Washington Gladden Boathouse Student Workers (c. 1900-1901)

Item Information

Title:
Washington Gladden Boathouse Student Workers (c. 1900-1901)
Description:
This lantern slide, “Washington Gladden Boathouse Student Workers (c. 1900-1901),” shows the student workers who built the Washington-Gladden Boathouse at the International Y.M.C.A. Training School (now known as Springfield College) sitting and standing around three wagons pulled by horses. Behind them is the Administration Building. The Washington Gladden Boathouse, on the shore of Lake Massasoit at the bottom of Rally Hill, was completed on March 19, 1901. At the request of Mr. Frank Beebe of Holyoke, who donated the materials for the boathouse, the structure was named after his friend, Reverend Washington Gladden. Plans for the boathouse were prepared by Mr. J. Claude Armstrong (class of 1903), a master carpenter was secured, and Dr. F. N. Seerley was chosen to lead the construction. At the request of the student workers, two weeks of the academic year were set aside to build the boathouse. A tradition in the College’s early years was for students to volunteer on school projects. The boathouse project is believed to be the first “Work Day” on Springfield College’s campus, a tradition which has since evolved and today is known as “Humanics in Action.” The completed building was two-stories and fifty-three feet by twenty-nine feet. The boathouse was dedicated on June 18, 1902, during Commencement. J. H. McCurdy developed a list of rules so that all students and faculty could have safe and equal access to the boats. The boathouse served for years as the College’s center for aquatics instruction. This image is available as an 11.25 x 21 cm photograph mounted on 14.75 x 25.25 cm. photo board (SC22689). A facsimile of this image was found with an SC number (SC18891) and a note saying that it was scanned from a glass negative. However, no glass negative can be found and the facsimile is identical to the lantern slide. We do not know whether the facsimile was made from the lantern slide or from a glass negative that is now missing. The SC file was not large enough to justify keeping and was discarded in January 2014.
Date:
1900–1901
Format:
Photographs
Location:
Springfield College Archives and Special Collections
Collection (local):
College Archives Digital Collections
Series:
Lantern Slide Collection
Subjects:
International Young Men's Christian Association Training School (Springfield, Mass.)
Springfield College
Springfield College--Students
Springfield College--Buildings
Administration Building
Springfield (Mass.)
Building construction
Horses
Students
Lantern slides
Places:
Massachusetts > Hampden (county) > Springfield
Extent:
3x4 in
Link to Item:
http://cdm16122.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15370coll2/id/3005
Terms of Use:
Text and images are owned, held, or licensed by Springfield College and are available for personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that ownership is properly cited. A credit line is required and should read: Courtesy of Springfield College, Archives and Special Collections. Any commercial use without written permission from Springfield College is strictly prohibited. Other individuals or entities other than, and in addition to, Springfield College may also own copyrights and other propriety rights. The publishing, exhibiting, or broadcasting party assumes all responsibility for clearing reproduction rights and for any infringement of United States copyright law.
Contact host institution for more information.
Publisher:
Springfield College
Identifier:
LS_09_36