~anklin Street Wilkes College purchased the property at 2)5 South Franklin Street in 1967 from Dr. Edward Whalen. 1 Now the college infirmary, the buidling is named in honor of the Dana family which played a prominent role in the history of the area. Dana Hall ~~s built at the end of the nineteenth century as a residence. The property is identified in the 1899 city directory as containing an unfinished house. In the city directory of the following year the house is listed as the residence of Bernard Long, a mercahnt. It is possible that Long may have rented the house for the property is identified in the 1904 Atlas of Wilkes-Barre as belonging to I. M. Thomas. A circa 1910 photograph of the house is identifies it as the residence of Long. The house is an example of the Shingle style of architecture with a 'colonial" influence. structure remains intact. The basic The circa 1910 photograph shows "a balustrade around the roof of the porch an a multi-pane fan shaped window in the attic. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 16Jl, p. 668. 96 �96A 235 S. Franklin Sh. DANA HALL Dana Hall, located at 235 S. Franklin Street, was purchased by Wilkes in 1967 from Edward and Jeanne M. Whalen. Prior to the building's renovation into a school infirmary, the structure was used as a women's dorm. Built about 1890-1899, it was placed on the Pa. Historical Register of Historical buildings and sites. Damages to Dana Hall after the 1972 flood were estimated at about $50,000. It was razed in 1975 Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson- from information in the Wilkes Files. �97 f~t~;{;f:!~ ·7-D'~-?:'. j;:;~#Zi~;~~%~E- 1 .. .., .. .~ .. . -. . . ., . .:/ .;;J~;~::;/1S;;~-? > · A ' )•:qK,i?;;;;, -:•7··.· .r - Ill. No. 49 Dana Hall 235 South Franklin Street 1971 source, author i �98 ; Ill. No. 50 Dana Hall source, Art Work of Wilkes-Barre, 1910. note, The house is identified as the residence of Barnard Long. J �Hollenback Hall 192 South Franklin Street Hollenback Hall was designed as a residence for Anna Welles Hollenback in 1916 by the Wilkes-Barre architectural firm of Sturdevant and Poggi. 1 The property was donated to Wilkes College in 1954 by Miss Hollenback. 2 The building is an example of the •classical Revival• style of architecture of the early twentieth century. The basic structure remains intact although some of the original decorative detailing has been removed. The original front door was replaced following the flood of 1972. The principal rooms of the main portion are arranged along the entrance hall. A frame structure was torn down for the construction of the Hollenback house. 1 sturdevant and Poggi, architectural drawing, 1916. (Wilkes -College, Business Office) 2Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 12)4, p 558. 93 �192 s. Franklin S~. HOLLENBACK HALL This home was bequeathed to Wilkes College by Miss Anna Hollenback in 1953. A friend of Wilkes College from its founding, Miss Hollenback also contributed scholarship funds to the college. Hollenback Hall was at one time the Guidance and Placement Center. During 1953-54, the building was also used as a branch office of the Veterans Administrative Guidance Program . Hollenback Hall also houses offices of many faculty members. Damages to Hollenback Hall after the 1972 flood, were estimated at about $50,000. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson - from information in the Wilkes files �94 ) - j ) - --; :""'Ao: ....,•.!.,...·-.., .r '!", .<>,. . 1 :'\. _- -------. Ill. No. 48 Hollenback Hall 192 South Franklin Street 1969 sourcea author • . . �Student Union Building 185 South Franklin Street The building which was recently renovated for use by the Student Union Board was erected about 1930 for the First Church of Christ, Scientist. • The architect of the one and a half story, brick structure was o. A. Kleeman. l The plan of the building is simple with a large room on the interior and a classical portico on the facade, east gable end. The organ, which was acquired by the college, was built by the M. P. M~ller Company of Hagerstown, Maryland. 2 The property was purchased by Wilkes College in 1967 from the church congregation. 3 For several years the building was used as a lecture hall and was known as Church Hall. 1 o. College, 2M. Business A. Kleeman, architectural drawing, 1929. (Wilkes Business Office) P. MOller Company, drawings. (Wilkes College, Office) 3 Luz·e rne County Deed Records, Book 1613, p. 511. 92 �185 South Franklin St. STUDENT UNION BUILDING CHURCH HALL After the 1972 flood, damages to Church Hall were estimated at about $40,000. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson- from information in Wilkes Files • �181 South Franklin Stre·e t Wilkes College purchased the property at 181 South 1 Franklin Street in 1949. The building was named Pickering Hall in honor of Timothy Pickering (1745-1829) who help·ed organize Luzerne County in 1787. Pickering later served as Secretary of State in the Washington administration. The building is presently slated for demolition. The construction date of the house is unknown. It appears that it was erected probably in the mid to late 186os. There is no indication of the buiiding on the 1850 map of ~he city but it does appear on the 1870 map. j Architecturally, the structure has many features that are characteristic of the Italinate style of the mid Victorian period. The porch and the main entrance, however, are of a later style and probably were built in the first quarter of the twentieth century. Until 1915 the house was the Rectory of Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church. not known whether or not the house was erected for the purpose of a rectory, 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1025, p. 130. 90 It is �J 181 S. Franklin Sk. PICKERING HALL The former property of the late Dr. S.P. Mengel, Pickering Hall was purchased by the college in 1949 from Jessie and Harley Gritman. Renovated during the same year, the building housed classrooms and offices for the Commerce and Finance and Art Departments. The building was named after the famous soldier, Timo~hy Pickering who was-an early supporter of the Revolutionary movement in Mass . He led a contingent from Mass. to join Washington's army in the winter campaign of 1776-77 in New York and New Jersey. Adjutant General of the U.S. Army, Pickering later accepted the responsibility of Quarter Master General. In addition, Pickering's letters constituted an invaluabel commentary on the course of the Revolution . In order to preserve the history of the military man on campus. the Wilkes College New Dining Hall and Men's Dormitory has been charged wit the rlew name of Pickering Hall. Damages to Pickering Hall after the 1973 flood were estimated at about $50,000. Date demolished: 1975 Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson~from information in Wilkes Files �91 Ill No. 47 . 181.South Franklin street Autumn, 1971 sources author �~n~~ ) John Franklin Hall 165 South Franklin Street Franklin Hall is indentified in a 1911 publication as the residence of Mrs. George Weaver and having been built between 1905 and 1910. 1 The building was a residence until the mid part of this century when it was converted to offices for the International Union of Mine Workers of America. Now classrooms, Franklin Hall was purchased by Wilkes College in 1969 from the labor union. 2 The building is named in honor of Colonel John Franklin (1749-1831), an early resident of the Wyoming Valley. } The building is a two and a half story, brick structure in the "Classical Revival" style of the late Victorian period. Although altered some when converted for offices, the basic structure remains intact. The rooms of the first and second floors are arranged around center halls. A bronze plaque honoring John L. Lewis, the labor leader, is mounted on the facade to the north of the entrance and is a vestige of labor union's ownership. 1 R. W. Flood, Wilkes-Barres The Diamond City (WilkesBarre, Pa.a Published by the Record for the Wilkes-Barre Board of Trade, 1911), n. p. 2 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1659, p. 676. 82 �' • l; ...,.._,_ • • -"'•>- ~ .... __ . 165 SouthFranklin St. JOHN FRANKLIN HALL Damages after the 19/2 flood to John Franklin Hall were estimated at about $100,000. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson- from the Wilkes College files �8J Ill. No. 42 John Franklin Hall 165 South Franklin Street 1971 sources author �84 Ill. No. 43 John Franklin Hall circa 1910 source, R. w. Flood, Wilkes-Barres The Diamond City, 1911. notes The building is identified as the residence of Mrs. George Weaver. I �79 I Ill. No. 40 137 South Franklin Street 1971 source, author �141 South Franklin St. HARDING HALL The Board of Trustees purchased the Harding residence in 1954. · Funds for the furnishing of the building were provided by ~ttorney Gilbert S. McClintock, chairman of the Board and Marian Martin Winsor, granddaughter of Judge Harding. Judge Harding built this home over 179 years ago and• today the Harding Home is regarded as a landmark of Wyoming Valley. Harding Hall was first used as a snackbar for students and faculty. Later it housed the college bookstore and a student's lounge. (in 1983, Harding hall was no longer standing.) *Also see Old Harding Hall Damages to the Hall after the 1972 flood were . estimated at about $50,000. added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson- from Wilkes College files �81 1/: . ,.. ~ ." ' \' ..... .' ' ··1 1 l~ J. , . ,. . .... : . ·. . ~!;.. .• ·' Ill. No. 41 Harding Hall 141 South Franklin Street 1971 sources author I I ,. I:i·\1111!! ' �Sturdevant Hall 129-131 South Franklin Street Sturdevant Hall was purchased by Wilkes College in two sections. The northern half, known as number 129, was acquired in 1952 from the estate of Jesse T. Sturdevant. 1 Number 131, the southern portion, was bought from the Ahlborn family in 1962. 2 Since college acquisition the building has been a residence hall. The exact date of construction of Sturdevant Hall is not known. By tradition, it is said tha the house was erected for John Dorrance (1800-1861), a minister of the Presbyterian Church. Dorrance purchased the property in 1841 from the Butler family which acquired the land in 1772. 3 The house probably dates from the early 1840s. In 1862 Stephen Leonard Thurlow, who later had the present Kirby Hall built, bought the property from the estate of John Dorrance. 4 Thurlow is listed for this property on the 1870 Map of Wilkes-Barre. Jesse Thomas, a physican, acquired the property in the late nineteenth century. Ownership passed by marriage to the Sturdevant family about 1913. 5 William H. Sturdevant was married to a daughter of Dr. Thomas and was a civil engineer who produced two atlases of the city. In the early twentieth century an extension was added to the south side and the house was divided i,,to two residences. 75 The �southerly portion was further divided into apartments. In 1942 Robert A. Eyerman, a Wilkes-Barre architect, designed several alterations for 131 for Dr. Maurice B. Alhborn. 6 Sturdevant Hall illustrates the changing style and taste of its occupants. The main portion of the structure is a center hall house with Greek Revival decorative detailing. The present front porch and second floor center window grouping are characteristic of the mid to late Victorian period. A circa 1897 photograph of South Franklin Street shows that a one story bay window was attached on the northerly side, first floor, easterly end window. The three and a half story, brick structure had several alterations and additions made to it prior to college acquisition although the basic structure remains intact. 1 Luzerne County Deed Recrods, Book 1171, p. 607. 2Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1495, p. 882. 3Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 37, p. 417. 4McClintock Collection, Mcclintock Room, Farley Library, Wilkes College, deed. 5article, Wilkes-Barre Record, July 16, 1952. 6 Robert A, Eyerman, architectural drawings, 1942 (Wilkes College, Business Office). �115 South Franklin Street The building that stands at 115 South Franklin Street was known for many years as Slocum Hall. It was acquired by Wilkes College in 1961 and used mainly as a residenc~ hall. 1 The structure was named in honor of Frances Slocum who, at the age of five, was kidnaped by the Indians from her home in Wilkes-Barre. The two and a half story, frame structure was built as a residence although the exact date of construction is unknown. The house was probably erected in the 1860s. The building is not illustrated on the 1850 map of the city, ) but does appear on the 1870 map. The name that is listed on the 1870 map is that of Dr. George Urghart who purchased the property in 1866. 2 The building is an example of middle class urban domestic architecture in the Italinate style. The basic structure remains intact although several alterations were made when the building was converted for offices and apartments. Badly damaged during the flood of 1972, the structure is to be razed in the future. ;I :·( '') 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1477, p. 712. 2Luzerne County Deed Re c ords, Book 11, p. 397. '.► 73 �' 115 South Franklin St. SLOCUM HALL Slocum Hall, 115 South Franklin St., was one of the older buildings and used as a woman's dormitory. Frances Slocum Hall takes its name from one of the earliest residents of Wyoming Valley,· addin8 to the historical lore that surrounds the institution. In 1778, when Frances Slocum was six years old, she was captured by marauding Indians. After she was adopted by foster Indian parents, she traveled with them in Ohio and Indiana and married a Delaware Indian Brave. When her original family found here in 1845, she was 62 and declined the invitation to return to them. ! The property was acquired by Wilkes in 1961 from F . Noretta Howorth. Property was razed in 1975. ilL.. I 262-264 SLOCUM HALL .. 1 ,I Built about 1890, the property was placed on the Pa. Register of Historical Buildings and Sites. Damage to Slocum Hall after the 1972 flood totaled about $50,000. Added ~ 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson- from Wilkes College files I I I �- - - -- - -------- ' .. t -.. . ·.. . •, 74 .• i L...,,., - ......, _ _ _ _ . -.:.. _.,_:_: -- . ------ -- --~·... ·· •· . -- - - 'II Pk g::.fi#44"1¥ ,-: i£w,·;.-:. - Hi¥& Sw'rtri:W-:~- __ . __ : .;~_::.. .. ~.:...: -·- -~..,...""'~-►-..,..___ .. -_,,. :1,•. Ill. No. J8 115 South Franklin Street January, 1971 sources author J �\ Sullivan }\all 269-273 south River street The buildinls which is known as sullivan Hall was 1 purchased by Wilkes coiiege in 1969. originallY an 'apartment house, the structure is now a residence hall• The name honors Major General John sullivan (l7~o-l795) ~ho iead a militarY expedition against the 1ro~uoiS Indians in 1779 following the Battle of Wyoming, Although the exact date of construction is unknown, Sullivan Hall appears to have been built in the first third of the twentieth centurY• The building does not appear in the ... . -~- .... ! :t~ ~•-" 1 ;r-~ ;;· \ ,, . ~ .. . ' ~ ~ r~~-.-: J_·.. ·:-·=·~ ~ ~ series of citY atlases until the 1933 edition, \ ( l --------------- \v • ~ - - ~~ I I ?l . ·' .. �269-273 South River St. Sullivan Hall Damages after the 1973 flood to Sullivan Hall were estimated to be about $75,000. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson-from the Wilkes College files. ) �-: 72 - - - -- -..:::a - - - 1' . ii iili is 1111 I.! • -, • • 1! • i Ill. No. 37 Sullivan Hall 269-273 South River Street Autumn, 1971 source, author �.. Frances Slocum Hall 262-264 South River Street The residence hall at 262-264 South River Street was originally a double house. It was erected about 1890 and was drastically altered in the early twentieth century. The structure is not illustrated on the 1889 -view of Wilkes-Barre• but is shown on a circa 1891 photograph of South River Street. By the 19JOs the building had been renovated for apartments as is shown on the 19JJ Atlas of Wilkes-Barre. The alterations involved a new arrangement of the floor plan and the erection of an extension to the back. Apparently, the separate entrances original to the plan were replaced by the present center hall. Wilkes College purchased the property in 1968. 1 For several years the building was not offically named but now honors an early resident of Wilkes-Barre. Frances Slocum (1773-1847) was born in Wilkes-Barre and kidnaped at the age of five by the Indians. She never returned to the area and lived until her death with the Indians. This is the second campus building to honor Frances Slocum. The first such building stands at 115 South Franklin Street and is scheduled for demolition. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1639, p. 808. 69 �L62 South River St~eet SLOCUM HALL (Frances Slocum Hall) After the flood of 1972, daniages to this hall were estimated at about $50,000. added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson from the Wilkes College files �70 - Ill. No • .36 Frances Sl 262-264 S o~um ~all Autumn, l~~lh River Street source, author ~ f �] (' - ·..__,. .. Ross Hall 251 South River Street In the summer of 1967 Wilkes College purchased the home of Dr. N. Frederick Schappert, a physican. 1 Now a residence hall, Ross Hall is named in honor of the Ross family which played a prominent role in the development of Luzerne County. The structure was built as a residence about 1896. The house is not shown on the 1894 Atlas of Wilkes-Barre but is listed in the 1897 city directory as the residence of . Maria Dunning, a widow. Originally, the property was a part of a larger tract owned by the Atherton family. The Atherton house stood at J6 West River Street. Ross Hall is an example of Romanesque architectur~ of the late nineteenth century. The main windows of the facade are interesting features of the house. Each window is composed of one large wooden sash with one light that slides up into the wall. The basic structure remains intact • • 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1620, p ~ 116J. 65 �66 -- • r Ill. No. J4 Ross Hall · 251 South River Street Spring, 1972 sources author �Ashley Hall 252-254 South River Street Now a residence hall, the double house at 252-254 South River Street is the second building on the campus to have been named in honor of the Ashley family. The original Ashley Hall was the Ashley family home that stood at 164 South River Street. The building at 164 was razed in 1971 for the construction of a.classroom building. The property at 252-254 was purchased by Wilkes College in 1968. 1 Ashley Hall appears to have been . built in the late 1880s. The 1882 Atlas of Wilkes-Barre shows a frame structure on this site. The present building, however, does appear on the 1889 view of the city as well as a circa 1891 photograph of South River Street. The interior was altered in recent years for apartments. The only major alteration to the exterior has been the removal of a large frame front porch following the flood in 1972. Of some interest on the facade is the ornate cornice • • 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1643, p: 403. 67 �68 .· . . .- ~::;,.. ~:::.~- ~. ~~~~ ~~ ------ .::.-- : :.,.._ ~~ g~~{ i > "i: .:: - ·- Ill. No. 35 Ashley Hall 252-254 South River Street Autumn, 1971 source, author ::- - �Commons 75 West South Street The Commons was originally used by the college as a dining hall and student activities area. It consists of two earlier structures that were joined, about 1955, by an addition. • The early buildings were originally garages. The stone and frame structure on the southerly side facing South Street was erected as the stable and carriage house for the building now known as Kirby Hall. It was constructed probably soon after the house was built. The easterly or Frariklin Street end of the Co~mons was a garage on the Stoddart property at 191-195 South Franklin Street. The Stoddart house, known for many years as Gies Hall, was razed for the construction of the college libaray. 157 �75 W. South Stre~t COMMONS Damages to the Commons after the 1972 flood were estimated at about $150,000. gn ) �158 - ~---- . . ... .;..------~ ... ...;. .---.___ .· . ... ' -- ~. __,,~ ~ ;_;.·~~~~ ~ - - -{ F-==-===-=~-&:_"i:Jt\ '. t~- § ~L~~~~3/~~i~' . ji~,b_.; r---:-:r.:-_--....!. '::-i ~ ~=i;,;J.:tr,.. j'it~~ -- '~~1:.~~~4'. ~--~:- == --,'<-;7'~~~__,. .... ' ..... ........ ,: ~~~'..ii~. . ~ ~-~ , ~ - ....~hl"'r .~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ... ..,,...... . . ~\T.Jr-'" ..<f~. ~ ~-- ::, ,;-(,•if-~' -:1~"" <:" -~,.JI.· ' -- ·J,, -- ·--- . - ., ~-:.~i.l~~: ~~~--=-~~-~-~ --. Ill. No. 8) Commons 75 West South Street Summer, 1969 sources author ~ - - - · ~ n" .c.-'--\__"r."(" ...... ,,.... _ T' :ti,; ....~!".'f-'Y._ -~-; ·.r-:.~·· :,.~.... ,:-•,~°'"" :A,~ . ;._\,.t<~:l.~ . <'- ~~~~1.r . ;>;~.: . ~ _.,, ..... ~. �76-78 West South Street The building that stands at 76-78 West South Street is a double house that was erected about 1890. The structure is not illustrated on the 1889 city view but is • indicated in the 1894 city atlas. The property is identified in the atlas as belonging to s. D. Reynolds. Stylistically, the building is Queen Anne in manner. The basic structure remains intact although the building has been altered over the years. The easterly portion, number 76, was converted to apartments prior to college acquisition. These apartments were known as the Chase Apartments. Number 78, the westerly half, was used in recent years for a combination business and residence. Wilkes College acquired the property through two purchase, Number 76 was bought in 1965. 1 It was originally a residence hall. 1973, Number 78 was purchased in The building is presently used for offices. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1564, p. 679, 159 �159A 76-78 W. South Street "76" A Wilkes College double-block dwelling located at 76-78 W. South Street; it was originally used as a women's dormitory. Nicknamed "76", it was acquired by Wilkes in 1965 from the estate of Hamilton and Lieuween Chase, then the Chase Apartments. The building was destroyed in 1975. ~NNER PROPERTY The old Fenner property was purchased in 1965. At one time this part of the structure at 76-78 W. South Street was one of Wilkes-Barre's finest ladies' boutiques. It, too, was destroyed in 1975. Damages to the property afte r mated at about $50,000. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson the flood of 1972 were esti- �160 "'i'"· ',ll ~ . • ~- ,. ~ ~ .... . ·~~? . •·-~ '' "" j Ill. No. 84 76-78 West South Street Summer, 1969 source, author �Bedford Hall 96 West South Street ,<JJ,f- ; AiJ"• ifcul.:-nw-Y1 Gof/1, i'.:- Bedford Hall was designed by Bruce Price (1845-190J), a noted late nineteenth century architect, and is the earliest of his houses that still stand. 1 ~he house w;s probably built in the mid 1870s although an exact date of construction is not known. 2 The structure is not illustrated on the 1872 city view but is shown in the 1882 Atlas of Wilkes-Barre. The house was erected as the residence of George R. Bedford (1840-1927), an attorney and author of Some Early Recollections (c~ 191J), an account of life in nineteenth century Wilkes-Barre. The college acquired the property from his son, Paul Bedford, also . an attorney. Bedford Hall has undergone numerous alterations over the years. The original portion stands on the corner of South and River Streets. Although the interior has been altered and extensions have been added to the back, the exterior of this section appears much as it did originally. An interesting feature of the exterior is the design used in the brick work of the walls. The original internal floor plan was different from the present one. The main ent~ance was through a vestibule, now open as a porch, and the main staircase was located to the north of the present one. The present steps to the third floor are a part of · 161 �162 the original staircase. The present large room in the northwest corner of the first floor was originally two rooms with fireplaces in the wall between the rooms. The service stairs were situated at about the southerly end of the present main hall on the first floor. S~udying th~ 1894 and 1904 editions of Sturdevant's atlases and a 1902 photograph of South River Street reveals that an addition was made to the south side about the turn of the century. Included in this addition was the present large room to the west of the hall on the first floor, north of the sun room, and that had a scenic wallpaper until the flood of 1972. In the late 1920s, Paul Bedford , (1875-1967),. son of the original owner of the house, commissioned the WilkesBarre architectural firm of Innes and Levy to design several alterations to the house. 3 An advertisement found in a 1933 publication indicates that the construction work of this renovation was done by the John Curtis and Company of Wilkes-Barre. 4 The present interior is the result of the Innes and Levy alterations. The 1920s renovation involved a new arrangement of the floor space in the original house and the construction of a sizeable addition to the back or south side. The large rooms in the northwest corner of the first and second floors were created from two smaller rooms on each floor. The present staircase Jtffl' rises only to the second floos was built at this time as_ was the present servf ce steps that �163 are nestled in to the south of the main stairs. The large room at the south end of the first floor hall, the sun room on the first floor, and much of the service wing to the southeast are part of the Innes and Levy design. Although r the renovations to 1 the original house were J xtensive, Lt appears that much of the Price woodwork may remain around the . doorways and windows. The Bedford property was given to Wilkes College in 1967 through the estate of Paul Bedford. 5 The building is presently used for classrooms and faculty offices and was little altered in the conversion from a residence to an educational facility. j Until 1972, the first floor room to the west of the hall on the south end, the room used as a music room by the Bedfords, retained a scenic wallpaper that was hung during the 1920s renovation. 6 The paper, destroyed by the flood waters, was a twentieth century reproduction of a nineteenth century French pattern known as "Scenic America." The property, as acquired by the college, is larger than the plot of land on which the Price designed house was built. The 1882 atlas shows a lot with a frame house on it to the southerly side of the Bedford property. The 1894 atlas illustrates this lot as being a part of the Bedford tract. The back section of the present Bedford Hall stands on part of this tract. The lawn to the east of Bedford Hall is the site of a late nin~teenth century brick dwelling. �164 -. ) The house is identified in the city directories as being the residence of Alexander Farnham, an attorney. The Farnham house was razed in the mid-twentieth century. The one story brick structure located a few feet southeast of (\ Bedford Hall may have been built as a garage Jon the Farnham property. 1 Samuel H. Graybill, Jr., "Bruce Price, American sr Architect, 1845-1903", dissertation (Yale University, 19'./=5-), p. 20. 2 Graybill lists the building date as 1876 and, in a footnote, p. 229, identifies the source of information as the late Gilbert S. Mcclintock. Price, a native of Cumberland, r,:aryland, was married to Jose.p hine Lee of WilkesBarre and had an office in Wilkes-Barre from about 1872 to ) 1877. 3 Innes and Levy, architectural drawings, 1927. (Wilkes College, Business Office) 4 The Residential Work of Innes and Lev Architects Wilkes-Barre New Yorks Architectural Catalogue Company, Inc., 1933). 5Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1629, p. 744. 6 rnterview with Charles Levy, Huntsville, Pennsylvania, ~r.arch, 1971. Mr. Levys says that he purchased the ·, wallpaper from a shop in New York City. �.. ·"' ---- ........ .... --- 96 W. South Street .... . ... . . . ... ..,. . 164A BEDFORD HALL Damages to Bedford Hall after the 1972 flood were estimated at about $150,000. added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson • �\.p 165 Ill. No. 85 Bedford Hall 96 West S ou th Street 1970 sources author �166 : / ,' ,, ', , " ' I - 'I . /· j Ill, No, 86 Bedford Hall sourcea Wyoming Historical and Geological Society notea The photograph is identified on the back as having been taken in 1902, ) �J· ' 167 ) • Ill. No. 87 Bedford Hall Architectural Drawings · of First Floor circa 1876 and in 1927 Based on plan made by Innes and Levy for the 1927 renovations (Wilkes College, Business Office) �t"''71 a- ll... Bedford Hall est s 96 W Wilkes o~~hllStreet ege �:- - - - · ....... The President's House JO West River Street The President's House at JO West River Street was designed in 1925 by a Philadelphia architect, EdmW1d B. Gilchrist (1885-1954). 1 The gardens were planned by Elsa Rehmann, a landscape architect from Newark, New Jersey. 2 The house was built as the residence of Paul Sterling (18 (\ \I -1951), a planning engineer for the Lehigh Valley Coal Company. Sterling was a son of Walter G. Sterling whose house on South River Street is now known as Sterling Hall. In 1914 Sterling married Arline Payne, a daughter of Edward Payne. The Payne house stood at 158 South River Street and was known as Butler Hall W1til razed in 1971. The property was purchased by Wilkes College in 1967 from the estate of Mrs. Sterling. 3 at first for classrooms and offices. The building was used In 1970-1971 the house was refurbished for the use of President and Mrs. Michelini. The house is an example of the "Classical Revival" • style of architecture of the 1920s. The basic structure remains intact although the interior of the first floor was replastered and the floors relaid following the flood in 1972. ~he original front door and the louvered shutters on the exterior were removed when the building was refurbished in 1970-1971. llJ �114 The property at JO West River Street was originally a part of the Atherton property known as J6 West River Street. About 1924 the Atherton house was torn down and tAe land was divided into four lots, the present numbers JO, J6, 40, and 56 West River Street. 1 Edmund B. Gilchrist, architectural drawings, July,) 1925. (Wilkes College, Business Office) 2Elsa Rehmann, "Sketch for Gardens, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Sterling, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.N (The sketch is in the collection of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society, however, the key to explain the plantings is missing.) )Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1611, p. 257. i I ' . I �115 ; . _,,. ill. No. 58 . House Thep O W resident's est R" Street J Autumn iver source; 1971 author :,-.:-,..: . . . . . ~ . -✓- . - .. - �7 116 Ill. No. 59 The President's House J July 1972 source, author note, Notice the marks on the building showing the hei~ht of the flood waters. �117 MR ....Q HR':S 'Pl.'J L \.tit."<£~ llAP. V. Y. ' ?' ,,,, : . • •. ;· ' ' . • r • •··• • . . .. .......... .-· • Ill. No. 60 Sketch of Gardens The President '·s House source, Wyoming Historical and Geological Society ...., T �285-287 South Franklin Street The brick double house at 285-287 South Franklin Street was probably built about 1880. The structure is not illustrated on the 1872 city view but is shown on the 1882 Atlas of Wilkes-Barre. The atlas lists the owner as Charles A. Miner which leads to the speculation j hat the house was erected as an investment property. The property was purchased by Wilkes~College in 1973 from the . . l d escendants of Miner. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1794, 1145. ~(· . •· . .....•' ~ 112 �Waller Hall J6 West River Street The attached houses at J6 and 40 West River Street are closely associated historically. Both houses were built about 1925 and were designed by the Wilkes-Barre architectural firm of Innes and Levy. 1 The house at J6 was erected as the residence of Julius Long Stern (189)1964) and the one at 40 was built for his father~ Harry F. Stern (1854-1928). The stone used in the constAiction of both houses is from a mid nineteenth century house that stood on this site and was razed for construction of the stern houses. Julius Long Stern was. a grandson of the merchant . Isaac Long and was associated with the Long firm for many years. Later he sold his business interests and became a lecturer in the history d~partrnent at Princeton University. SternJals~was a member of the Board of Trustees of ,Wilkes College. Architecturally, the house at J6 West River Street is •representative of the HTudor RevivalH style popular in the decade following the end of World War I. The building is significant for the decorative detailing on both the exterior and the interior, especially the plaster freize composed of fruit and animals that surrounds the ceiling in the front room on the first floor, the original living 118 �- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - :~ - - - - - -- -- 119 -room. The knotty pine paneling in the former dining room was installed some years after the house was built. When the houses at J6 and 40 were erected, the structural framework for a connecting doorway was built into the wall. 2 Wilkes College purchased the property in 1964 from Michael McLaughlin, a businessman_-J Now a residence hall, the building is named Waller Hall in honor of the late Chalres Waller, a past Chairman of the Board of Trusµ es of Wilkes College. The Waller residence is at 40 West River Street and is still occupied by Mrs. Waller. About 1924 Julius Long Stern purchased the Atherton property at J6 West River Street, razed the house, and divided the land into four lots, the present JO, J6, 40, and 56 West River Street. The street frontage of the Atherton property is indicated by the low stone wall that runs along the front of the present lots. part of the fence around the Atherton land. The wall was The Atherton house was a Mansardic style structure, probably built in the mid 1860s, and was constructed of stone reported to have been quarried in the vicinity of West Nanticoke, • Luzerne County. 4 The house was erected for the financier Thomas Atherton. Tradition says that it was designed by the noted Philadelphia architect John Frazier. Several rooms in the Atherton house were decorated with paintings executed by Madomiselle Juliette Gambaro. 5 Gambaro was an artist who came to the United States from · - -~ �- 120 France under the sponsorship of s. L. Thurlow and his wife. The pai~tin~above the paneling in the former dining room of the present Kirby Hall, built for Thurlow, are said to be the work of Gambaro. A few of the paintings in the Atherton house illustrated the fable of La Fontaine for which members of prominent Wilkes-Barre families posed as models. On the 1870 and 1882 city maps, the Atherton property is shown as extending back to South River Street. The house set in the northwest portion with the stable and carriage house along South River Street. Over the years the land along South River Street was divided into lots and sold off. Early in this century the stable and carriage house was converted into a residence and is now known as 255 South River Street. 1 The Residential Work of Innes and Lev Architects Wilkes-Barre New York, Architectural Catalogue Company, Inc., 1933). 2 Interview with Charles Levy, Huntsville, Pennsylvania, March, 1971. 3Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1548, p. 672 • • 4 unidentified ne¼~aper article in the collection of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society. 5T. H. A. •Pertaining to the paintings on the walls at our home, J6 West River Street, and the the artist Md'lle Garnbaro (December 14, 1916), unpublished paper in the colktion of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society. �36 W. River Street' 120A WALLER HALL Damakes to Waller Hall after the 1972 flood were estimated at about $50,000. Added: 1 March 1983 . Georgetta Nelson: from the Wilkes College files • �121 ,I "' ,,P.,-.:• .• 01··.f'+--~ " .. ~- -,t~JJ;J::!G~~J~~S~~-§··~ ' ... J rr---c11,· - • .. <'•i ,~ ". ~ 'i;\i;i-z ~ . ,.·.✓• . . "JI!! - , /· L - - - _ _ ,,,,_ _ - - - - ..•· .: ' , ' ,. . . . . - · - " · •· - .,___ ' ~ . \ . - .,. , . . -· ·- : -= . -l~~:::;;~~· ;; ; 1 --~~~~'.~ ~~~g~ -~'- -'- \ • ., "'J · ' :t-. -,i~=i~~ :c:~~ '- l~;~~;~'~;.Z:l~·~~,._"e.;f__:;;'•~~~~::~~~ .. ),,,: ~~ r ;;,._✓ :11 . ·~ . ".I!"° • -· . . ·: .· ... ~ :_~:~-:~-~~- ~-~ :::·-j • Ill. No. 61 Waller Hall J6 West River Street Autumn, 1971 sources author �122 ··J· . :· .··-=· ' ' . / .. .. .. - -- -- . ___.·· ____,. ,? ." - .. . . • Ill. No. 62 Numbers JO, J6., 40, and 56 West River Street Autumn, 1971 sources author notes About 1924 the Atherton property at J6 West River Street was divided into four lots, the present JO, J6, 40, and 56. �12.3 Ill. No, 63 Atherton house 36 West River Street source, Art Work of W'lk note, The stone from t~i e~-Barre, 1910. used in the constructis ouse was houses at J6 and 40 Wont oif the present Street. es R ver �124 _.,. Ill. No. 64 Living Room, Atherton House early 1920s (?) sources Mrs. Charles Frantz (Mary Atherton) �125 ~ ~ ' ., i! ;I , -· ~ ; ,~ -~-:-. c•' , - :":.~-..~~ •.lu../~~~ • .·::"'.'""T.:'.:~ - !-- ... - ~"'-••...-4: -. _ .)· t"':,~ '~_:...:,~-:.....:;.,.-:-:--.r~~ , ... - ... ., • $ st · 1· -:cnocet .+ ,~·tH ;;,e-.,,, iS .....,. 'i,i=;_/., ~ Ill. No. 65 Dining Room, Atherton House early 1920s (?) source, Mrs. Charles Frantz (Mary Atherton) notes The walls and the ceiling of the dining room were decorated with Gambaro paintings. �Doane Hall 56 West River Street Wilkes College purchased the property at 56 West River Street in 197J from Justin Bergman, Jr. l The house was built about 1925 .for Justin Bergman (1880-1960) and was designed by the Wilkes-Barre architectural firm of Innes and Levy. 2 Originally a portion of the Atherton / _:;., property at J6 West River Street, this lot was purchased by Bergman in April, 1924. 3 Bergman was the founder of the Bergman Department Store. Now a residence hall, the building is named in honor of John Doane, a physican, and his wife Gertrude, a former Dean of Women at Wilkes College. This is the second campus building to be named in honor of the Doanes. The first stands at 2J9 South Franklin Street and is scheduled for demolition in the near future. Doane Hall is an example of the "Classical Revival" form of architecture of the 1920s. The basic structure remains intact although extensive repairs were made to the ~nterior following the flood in 1972. In particular, the paneling in the front room, the living room, suffered badly from the flood waters but was repaired by the college maintenance department. 126 �127 -... 1 Luzerne County Deed necords, Book 1773, p. J50. 2 Th~ Residential Work of Innes and Levy, Architects, Wilkes-Barre Inc., 19JJ). (New Yorks Architectural Catalogue Company, 3Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 60J, p. 197 • • - - - ·------ �128 -~ -. ~~ - •• t • • ~~ Ill. No. 66 Doane Hall 56 West River Street Autumn, 1971 source, author �Barre Hall 80 West River Street The building presently known as Barre Hall was built about rsn-1B7J as the residence of Richard Sharpe (1842- 1895). Several references to the construction of the house appear in Sharpe•~ diaries from this period. 1 Sharpe was a founder of the Sharpe, Weiss and Company, primarily a mining firm. The company operated a colliery at Eckley, Luzerne County, where Sharpe and his family resided for several years before moving into the West River Street house in Wilkes-Barre. The community of Eckley is now owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is to be developed by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission as a museum and interpretative center of the anthracite industry. The house that Sharpe occupied is one of the buildings acquired by the state. Barre Hall is representative of mid to late nineteenth J/,71! i'tchn-Jt' (:,A/,, c century,1 domestic architecture. The windows, chimneys, and gables show a strong influence of the English Tudor style. 0 The original interior trim is in the Eastlakian manner. Several major alterations and additions were made to the building in this century when it was converted for apartments. ,.. Wilkes College purchased the property in 1970. 2 Today, Barre Hall is a residence hall. 129 The build~ng is the �lJO second campus structure to named in honor of Colonel Isaac Barre, a British statesman who supported the cause of the American colonies in their struggle with Great Britain. The first Barre Hall stood at 154 South River Street and was demolished in 1971 for the construction of a classroom building. The city maps of the turn of the twentieth century indicate that the Sharpe property extended eastward to South River Street and included the lot to the north, now 72 West River Str~et, and about two-hundred feet of land fronting on the Susquehanna River. 1 sharpe, Weiss and Company Papers, Wyoming Historical and Geological Society. 2 / 57. .<. . Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1711, p. 198. .~i , ~· .,.. '··\ ( . �80 West River St . . i30A BARRE HALL Damages to Barre Hall after the 1972 flood were estimated at about $50 , 000. Added~ 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson: • from the Wilkes Cohlege files �lJl Ill. No. 67 Barre Hall 80 West River Street Autumn, 1971 source, author �] 131A BEDFORD HALL Bedford Hall, 96 West River Street, former residence of Attorney and Mrs. Paul Bedford, became the property of the College by bequest in August, 1967, upon the death of Attorney Bedford. Bedford was known widely as a corporation lawyer, banker and benefactor. He attended Harry Hillman Academy and graduated from Princeton University and received a law degree from the Universtiy of Pennsylvania Law School. He became a member of the Board of Trustees at Princeton University in 1930 and was senior member of the law firm of Bedford, Waller, Griffith, Darling and Mitchell. Among his many gifts to the community, church and college were the athletic field for intramural sports and a music building at Princeton University. He also assisted his wife, the late Gertrude Vaughn Bedford in the operation of the Wheel Chair Club, a world-wide organization in charge of the Wilkes-Barre Kiwanis Club. Built circa 1878. 1923 renovations. Placed on the Pa. Register of Historical Buildings and Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson • Sites. �llJ West River Street The property known as llJ West River Street was given to Wilkes College in 1969 by Annette Evans. 1 The house is the southerly half of the double house that stands at 111-llJ West River Street. • Little is known about the history of the house ·although it appears to date from about the turn of the twentieth century. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1715, p. - 2J2. j ! 112 �~ 133 ,·i·, :·r·.;_'!../ '. -~ji)li i --~-·t:- .,. ~ ~~ "•.~..:.l4 ~ ~ . VI(-'.. . ~ · ~:.. ',._ ,:- ; " . ,_..... ~ 111. No. 68 113 west River street Autumn, 1971 source, author . �Alumni Hall 117 West River street Annette Evans bequeathed her family home at 117 West River Street to Wilkes College in 1969. 1 In her will, Miss Evans stipulated that the house was for the use of the college alumni association and was to be known as •Alumni Hall~• 1971. 2 The college gained possession of the property in The alumni association, however, had little opportunity to use the building. Upon examination of the house following the flood in 1972, it was found that the structural problems that existed prior to the flood were greatly increased. It was determined that the damage was to the extent that the building warrarited demolition. The house was designed by Miss Evans' father, Clark Wright Evans (1857-1940), an architect and a musician. Architecturally, the building is an example of the Shingle Style of the late nineteenth century. Drawings for various details of the house are included in the college's collection of the Evans family papers. Before coming to Wilkes-Barre, Evans was associated with a New York architectural firm. Among the family papers is a set of drawings by Evans for a house in New Jersey. The design of the New Jersey house, apparently made before Evans came to Wilkes-Barre, is qu i te similar to that of Alumni Hall and may haVe been the 1nspiration for it. �135 Although the exact date of construction is unkown, the house appears to date from about 1898. The approximate date is based primarily upon two receipts found in the family papers. Both receipts were issued in 1898. The first one, dated February 10, is from Arnold, Constable and Company of New York and lists the Evans' address as South Franklin Street. Prior to moving to West River Street, the Evans family resided in a house on South Franklin Str~et where now stands the college library. The second receipt is from the Boston Store in Wilkes~Barre and bears the date May Jl. This receipt gives the address as West River Street. Alumni Hall is a three story, frame and masonry structure with a gambrel roof. The principal rooms of the first floor are a vestibule, a large stairhall extending across the widith of the house, a large and a small sitting rooms to the east of the hall, and the dining room, kitchen, and service rooms to the west of the hall. staircase rises only to the second floor. The main The third floor has two finished rooms, a bath, and a large unfinished attic room in the front. The interior decorative detailing is •academic" in manner. Wilkes College acquired many of the original furnishings of the house as well as numerous pieces of art and American antique furniture collected by the Evans family. Drawings found among the family papers indicate . that Clark Wright Evans also designed some of the �1J6 furnishings, in particular the side boards in the dining room. Unfortunately, most of the furniture of the first floor was destroyed in the flood in 1972. The building stands on the westerly side of the street on the location of a mid nineteenth century ice pond. •The 1870 and 1882 maps and the 1889 city view illustrate that the ice pond covered nearly half of the block between Ross and Terrace Streets. The area is shown in the 1894 atlas as having been filled in and divided into lots. The settling of the filled area may be responsible in part for the structural problems of the building •. 1 2 Luzerne County Wills, item number 1914. Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1715, p. 2JO. �7 137 Ill. No. 69 Alumni Hall 117 West River Street Autumn, 1971 sourcea author J ..I �138 Ill. No. 70 Alumni Hall, west side Autumn, 1971 sources author ) �139 Ill. No. 71 Alumni Hall sourber Art Work of Wilkes-Barre, 1910 note, The building is identifed as the "Residence of Clark Wright Evans." �140 ai~y«·w ,,;....,- ~x;;~,:= $NIMAi&#ii3 Ill. No. 72 Alumni Hall, first floor, northerly portion of the stairhall Winter, 1972 sources author �141 Ill. No. 73 Alumni Hallof' first . port·ion the st floor . ' southerly :inter, 1 972 ource, author airhall �142 Ill. No. 74 Alumni Hall, first floor, looking toward the dining room from the stairhall Winter, 1972 source, author i ) �143 Ill. No. 75 Alumni Hall, first floor, looking toward the large sitting room from the stairhall Winter, 1972 source, author �144 . ' ' =· <::_:···_, .:: ', ',~:.:\ ;:·:•;j~:-; ·, .\ Ill. No. 76 Allll!1ni_Hall, _sitting roomfirst floor, large Winter, 1972 sources author �145 ~:r - ~ ..i , -., , _"j . . . t:~, . ~'-; -. # ·, ~- • ~- - ~ -~ ~t·~- ,, ~:~}\ ~~ t/•·~::.:~' ,. .,-...,.; .. "-"\: :. . . a ) Ill. No. 77 Alumn~ Hall, first floor, looking toward the small sitting room from the large sitting room Winter, 1972 source1 author �-- - -- - - - - - - - -- - - -- - - -- -·--· -----·- 81-8J Wright Street The two detached houses that stand at 81 and 8J Wright Street were given to Wilkes College in 1970 by Annette Evans. 1 It appears that the houses were built in the • 1880s. The buildings are not illustrated in the 1882 atlas of the city but seem to be shown on the 1889 city view. The houses are representative of the type of buildings that once lined Wright Street. In the early 1960s most of the buildings along Wright Street were ra-zed by the urban renewal agency. The present Pickering Hall occupies much of the area .today. 1 . Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1715, p. 975. · 146 �147 I Ill. No. 78 81-83 Wright Street Autumn, 1971 source, author �Chesapeake Hall 68-70 West Northampton Street Delaware Hall 72-74 West Northampton Street Chesapeake and Delaware Halls were built as a block of four houses with a common facade. An 1889 publication identifies the block as belonging to Benjamin Reynolds, a businessman, and having been designed by the Wilkes-Barre architectural firm of Kipp and Podmore. 1 It appears that the buildings were erected in the 1880s. About 1847 the . Baptist congregation had a church, a brick structure in the Greek Revival manner, erected on this site. 2 The congregation moved to a new location in the 1880s and sold the Northampton Street property. The 1882 Atlas of Wilkes- Barre indicates that the church was still standing on this site. The present buildings are shown on the 1889 city view. Sometime in the twentieth century, the block was renovated for apartments. The original entrances, four in number, were altered and a large, one story, frame porch on the facade was removed. Although the building has been altered with time, the basic structure remains intact, particularly the facade. The property was purchased by Wilkes College in 1967.J Now residence halls, the buildings are named in honor of Indian tribes that once inhabited the Wyoming Valley. 148 �149 1 wilkes-Barre Penns lvania the Pro ressive Cit a Its Past, Present, and Future n.c.a Enterprise Review Publishing Company, July, 1889), p. 20. 2 oscar J. Harvey and Ernest G. Smith, A History of Wilkes-Barre and W omin~ Valle (6 vo., Wilkes-Barre, Pa.a Smith-Bennett Company, 19JO, IV, 1865. 3Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1609, p. 97. • �..- - 68-70 W. Northampton 1 149A CHESAPEAKE HALL Built circa 1880 Was placed on the register of Penna. Historical Bldgs.and sites . • 72-74 W. Northampton DELEWARE HALL Built about 1880. Placed on Pennsylvania Register of Historic Sites and Properties. Damages to Chesapeake Hall and Deleware Hall after the 1972 flood were estim&ted at about $50,000 each · t s Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson �150 . ' ' '-; · ->\{ -~ . -.~ r -- . -~--- . Ill. No. 79 Chesapeake Hall 68-70 West Northampton Street Delaware Hall 72-74 West Northampton Street Autumn, 1971 sources author �151 • ~ ~]] :..j; 1-t . . ; -;1 i : . . ::-- ~4.\./ ·7 --~-. .,l~1CJ L· =i<;;J r,; ,. •• . . -~'""f: '~r- *~~ !t': •. ~~;:;:;=~::zZ~~~~:,.;~ · . ...,~t; ;~~, --,...:::;~~ ~JT_.,.,. >-- ·· "" .,. -~ f- .. .-::JJ~f?ff J i:iiill . () . I F .. .- . . ; -~- ---~rl,'.J. .l ! : i ~ ----:.~~~- - _'::-::. ci'Jice" ;_:_:__ -~ ~ =-c=c• . ~ll. No. 80 aptist Church sources wy~:~~g . ~istorical and notes This b -~g~cal Society 1847 ui razed. ding was erected about Th ~nd· was e site is no in.the 1880s. present Chesa pea w ~ccupied by the Halls. e and neiaware �Shawnee Hall 76 West Northampton Street The property at 76 West Northampton Street is shown ' on the 1882 Atlas of Wilkes-Barre as being a part of a larger tract of land that fronts on South River Street and is currently known as 110 South River Street. It appears that Shawnee Hall was built in the 1880s for it is illustrated on the 1889 city view. The house is an example of the Queen Anne style of architecture and, although somewhat altered, the basic structure remains intact. Much of the interior decorative detailing of the first floor was removed in recent years. Wilkes College purchased the property in 1965. 1 The building is named in honor of the Shawnee Indians and is used for offices. 1 . . Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1573, p. 729. 152 �15'2.h 76 W. Northampton St. Shawnee Hall • Damages to Shawnee Hall after the flood of 1972 were estimated at about $30,000. Added: 1 March 1983 · Georgetta Nelson �153 il ~ ·:r ·j jl :-- ·r- ~ :_:- 'fi ! ! -~ L ------- ., -1·,,·, ' . . . ;: . .. ,c'. ; l/· . I · ,·, ·~ ·-.. . - I 1'.. • . . ._- ( . Ill. No. 81 Shawnee Hall 76 West Northampton Street Autumn, 1971 source, author �Susquehannock Hall 78 West Northampton Street The history of Susquehannock Hall is closely associated with that of Zebulon Butler Hall at 110 South River Street • • Susquehannock Hall was built about 1900 for John Butler Woodward (1861-1925). 1 The house is not identified on the 1894 city atlas, but the front porch is visible on a 1902 photograph of th~ street. The late nineteenth century city directories :_ list Woodward as residing on the north side of Northampton Street where he lived until the completion of the house at 78. Woodward was an attorney who, at the time of his death, was serving as Judge of Luzerne County. He was the son of Stanley Woodward who had the present Zebulon Butler Hall erected. Until the construction of Susquehannock Hall, the Northampton Street property was a part of the Woodward property at 110 South River Street. In the first quarter of the twentieth _century, John Butler Woodward acquired the property at 110 South River Street and moved into the family home. The Northampton Street property was eventually sold. The hatrack that stands in the entrance hall of Butler Hall was originally installed in the Northampton Street house. 2 Frederick Weckesser donated 78 West Northampton Street to Bucknell Junior College in 1938. 3 Until the college acquired the Weckesser house on South Franklin .Street, 154 �155 • Susquehannock Hall was known as Weckesser Hall in honor of its donor. Now a residence hall, the building is named in honor of the Susquehannock Indians. 1 Interview with Mrs. Bruce Payne (Marion Woodward • Payne), Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, November 15, 1971. 2 rnteriew with Mrs. Payne. 3Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 777, p. 27. n �1 o w. l'H.>rcnampcun ::>1 ~ ' SUSQUEHANNA HALL (SUSQUEHANNOCK HALL) (formerly WECKESSER HALL- 1938) This property was given to Wilkes College in 1938 by Mr. and Mrs. F . J. Weckesser. • The building was first used as a "Collegium Musicum"; which was the first of its kind in .this section of the state. The late Professor Paul Gies, di.r ector of music, had on display his collection of old instruments. A Library of Recordings was also available for use in various courses. This building was used for a time, as the residence of the college president · and his wife--Dr. Eugene S. Farley. Today Weckesser Hall is used as a Girls' Dorm. (old Weckesser Hall was toen down in 1971. Built about . 1900. Placed on the Pa. Register of Historical Buildings and sites. Damages to Susquehannock Hall after the 1972 flood were estimated at about $50,000. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson �156 Ill. No. 82ck Hall susque~a~~~thampton Street 78 Wes Autumn, 1 9 71 source, author �6 1 1 ·~ ¥ ~.I" /Y Nathan Denison Hall 61-6,3 West Ross Street The present Dension Hall is the second building on the Wilkes campus to honor Colonel Nathan Denison (1740-1812), an early Wyoming Valley settler. The first building to be known as such stood at 180 South River Street on the north side of Chase Hall. The South River Street building was razed in the summer of 1971 for the construction of a new classroom building. Presently a residence hall, 61-63 West Ross Street was purchased by Wilkes College in two The portion known as number 61 was bought in 1971 1 and the other section, number 6J, was acquired in 1970. 2 parts, Denison Hall is a two and a half story, brick double house erected about 1890. The structure does not appear on the 1882 atlas but is shown on the 1894 atlas. An extension was added to the front of number 61 sometime in the early twentieth century probably when the building was converted for apartments. The basic structure remains intact although much of the ornamental detail such as the front porch has been removed. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1725, p. 514, 2 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1702, p. 1099, I ,J 169 �63 W. Ross St. 169A . DENNISON ) Built about 1890. Placed on Pa's Register of Historical Buildings and sites. Damages after the 1972 flood were estimated at about $75,000. (This was the second building to honor Dennison. The first was situated at 285-287 S. Franklin St.) This Dennison building was known . as the Ross Street Dorms. added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson ... �-------, 170 Ill. No. 88·on Hall N than Densi Street a W st Ross 61-6J el971 Autumn, author source, �Site South Franklin Street The college gymnasium stands on the site of a mid nineteenth century house that was similar in style to that of Miner Hall at 264 South Franklin Street, immediately to the north. The house was probably built in the late 1860s because this section of South Franklin Street was not opened until about 1864, but the house is shown on an 1870 map of the city. Thomas Long is identified on the 1870 map as the owner of the property. From turn of the century photographs . of Franklin Street and of the building now known as Miner Hall, the house at 274 appears to have been a two and a half story masonry structure with stuccoed exterior walls and a mansard roof. The windows of the principal rooms had segmental arches at the tops and two-over-two lights in each. There was a one story frame porch across the front. The house was razed in the mid twentieth century. The property was purchased by Wilkes College in 1948. 1 1 . I 'fl"""'"•... Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 974, p. 75. I J 171 �171A 274 S. Franklin St. GYMNASIUM The Wilkes gymnasium considered one of the most modern in the state was completed in 1950. They gym, 100 by 200 feet has a playing floor of 98 by 144 feet; large enough for three basketball courts, seating capac.ity flexible-accommodating from 1200 to 2200 people. The new $250,000 physical education plant on S. Franklin St. was completed in Sept of 1950. The building has been considered one of the most modern in the state. • More than 125 tns . of steel was used in the construction. The large showers and dressing rooms are located on both the first and second floors(rear). In the front are offices and a conference room. A kitchen has been installed to provide facilities for food preparation for the many special-dinners sponsored each year by civic organizations of Wyoming Balley. Damages to the gymnasium after the flood of 1972 were estimated at about $125,000. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson r 7 �Site 292-294 South River Street The property at 292-294 South River Street was acquired by Wilkes College in 1971 from the estate of M. Annette Evans. 1 Miss Evans directed through her will that the college was to use the house, known as 292, as a museum of Wilkes-Barre and that the small, frame structure to the south was to be demolished for the development of a garden. 2 The plan was never realized, however, for the house was structurally damaged when Wilkes-Barre was flooded in the summer of 1972 and the building was razect·later that year. I The house was built in the first half of the nineteenth century. An exact date of construction is not known although, stylistically, the building was of a type that was being built in Wilkes-Barre in the 1840s. The property is identified on the 1850 city map as belonging to Beuben Flick. Tradition says that this is the same Reuben Flick who, later in the century, owned the building known now as Kirby Hall, The house at 292 retained most of its original features when it was demolished. Two notable changes that were made to the structure over the years are the addition of the one story porch on the facade and the installation of interior trim in a couple of the rooms. The trim that was added was from a circa 1787 house built on South Main Street for Timothy .·Pickering. J 172 Much of the trim from the �... 17.J Pickering house was removed from the South River Street structure before demolition. The house at 292 was used primarily as a dwelling although at one time it housed a resturant or tea room. The one story building to the south was built in t~e late nineteenth century as a shop. It was torn down in 1972 following the flood. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1715, p. 975. 2Luzerne County Wiils, item number 1914. JThe Pickering house was recorded by the Historic American Building Survey in 19J6, (Survey ·Nurnber PA-2JO) I II �174 2 · - ~ ·~ Il~. No. 89 buildings . 292-294 South . Autumn, 1971 River Street sources author no~ez Both buildin in 1972 followingg~hwere demolished e flood. - -- .I ~ �Site 2JO South River Street The building known as Hainna Hall, which stood on this site, was erected in the mid nineteenth century as a dwelling. • It was a two and a half story, frame structure with the gable end facing South River Street. The house was converted for apartments in the twentieth century. Wilkes College purchased the property in 1963 1 and used the house as a residence hall until it was demolished in 1968. The name, Hainna Hall, was derived from a colloqualism. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1523, p. 885. 175 �Site 240 South River Street The parking lot at 240 South River Street is the site of a turn of the century frame structure which set with the gable end facing the street. • The buildingr erected as a dwelling, was three stories high and had a gambrel roof and clapboard siding. The house is first found in the series of city atlases in Sturdevant's 1904 edition. The property was acquired by Wilkes College about 1967 from the estate :: Rochefeller, the last surviving member of a -of~iss --prominent nineteenth century family. The~bui-lding, str-uctura-lly - - unsound, . was demolished soon after college 176 �177 . Ill. No. 90 Rochefeller house 240 South River Street circa 1950 source, Wyoming Valley Preservation Committee notes The building was demolished about 1968. �) Site 244-246 South River Street The house that stood at 246 South River Street was probably the oldest structure standing in the River Street area when Wilkes College acquired it. Although the exact date of construction is unknown, the building was probably erected in the 18JOs or 1840s. The first map on which the building is shown is the 1850 map published by J. c. Sidney. The house was built as the center unit in a row of three structures with a common facade. The southern unit was demolished in the early years of the twentleth century for ) the construction of the present building at 248-250 South River Street. The northern third remained standing until about 1950 when it was razed and the land was developed into a garden. The middle unit, number 246, was used as a private residence .until 1965 when the college purchased the property including the site of the northern unit, number 244. 1 The college demolished number 246 about 1966 and uses the site, along with that of 240 to the north, as a parking lot. 1 Luzerne County Deed Rec-ords, Book 1565, p. 282. 178 �179 ~·~~~-- \~'·· I· ·r ~ ' ....- ,__ - .. ..._4 ·~ :_ f !~ ~~~~~f9~=~~ n n Ill. No. 91 house 246 South River Street circa 1950 source, Wyoming Valley Preservation Committee notes The house was demolished in 1966. , I �180 ) Ill, No. 92 house 246 South River Street circa 1950 source, Wyoming Valley Preservation Committee noter The brick wall along the street indicates the site of the northern third of the row. The house shown here was demolished in 1966. �Site 84 West South Street The open area to the west of the building at 76-78 West South Street is the site of the house that was erected for Isaac P. Hand, an attorney. • The building was a two and a half story frame structure with a steep roof and the gable end facing the street. On the facade was a one story porch on the ground level and a small balcony above on each floor. The house was built about 1880 for it is not shown on the ' 1870 city map or 1872 city view, but is indicated on the 1882 map. The structure was demolished i~ the mid twentieth century, probably about 1963 when the Wilkes-Barre Redevelopment Authority was demolishing a number of the buildings on Wright Street. Wilkes College acquired the land, apparently, from the Redevelopment Authority in 1965. 1 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1570, p. 874. This deed covers the transaction involving the land where now stands the cafeteria and men's dormitory. 181. �Site 157-159 South Franklin Street Now a parking lot, the open area on South Franklin Street, across from Weckesser Hall, is the site of the . house that was erected for H. Baker Hillman (18J6-1899), a coal operator, in the late nineteenth century. The exact date of construction is not known although it appears to have been built sometime between 1882 and 1894. The 1882 city atlas shows two properties, each with .one structure on it, for this area. The 1894 atlas illustrates that the two smaller lots were joined and that one house, indicated as belonging to Hillman, replaced the two smaller ones. By the publication of the 1904 edition of Sturdevant's Atlas of Wilkes-Barre, the property and the house were divided into two separate properties. The Hillman family retained possession of the northern half, number 157, until 1959 when it was sold to Wilkes College. 1 The southern portion, number 159, was purchased by the college in 1956 from the estate of the former Countessa Elena Dandini ( -1955). 2 The Countessa, who was born in Wilkes-Barre, was the daughter of Congressman and Mrs. Henry w. Palmer.J Married to an Italian nobleman, the Countessa resided in Europe for many years before returning to the United States and taking up residence at 159 South Franklin Street. 182 �18J ) The Hillman house was two and a half stories high and of brick construction with stuccoed exterior walls. The corners of the main structure and the projection to the north side were decorated with qubins. The facade was five bays across, symmetrically arranged, and had a one story porch. The openings for the principal windows and doorways' had segmental pointed arches. The house was razed soon after college acquisition. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1440, p. 25). 2Luzerne County Deed Records, Book lJlO, p. 292. ) JThe Palmer residence was at 247 South Franklin Street. �7 183A 157-159 S. Franklin St OLD HARDING HALL? ) WILKES-BARRE-- 24 June 1960- Another 'Building of historical: interest will disappear from the Hyoming Valley scene when demolition crews complete their work razing a double-block structure. 157-159 South Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre, o,med by Wilke . College. This move, part of the college general development program, will provide much-needed parking space for students and f~culty members and the grounds will be landscaped to create an attractive parkway to Stark Hall science building from the South Franklin St. entrance. ) ', J I <, The college purchased the left block of the building in 1956 from the estate of the Countess Elena Dandini de Sylva who lived there since 1945 . The former Helen Constance Palmer, Countess de Sylva was the daughter of the late Congressman and Mrs. Henry H. Palmer of Wilkes-Barre. Born in this city, she spent the greater part of her life abroad , but returned to H.B. in 1945. The life of a countess presented a combination of romance and patriotism which led her to glamour and a European title and back to repatrition in the land of her birth . In 1915 she married Count Dandini de Sylva of Italian nobility forfeited her rights as an A~erican citizen and assumed the title of Countessa. Her husband, an officer in the Italian army was killed in action in 1916 during World War I. Following his death the Countess reBained in Italy and served as a war nurse in an army hospital, caring for the wounded until the Armistice in 1918. Althoup;h she travelled extensively and spent CTany of her summer s in Geneva, Switzerland, she visited her ho~e in this country at least once every few years . On these trips she travelled on Italian passports although she was of the opinion that she automatically reverted to her ~erican citizenship when her husband died . While she maintained homes on the Palazza Colonna in Rome and in Grasse, France, she recop;nized the Palmer suBmer residence in Laurel Run as her real home. In 1933, she applied for repatrition and the application was acted upon favorably by Judge Albert L. Watson in the Federal Court in Scranton. The Countess' father, the late Henry H. Palmer, served as Attorney General of Penna . and Congressman of the 12th District. He was one of the most prominent members of the Luzerne County Bar Association of the time. He·r mother, the late Ellen WebsterPalmer, was a pioneer in welfare work among workin8 boys of the Valley before child labor laws were enacted . She organized the Boys' Industrial Association for Working Boys, and a monument presently stands on the upper river CoITIQon near the city greenhouse erected in her honor. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson �183B ELLEN W. PALMER- ) "FRIEND OF THE WORKING BOY" by Charles A. McCarthy Sunday Independent April 17, 1983 The statue of Ellen Webster Palmer, "The Friend of the Working boy," located near the City Greenhouse on North River Street, Wilkes-Barre, was again restored to its pristine glory as a memorial to a Great Lady who did much to help the plight of the working boys of her era. • Restoration of the vandalized statue of Mrs. Palmer and her two friends, a breaker-boy and a news-boy, was made by Henry Schiowitz, a former resident of Luzerne County and a widely recognized sculpture. It is the second occasion for this beautiful and imposing statue to be damaged by unthinking culprits. The head of one of the boy figures was knocked from the display in 1955 by some unknown miscreants. The second effort to destroy the statue occured in Aur,ust, 1982 . ) Sometime after the death of Mrs. Palmer on Thrusday , May 2, 1918, her daughter, Contessa Dandani de Sylva, caused the monument to be carved in her honor. Fabricated by John P. Weiss Balz Company of North Main St. Wilkes-Barre, the completed work was initially installed opposite Union Street in Wilkes-Barre. On Friday, Dec. 20, 1921, it was announced the statue had been removed to its permanent site near the City Greenhouse on North River Street, dia g onally across the street from Kin g 's College Main Building. The entire statue which depicts Mrs. Palmer with her arms around a breaker boy on her right side and a news boy on her left side, weighed seven tons. This singular tribute to Mrs. Palmer honored her for her decades of work in helping the working boys of the community. As early as 1891, appalled by the near lack of recreational facilities available to young boys and aware of the need for help in assisting these boys to advance themselves, n rs. Palmer held a meeting of interested boys in a vacant store room on East Market St. Wilkes-Barre, on Monday March 9 1891. From this humble beginning in a vacant storeroom, the group grew from a modest 100 in its initial year to over 750 a decade later. AIDED BOYS Of the thousands of boys who benefitted from attendance at these meetings, many became prominent in community affairs. One of these, George C. Korson, then resident of the Heights section of W.N., later became recognized internationally for his compilation of materials concerning anthracite mines and miners. His most famous work was titled:"Minstrels of the Mine Patch". Shortly after commencement of the early Saturpay night entertainments, Mrs. Palmer varied the program to include a study of the three 'rs'. By this time attendance included not �page 2 ELLEN PALMER (cont.) only breaker-boys, but door-boys, newspaper-boys, shoeshine-boys and other youngsters interested in the programs offered. Boys attending represented a wide variety of national backgrounds. Mrs. Palmer's venture was so successful a need for larger quarters was quite noticeable. In its first few years, her group moved to such storerooms as were vacant. Later, Wilkes-Barre City Council allowed the group to occupy a large room in City Hall, which they occupied for about two years. GREAT INTEREST Interest in Mrs. Palmer's project became so great, a charter was granted in 1899 under the name: "Boys Industrial Association." Initial board of directors included: "William Conyngham, Alexander Farnham, A.C. Campbell, Henry W. Palmer, Martha Phelps, and S.J. Strauss. Miss Mary Trescott, the first woman admitted to practice law in Luzerne County Courts, served as board secretary and as chairman of its finance committee. By 1901, Boys Industrial Association was represented by two debating clubs. William Aston was president and Edgar Jones Secretary of Club Number One; Fred Phillips and Thomas J. Phillips held positions similar in Club Number Two. Mrs. Palmer was president of Boys Indus.trial Association as late as 1914, at which time W.H. Caldwell was superintendent. Establishment of "Boys Department" in the Wilkes Barre Y.M.C.A., amended laws which raised the employment for children, installation of mechanical pickers in regional coal breakers and enlargement of recreational opportunities outside the Association contributed to the lessening of attendance at the Boys Industrial Association-.Highlight in Boys Industrial Association in Wilkes-Barre took place around the turn of the century when Wilkes-Barre City Council made available a plot of ground on which was erected a building to house the "Boys" activities. Cornerstone of this structure was laid Wednesday, October 4, 1899. Built in the rear of City Hall, the public sponsored brick with stone trim sturucture made a very imposing appearance. It was 50 feet by 70 feet and four stories high with basement. Total cost of the building amounted to $10,000, with work and materials supplied on a cost basis. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson -end- I\ �OLD HARDING HALL? The right block of the building was purchased by the college · from the estate of the late Mrs. Frederick Hillman in 1959. A native of Wilkes-Barre, Mrs. Hillman was the daughter of the late Dr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Murphy. she had been active in various civic and philanthropic organizations, having founded the WilkesBarre Chapter of the Junior League and served as commissioner of Wyoming Valley Girl Scouts for many years. Her husband, Frederick Hillman, was the son of H. Baker Hillman, a pioneer in the anthracite coal mining industry of this area. A prominent attorney and investment security expert in his own right, Frederick Hillman was a member of the Westmoreland Club, Wyoming Valley Country Club, and the Hilkes-Barre Motor Club. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson �Site 28-JO South River Street The nineteenth century house that stood on this site and was demolished in the 19JOs is s~id to have been built for Judge Charles D. Shoemaker. 1 . The building, a two and a half story frame structure with classical lines, was probably - built in the 1840s. The property was acquired by the Fuller family a few years after construction and was retained by members of the family until the 19JOs. In the late nineteenth century, a mansard roof was added and the house and the land were divided into ·two separate units. The Glen Alden Coal Company purchased the entire property in the first half of the 19J0s and razed the structure. The property was acquired by Wilkes College in 1958 when the school purchased the building known now as Parrish and Chapman Halls from the Glen Alden Corporation, successors to the Glen Alden Coal Company. 2 For several years, the house was the residence of Henry M. Fuller (1820-1860), an attorney who served in the United States Congress from 1850 to 1854. His son•, Henry Amzi Fuller (1855-c.1932), was an attorney and a judge of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Judicial District, 1907-1928. Henry A. Fuller maintained the South River Street house as his residence. Emily Lindsley _Fuller, a daughter of Henry M. Fuller, was married to George R. Bedford. 184 Tne Bedford �185 residence at 96 West South Street is now owned by Wilkes College and known as Bedford Hall. 1 s. D. Smith, The Wyoming Valley in the Nineteenth Century (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.1 Wilkes-Barre Leader Printing, 1894), p. p. 11. A note on the back of a photograph in• the collection of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society and attributed to George R. Bedford identifies the original owner of the house as Jacob Shoemaker. The note also gives circa 1870 as the date for the addition of the mansard roof and circa 1880 as when the house was divided. 2Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1412, p. 82. �l 186 ) ) Ill. No. 93 Fuller house 28-30 South River Street sources Wyoming Historical and Geological Society notes The Fuller house was demolished about 1934. ) �.) Site 108-124 West South Street The site of the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center for the Performing Arts and Department of Music was acquired by • Wilkes College in 1964 from the Wyoming Valley Society of 1 Arts and Sciences. The Society obtained the property, consisting of two lots, in the 1920s for the purpose of erecting an art museum and cultural center. The plan was never realized, however, although a building was designed by the New York architect Charles A. Platt. 2 Prior to acquisition by the Wyoming Valley Society of Arts and Sciences, two mid nineteenth century houses stood on this site. The structures were erected for two brothers, 108 for Charles M. Conyngham and 124 for William H. Conyngham. Both houses were demolished in the 1920s. The land was a part of lot number thirteen as laid out in 1770 and, originally, included most of the properties that now front on southerly side of West South Street. The 1850 city map shows a depot for the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad as standing here. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1555, p. 310. 2 Royal Cortissoz, The Wilkes-Barre Art Museum (printed for the Wyoming Valley Society of Arts and Sciences, 1923), p. 1. 187 �108-124 187A DOROTHY DICKSON DARTE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Damages after the flood of 1972 were estimated at about $1,750,000. gn • �Site 108 West South Street A two and a half story frame structure in the Gothic style was erected on the southwest corner of South and River Streets as the residence of Charles Miner Conyngham, a businessman. • It appears that the house was built in the 1860s for it is not shown on the 1850 map of the city but is evident on the 1870 map. The structure was decorated with gingerbread and had a closed cupola in the center of the roof. The house was demolished about 1924. j' 188 �189 Ill. No. 94 Charles M. Conyngham house 108 West South Street source, Wyoming Historical and Geological Society note, The photograph is dated 1902. The house was razed about 1924 and the site is now occupied by the Department of Music building. �) Site 124 West South Street William H. Conyngham (1829~1907), a coal operator, had a house erected on the southwest corner of South and West • River Streets in the early 1870s. Although not shown on the 1870 city map, the house is illustrated on the 1872 city view. A Second Empire style structure, the house featured a mansard roof and stuccoed side walls. noted in Some Early Recollections George R. Bedford that President Rutherford B. Hays gave a speech from the steps of this house on July 3, 1878. 1 The house was razed in the . late 1920s. ) 1George R. Bedford, Some Early Recollections (WilkesBarre, Pa.a E. B. Yordy Company, 1913), p. 105. 190 �191A STARK HALL Named after Admiral Harold R. Stark, this Hall was presented. to the College through the generous gifts of anonymous friends. Stark Hall houses the departments of Physics, Engineering, Biology and Chemistry. Center of the campus between W. South and W. Northampton Sts. the new science building of Wilkes College- Stark Learning Certter- was completed and dedicated in 1957. This building adjoins the former Lecture Hall. • The building was named after Admiral Harold R. Stark , former local resident, now retired, in recognition of his extensive generosity and service to the college. The cost of the building ($L, 050, 000) was financed principally through anonymous contributions. The building was erected to provide facilities for laboratories, classrooms and research for the depts. of physics, chemistry and biology. Added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson �~ -- - - - - - - -- - -- - -- 7 - 71 I I J Site 150-180 South River Street I Five mid-late nineteenth and early twentieth century structures were razed in the early 1970s for the • construction of the large classroom building on South River Street in the block between Northampton and South Streets. The five structures, listed by address, name, and date of demolition, area 150 South River Street, "Honor Dorm," 197) 154 South River Street, Barre Hall, 1971 , 158 South River Street, Zebulon Butler'Hall, 1971 ) 164 South River Street, Ashley Hall, 1971 170 South River Street, Daniel R. Warner Hall, 1971 180 South River Street, Nathan Denison Hall, 1971 In the mid nineteenth century, the Wilkes-Barre Institute, a private school, occupied a building that stood on the northern portion of this site. The building, a three and a half sory brick structure with a cupola, was erected about 1854.and demolished in the 1870s. The land was purchased from the Institute by Charles Parrish, the person for whom Parrish Hall is named, and divided into three lots which became known as 154, 158, and 164 South River Street. A clause prohibiting the future use of the land for educational purposes was written into the deed when the Institute sold the property. 192 Bucknell Junior College had �·-·-·--····-- - - - - - - - -- - - -- ~ 193 to overcome this legal barrier when it purchased these three properities. • n �194 "- ' ----=-- Ill. No. 96 Wilkes-Barre Institute South River Street source, Wyoming Historical and Geological Society notea The building was erected about 1854 and demolished in the 1870s. �150 South River Street The brick structure that stood on this site was built about 1901 on land that had been a part of the property at 146 South River Street. The house is not listed in the · 1900 city directory but is clearly visible in a 1902 photograph of South River Street. The property is identified in the 1904 city atlas as belonging to · Emily Hillman. The city directories of this period list Arthur Hillman, an attorney who was professionally associated with Andrew H. Mcclintock, as the head of the household. Sometime in the mid twentieth century, the house was converted for apartments and the front porch was replaced by a two story addition. Wilkes College purchased the property in 1965. 1 The building, known as "Honor Dorm," was used as a residence hall until demolished in 1973 for the construction of a classroom building. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1570, p. 316. 1-95 �150 South River Street 195A HONOR DORM Damages to Honor Dorm after the 1972 flood-were estimated at about $50,000. gn • �196 ~ _,,,,,-;:.~ ' ·-J -- - •·. rt ~-- ~~ ,! . J .. . I -~i'· . -~~ ,'• . ~~~'1~- c- ~~~i~~- ii~--'"~-;·~~~.., .?; ··.~l~,, 111_,~r. _~ s.~ rl~.. '. r2 ' ~ '. l/ -.. J·i ,._ - ;i;;~~~c~~~~=-~~;: ~~·· . . --=... . .. -. ----:...... . t•::J... ~~, ,, 1J . ~ ...;::.;~• -c~-~:_~~ • :.,1-1.- ,.,..... ~~~~~\ - :a.;. _____._._.. _ _________ _ . ..· ---·· _.,•:•'.'--\.... -- ·- -· ·.. ·.. ... _,. !-.... . =~ : ➔ ,ff:; ~ ·_ ; .· . Ill. No. 97 150 South River Street Autumn, 1971 sources author notei razed in 1973 . • �154 .S. River St. 196A / BARRE HALL This building was donated to Wilkes College in 1945 by members of the Board of Trustees . It was named after Isaac Barre, noted Englishman friendly to the Colonies whose name was linked with John Wilkes' in the naming of the city of WilkesBarre . Barre Hall was first used for classrooms and faculty "-O ffices. Today it is used as a boys' dorm. (It was razed to erect Stark Learning Center. (1957) 80 N. River Street---Barre Hall--built 1872-73, was on the Pa. Register of Historical buildings and sites. added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson .. ' �Site 154 South River Street The Queen Anne style house that stood on this site was named Barre Hall by the college. in the 1880s. The structure was built • The property is indicated in the 1882 atlas as being vacant, but the house is shown on the 1889 city view. In the 1897 city directory, John Hance is identified as the resident of the house. An 1889 advertisement for William H. Shepard, a builder, lists as among his "more noteworthy efforts" the residence of John Hance. 1 Bucknell Junior College acquired the property in 1945 from Cosmar Long, a merchant. 2 It was reported in a news article covering the transaction that the property was purchased by funds given by an anonymous group of interested persons. 3 Until demolition in 1971, the building was mainly used for offices and classrooms. It was the first campus structure to be named in honor of Col. Isaac Barre. The only major alteration made by the college was the removal of a large frame porch from the facade. 1 wilkes~Barre Penns lvanias The Pro ressive Citv Past, Present, and Future n.c., Enterprise Review Publishing Company, July, 1889), p. 40. 2 Luzerne County Deed Records, Its Book 863, p. 566. 3Time Leader Evening News, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania I (October 4, 1945). 197 �198 Ill. No. 98 154 South River Street Spring, 1969 sources author note1 The building was erected in the 1880s and razed in 1971. i �Site 158 South .River Street The house that stood on this site was designed by Albert K~pp (1850-1906), a Wilkes-Barre architect, for Edward F. Payne (18 -1910), a coal operator. 1 • The Queen Anne style structure, most remembered for the tower and the large dormers on the facade, was built about the beginning of the twentieth century. The first city directory in which it is listed is the 1900 edition. Bucknell Junior College purchased the property in 1946 from the son of the original owner of the house, Bruce Payne. 2 The house was named Zebulon Butler Hall in honor of an early settler of the valley and an ancestor of Mrs. __,, Bruce Payne. Demolished in 1971, the structure was used for a variety of purposes and last as a residence hall. The college made on major alterations to the structure. 1 rnterview with Mrs. Bruce Payne, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, November 15, 1971. 2 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 870, p. 563. J 199 �200 ) Ill. No. 99 158 South River Street Spring, 1969 source, author notes The building was erected about 1900 and razed in 1971. �Site 164 South River Street The Queen Anne style st_ructure that stood on this site was built as the residence of Herbert H. Ashley (18 a coal operator. -1923), • 1 Ashely purchased th~ property in 1893. The house is not shown on the 1894 city atlas, however, the Ashley family is listed in the 1897 city directory as residing at this address. The Ashley family sold the property to Bucknell Junior .>" 2 College in 1946. Known as Ashley Hall, the building was used at variou~ times for classrooms and ~ffices, and last as a residence hall. The building was demolished in 1971. The only major change made by the college was the removal of a large frame front porch. 1 2 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 320, p. 205. Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 888, p. 303. '1 20-1 �252-254 S. River St. 201A ASHLEY HALL Ashley Hall was demolished in 1975. This is the college's secorid building dubbed with the Ashley name. The first, located at 164 S. River St., was received by Wilkes from heirs of the Ashley estate, Mrs. Marion A. Aslborn, Dr. Henry A. Carr, and Mrs. Roccena Wolfe, in 1946. This building was razed to accommodate the new Stark Learning Center which was completed this year: 1975. • The current Ashley Hall was a men's dorm that originally was known as Bruch Hall, named for a former environmental science teacher, Dr. Alvan Bruch, a friend of the students. added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson ) �202 ) ) - · --· Ill. r,r~o. 100 16 4 South River • Spring Street so ' 1969 noturce1 author about ea The build" 896 and was razed. ing wasin erected 1971. l . �Site 170 South River Street The Queen Anne style structure that stood on this site was built in the 1880s. Mrs. Ella Hollenback Emory 1 • purchased the property in 1867. 2 In the 1882 atlas, a frame structure is indicated, however, the brick building acquired by the college is shown on the 1889 city view. Mrs. L. Emory is identified as the owner of the property in the 1894 atlas. Wilkes College purchased the property in 1955 from Michael McLaughlin, a Wilkes-Barre businessman. 3 l Known as Daniel Rob~rts Warner Hall, the building was a residence hall until demolished in 1971. No major alterations were made to the structure by the college. 1 Through out the research, two spellings of this name were found a Emory, the one used here·, and Emery. 2 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 119, p. lJl • .3Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1277, p. 225. 20.3 �203A • 170 S. River Street WARNER HALL · The former home of Mr. and Mrs. M.J. McLaughlin, Jr., was acquired by the college in 1955 . The new building was named the Daniel Robert's Warner Hall and was used as a boy's dorm. The three story building provided ten bedrooms and three baths. The building was razed in 1971 to make room for the Stark Learning Center. added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson .-- ... • �204 Ill. No. 101 170 South River Street Spring, 1969 source, author note, The building was erected in the 1880s and was razed in 1971. �) Site 180 South River Street Asa R. Brundage, an attorney, is identified on the 1870 city map, in the 1882, 1894, and 1904 city atlases, • and on the 1889 city view as being the owner and resident of the Italinate style house that stood on this site. The structure, razed in 1971, was probably built in .the 1860s when the Italinate style was most popular in the WilkesBarre area. A sketch of the house is featured on the 1889 city view. Wilkes College purchased the property in 1959. 1 The building, named Nathan Denison Hall in honor of an early settler, was a residence hall at the time of demolition. The only major ateration made by the college was the removal of a large front porch that wrapped around the south side of the structure. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1440, p. 202. ) 205 �206 _,,,.-r . · -.. #. :·- ·• .· . '. ,,__.. ·-....--. \, '· . ·.- -.,_---"'~~ J... I ) Ill. No. 102 180 South River Street Spring, 1969 source, author note, The building was erected in the 1860s and was razed in 1971. �. . 207 • Ill. No. 10) 180 South River Street sources View of Wilkes-Barre, 1889. notes The sketch is identified as the "Residence of Asa R. Brundage," - ( ) �Site 191-199 South Franklin Street 59 West South Street The Eugene Shedden Farley Library, which stands on the northwest corner of Franklin and South Streets, occupie.s the sites of at least three nineteenth century structures of which only one was occupied by the college. The properties included area 191-195 South Franklin Street, named Gies Hall by the college 199 South Franklin Street 59 West South Street, site of the First Baptist Church ,i ''I 208 �) Site 191-195 South Franklin Street A three story Queen Anne style double house was built on this site as the residences of two brothers, Harry and William Stoddart, grociers. 1890. The house was erected about It is not shown on the 1889 city view but is illustrated in the 1894 city atlas. The earlier maps indicate that a frame structure stood on this site. Bucknell Junior College purchased the property in 1946 from the Stoddart family. 1 The building, used for classrooms, was named Gies Hall in honor ·of a member of ) the college faculty. The structure was razed in 1967 for construction of the Farley Library. 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 870, p. 547. �191-195 S. Franklin·St. 209A GIES HALL Members of the Board of Trustees gave the former Stoddart Horne to Wilkes College in 1945. The Board of Trustees approved the naming of this building"Gies Hall" in memory of the late Professor Paul Gies, who for more than a decade served as a director of the music department at Wilkes. Head of the music department at this time was Donald Cobleigh, who previously served as director of the famed Dartmouth Glee Club . • Later, Gies Hall was used mainly as a Conservatory for Music in addition to providing classrooms for other fields of study. (Today, 1983, the Eugene Shedden Farley Library stands where Gies Hall once was.) added: 1 March 1983 Georgetta Nelson \ �Site 199 South Franklin Street The maps and views of Wilkes-Barre indicate that an early-mid nineteenth century frame dwelling; two stories high, stood on this site well into the mid twentieth century. The property was purchased by Wilkes College in 1957. 1 1 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 1353, p. 544. ' t~ '"~-- • . 210 �) Site . 59 West South St~eet In the late 1880s, the congregation of the First Baptist Church erected a new structure on this site to • replace an earlier church that stood on West Northampton Street, now the site of Chesapeake and Delaware Halls. In 1927 the stone Romesque style ediface that stood here was destroyed by fire, A new church was built about 1931 on South River Street and this property was sold, Until the construction of the Farley Library, the land was vacant and was used as a parking lot, ) :l l "'" 2il �Site Conyngham Hall 120 South River Street Known as Conyngham Hall, the building that stood at 120 South River Street was destroyed by fire on the night of December 28, 1968. One of the most ostentatious and pretentious structures on the campus, its loss was a great blow to the architectural and historical heritage of Wilkes College and Wilkes-Barre. Conyngham Hall was erected in 1869-1870 as the residence of Charles Parrish and his wife, Mary, a daughter of Judge John Conyngham. William w. 1 The house was designed by Neuer, a Wilkes-Barre architect who also designed the neighboring building to the north at 110 South River Street, the present Zebulon Butler Hall. 2 The structure measured approximately one-hundred feet by seventy-five feet and was built of masonry construction with a stone facade, part of which still stands. It had two stories plus a mansard roof and contained over twenty rooms. The ceilings of the first floor were approximately sixteen feet in height, · Tradition says that a ballroom exited on the third floor facing the river. The main hall on the first floor was tiled with marble as was the conservatory. A black walnut staircase opened to the third floor. Charles Parrish (1826-1896) was instrumental in establishing the anthracite industry of Luzerne County on 212 �213 a large scale. A founder of the Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal Company, Parrish died while on a visit to Philadelphia after several financial setbacks brought on bankruptcy. Parrish Hall at 16 South River Street, erected for the Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal Company, was named in his. honor by the college. A reception honoring President and Krs. Rutherford B. Hays was held in the Parrish house on July 4, 1876.J President Hays was the quest speaker at the ceremonies held earlier in the day in Wyoming, Luzerne County, observing the centennial of the Battle of Wyoming. In 1908, the property was acquired by John Nesbitt Conyngham (1865-1935), a coal operator and a nephew of Mrs. Parrish. 4 Conyngham had an extension added to the back or east side of the building and an elevator installed along the north side. The property was given to Bucknell Junior College in 1937 by Mrs. Bertha Robinson Conyngham in honor of her late husband, John Nesbitt Conyngham. 6 The property was the second parcel of land given to the college for use as a permanent campus. Up to the time of the fire in 1968, the building retained somewhat of its earlier grandeur through various wall coverings, murals and papers, which managed to survive the years of repainting., The reflecting pool 7 in the conservatory was removed in the conversion for academic use. �214 An ambitious plan to renovate the house for college 8 use was drawn up in 1937. The drawings show that the street facade was to be given a classical appearance with new fenestration arrangements and Corinthian columns, two stories high, on the portico. The exterior walls are illustrated as being brick calling for either the removal of the existing stucco or the addition of a veneer of bricks. The interior was to be drastically altered and extensions were to be built to house a library and a lecture hall. Conyngham Annex ' stands on the east end of the property and is pres~ntly used for classrooms. Built as the carriage house and living quarters for servents, the structure was _) probably erected in the 1870s. 1 oscar J. Harvey and Ernest G. Smith, A History of Wilkes-Barre and Wvomin Valle (6 vol., Wilkes-Barre; Pa., Smith-Bennett Company, 19JO ~ IV,2147. 2Wilkes-Barre Penns lvania the Pro ressive Cit I Its Past, Present, and Future n.c., Enterprise Review Publishing Company, July, 1889), p. 25. 3George R. Bedford, $ome Early Recollections (WilkesBarre, Pa., E. B. Yordy Company, 1917), p. 106. 4 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 445, p. 432. 5 Luzerne County Deed Records, Book 761, p. 403. 6 rnterview with Mrs. Bruce Payne, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, November 15, 1971. 7architectural drawings, Marvh 10, 1937. (Wilkes-, College, Business Office) �215 Ill. No. 104 Conyngham Hall 120 South River Street Spring, 1968 source: author note, Erected 1869-1870 Burned December, 1968 �216 Ill. No. 105 facade of Conyngham Hall 120 Soµth River Street Summer, 1971 source, author �217 °'l1. . 7,.. . --- --:~~-r-~~- ! I~ # '"-=-""-~.:.. :a___ I ----; ~- '- -- 1~1~ ,.~~ ·:I ·_ .. . ·~~.._~ ~- '!- ._. ~ ':,~ ~- ~ I .,.. ' ~- . ---- -- - ·:;; ~ ~---,. . . 'I ~ ~:.:1,-. .... • ~ .iI~~~ . ~ .·-:-·,. , . ; -~ - ·. :1· ,J ,:· ~F -~ 1ij1,,~,, ' d-· -·~ ·, ·_ ~ '"';;¥/}, . :; • • f ,-/. • ~iitf :it~ . -~ ~~t'i~~-~ .._:m.-. :·.~ -~ I ' -:;._,_r,.,tt~~ -~-ij • ••• - :~ . . " , µ ; ; . . . ; . ~ ~ ~ ~ . ; n - ~ ~ l s : : _ _ .•--=z. ~-:,,--- . - - - ~~ - ~ , r -~~..,._'T,~71·~•tf~~-~ - -- .-----~"=Att~·. --1:11m•an~R1~-':::!'•~~ - ---=1-~ -='°">"'~ -~~~"'!-4~~~:-~~... ~!:'~i::~ ':;:t:...:!_~¥~•- ·· .~ •·-::-,-. c m-.....:~-:: . . . ;.--- : . t , n : ~ - . . . ~ Ill. No. 106 Conyngham Hall 120 South River Street 1902 source, A History of Wilkes-Barre and Wyomin~ Valley, 19J0. �218 ~11. No. 107 onyngh am Hall 120 South · sources Ce~~ver_Street ennial J ubilee . Home-~e~e~,k, W . 1 906 .-~~ri 0 ) �219 J • Ill. No. 108 Conyngham Hall Architectural Drawings of . First and Second Floors, circa 1963 Based on plan made qy David D. Moyle, Architect (Wilkes College, Business Office) J .. . . . ·l._ ~ �..,. ./ ~ 0 C> ~ u.. Q • 2 0 '-' UJ V) a: C) 0 -1 \.1... !-V) 0( l!.. Conyngham Hall 120 south River Street Wilkes College �BIBLIOGRAPHY The American Architect and Building News, vol. I (December 9, 1876). Art Work of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (9 parts). Chicago, W. H. Parish Publishing Company, 1897. Art Work of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (12 parts). Gravure Company, 1910. Atkins, Herbert. n• C• I The Wyoming Valley Floods of 19J6. Atlas of the City of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphias F. B. Roe, 1882. Bedford, George R. Some Early Recollections. Pa., E. B. Yordy Company Printing, 1917. Wilkes-Earre, Brower, Edith. Little Old Wilkes-Barre As I Knew It. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.s published for the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society, 1920. Bucknell Beacon (newspaper published by Bucknell Junior College). Cortissoz, Royal. The Wilkes-Barre Art Museum. WilkesBarre, Pa.1 printed for the Wyoming Valley Society of Arts and Sciences, 192J. Dictionary of American Biography. Eyerman, Robert A. architectural drawing, 1942. (Wilkes College, Business Office). Flood, R. W. Wilkes-Barres The Diamond City, A Study of Its Remarkable Progress As Indicated By Its Growth During the Last Five Years. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. z printed by the Record for the Wilkes-Barre Board of Trade, April, 1911. Gilbert, C. P. H. architectural drawing, 18 February 1916. (Wilkes College, Business Office). Gilchrist, Edmund B. architectural drawings, 10 August 1925, (Wilkes College, Business Office). Gordon and Kaelber. architectural drawings, September, 1925. (Wilkes College, Business Office). 221 �222 . Gordon and ~adden, William G, Kaelber. architectural drawings, 1914. (Wilkes College, Business Office). Gowans, Alan. Images of American Livings Four Centuries of Architecture and Furniture as Cultural Expression. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott Company, 1964. Graybill, Samuel H., Jr. Bruce Price, American Architect, 1845-1903, dissertation. New Haven, Conn. r Yale • University, 1957, Harvey, Oscar J. Centennial Jubilee and Old P.ome Week, souvenir booklet, 1906. Harvey, Oscar J. and Ernest G. Smith. A History of WilkesBarre and Wyoming Valley (6 vols.). Wilkes-Barre, Pa. r Smith- Bennett Company, 19JO~ History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming Counties, Pennsylvania. New Yorks W. w. Munsell and Company, 1880. Hopkins, H. w. Map of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, M. s. Converse and G. M. Hopkins, 1870. Innes and Levy. architectural drawings (2 sets), 1920s. (Wilkes College, Business Office). Institute of Regional Affairs. Real Property Inventory of Wilkes College. Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Wilkes College, 1969. Jordy, William H. American Buildings and Their Architects, Progressive and Academic Ideals at the Turn of the Twentieth Century. Garden City, N. Y.s Doubleday and Company, 1970. Kidney, Walter c. The Architecture of Choices Eclecticism in America, 1880-1930. New York: George Braziller, 1974, Kleeman, O. A. architectural drawings, 1929. (Wilkes College, Business Office). Kowsky, Francis R. "Frederick C. Withers: In Recognition," Newsletter, Victorian Society in America (Christmas, 1970). { ,-,. . . r t ·~ ,\ ., ~ _.,. Lacy. architectural drawings, 10 r::arch 1937. (Wilkes College, Business Office). Luzerne County Deed Records, Courthouse, Wilkes 7 Barre, Pa. �. · ,. 223 Luzerne County Will Records, Courthouse, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Moyle, David D. architectural drawings, May, 1962. (Wilkes College, Business Office). "Pertaining to the Paintings on the Walls at Our Home, J6 West River Street, and to the Artist Md'll'e Gambaro," T. H. A. 14 December 1916. Pierson, William H., Jr. American Buildings and Their Architects, The Colonial and Neoclassical Styles. Garden City, N. Y.1 Doubleday and Company, 1970. • Podmore, Thomas. architectural drawings, 1920s. (the late ~rs. Bruce Payne). The Residential Work of Innes and Levy, Architects, WilkesBarre. New York1 Architectural Catalogue Company, Inc., 19JJ. Reynolds, Mrs. Dorrance and Patricial Reynolds. "Lecture Given to Residents of Catlin Hall." 14 May 1958. (original in possession of OCrs. C. Welles Belin). Rugg, C. H. architectural drawings, 1925. (Wilkes College, Business Office). Sidney, J. C. Plan of the Town of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Richard Clark, 1850. reprinted by Wilkes-Barre Record, 1900. Smith, S. R. Leaders In Thought and Action. Pa. 1 n. p., 1910. Wilkes-Barre, Smith, s. R. The Wyoming Valley in the Nineteenth Century, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Wilkes-Barre Leader Printing, 1894. Sturdevant and Poggi. architectural drawings, 1916. (Wilkes College, Business Office). Sturdevant, John. Atlas of Wilkes-Barre. 19JJ. Sturdevant, William H. Atlas of the City of Wilkes-Barre. Philadelphia, J. L. Smith, 1894. Sturdevant, William H. Atlas of the City of Wilkes-Barre. Philadelphia, J. L. Smith, 1904. Sutherland, J. H. The City of Wilkes-Barre and -Vicinity and and Their Resources. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 1 Wilkes-Barre Leader Publishing House, 1897. �224 Times Leader Evening News, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Vaux and Withe rs. architectural drawing, 186J. (rr:cClintock Collection, Eugene S. Farley Library, Wilkes College). Welsch, Sturdevant, and Poggi. architectural drawings, 29 August 1908. (Wilkes College, Business Office). Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 17801 A Guide to the Styles. Cambridge, Mass.a M. I. T. Press, 1969. Wilkes College. Campus 68. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.1 n. p., 1968. Wilkes College, files. Wilkes College Beacon (newspaper published by Wilkes College). "Wilkes-Barre," view, 1872. "Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania," view, and J/1ayer, 1889. n.c.: Fowler, Downs, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the Progressive City: Its Past, Present, and Future. n. c.1 Enterprise Review Publishing Company, July, 1889. Wilkes-Barre Illustrated. 1891. n. c.1 H. R. Page and Company, Wilkes-Barre Record, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Withey, Henry F. and Elsie R. Withey. Biogra hical Dictionar of American Architects (Deceased. Los Angles1 Hennessey and Ingalls, Inc., 1970. originally published in 1956. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource History of Wilkes Buildings Description An account of the resource A collection of documents and photographs describing the history of Wilkes buildings. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Harold Cox, University Historian Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource History of Wilkes buildings Description An account of the resource This is a PDF documenting the history of Wilkes buildings with photographs and references to expand on research. The photographs within are somewhat grainy so if you wish to see more clear photographs, please contact the archivist. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Harold Cox