Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/98

 78 Sloan s Architectural Review and Builders' Journal. [July, Philadelphia, with her eight hundred thousand inhabitants, returns 108,182 buildings. Of this number 385 are churches, 253 schools, public and de- nominational; 1.266 mills and factories, 60 public institutions, 21 theatres and halls, and 86 hose-houses, leaving over one hundred thousand for dwelling- houses, or one house to every eight persons. Of these buildings a very large proportion is substantially built, stone and brick predominating. Probably no other large city in the world can present so desirable an ex- hibit. Philadelphia is pre-eminently the city for the workingman — the only large centre of labor and wealth where he can command a home. Contrasted with New York, and its tenement houses, it is luxury. This fact alone should attract thousands of laboring men to seek our shops and manufacto- ries in preference to any other. What is the use of working where you cannot live ? Here, almost alone of all the great cities — thanks to our humane system of building in courts — the labor- ing man can have a home that will afford comfort and save his family from shame and ruin. So far a valued daily; but we think that even our fashion of building in courts could be improved upon. Witness the neat and clean intermediate north and south streets, between Eleventh and Twelfth and Master and Jefferson. — Eds. The New Building at Amherst College — A Generous Benefaction. — A correspondent of the Springfield Re- publican writes from Amherst that the corner-stone of Walker Hall was laid a few daj-s ago, and adds: The total amount of Dr. Walker's benefaction to the college exceeds $200,000, about $120,000 of which have been received since his death: and this, though the four institutions which were his residuary legatees have generously given up $300,- 000, which would have accrued to them, to Dr. Walker's family. But the idea, too prevalent, that this building, so long needed and talked about, is to be built exclusively by money given by Dr. Walker, should be at once corrected. Samuel Williston, of Easthampton: Samuel Hitchcock, of Brimfield, and James Smith, of Philadelphia, have each given $10,000 towards it, and. another $10,000 has been made up by others, largely by Mr. Hardy, of Boston, and J. C. Baldwin, of New York, who had the disposal of a legacy left by his brother. Mr. Hardy, indeed, took occasion to speak strongly of the other benefactors of the college, and alluding to Mr. Williston, who was present, and to his former assistance in a time of great need, did not hesitate to call him the corner-stone and saviour of the college. " The style of the building thus fairly begun, is what is known as the revived mediaeval, and while simple in detail, will be imposing in its mass and out- line. It is to be built of Monson granite, and to this material will be added dark sandstone in bands, tracery, and capitals, occasionally used for contrast and relief. At the east and west ends, also on the south, will be small towers, rising slightly above the roof, relieved by a central tower surmounting the entire roof, and rising to a height of one hun- dred and twenty feet above the ground. The building is to be one hundred and twenty feet long and sixty-five feet wide, not including porches. On the opposite side of the main edifice, north and south, there will be spaeious stone porches, with ascending steps, thirty feet in breadth. The edifice is to be three stones high, besides a spacious basement, each story to be fifteen feet high. When completed, the building will be known as Walker Hall, and will cost, finished and furnished, about $130,- 000. The architect is Mr. George Hathorne, of New York.