{"id":4395,"date":"2020-01-31T12:18:57","date_gmt":"2020-01-31T17:18:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.library.mcgill.ca\/islamicstudieslibrary\/?page_id=4395"},"modified":"2020-01-31T12:28:11","modified_gmt":"2020-01-31T17:28:11","slug":"expansion","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.mcgill.ca\/islamicstudieslibrary\/morrice-hall\/expansion\/","title":{"rendered":"Expansion: 2nd College Building (1874-1882)"},"content":{"rendered":"

INTRODUCTION<\/a> | FOUNDATION (1865-1873)<\/a> | EXPANSION (1874-1882) | INTERRUPTION (1918-1946)<\/a> | DEMOLITION & RENOVATION (1961-1983)<\/a><\/p>\n

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Expansion page of the touch table exhibition. Greg Houston, 2017.<\/p><\/div>\n

1874<\/strong>
\nOnly one year after the completion of the first Presbyterian College building, it became apparent that this space was too small to accommodate the College faculty, students, and amenities.<\/p>\n

1880-1882<\/strong>
\nDavid Morrice, then-president of the College\u2019s Board of Management, offered to fund the construction of a new building to the south of the existing structure and joined by a hallway to form a courtyard. This new addition became known as David Morrice Hall in honour of his grand gesture, and is the only part of the College still standing today. Construction on the new building, designed by architect John J. Browne, began in 1880 and finished in 1882 with a final cost of $80,000. On June 7th<\/sup>, 1881, Mrs. Morrice ceremoniously laid the corner stone to the building. The space expansion provided a Convocation Hall, dining hall, library, and dorm rooms for the use of the College.<\/p>\n

As described in 1882:
\n\u201cThe buildings are situated on McTavish <\/em>street. To the right is the <\/em>library, and near it Convocation Hall, with its tower and <\/em>flag staff. (\u2026) The main entrance to Convocation Hall is from the tower forming the angle of the Court and McTavish street. (\u2026) The library is octagonal in form, 35 feet in diameter and 45 feet high, with lantern ceiling, wood trusses and wood <\/em>mouldings, forming 48 panels, tinted <\/em>brown stone color. It is lighted with seven windows, about twenty feet in length. From each angle are book-cases, forming eight deep recesses, with a gallery above them affording additional book accommodation, there being eight <\/em>book cases on this gallery, and ample room for viewing them. There is accommodation in his library for about 25,000 volumes. Between the Convocation Hall and the connection with the library is the reading-room, which answers also as a Board room.\u201d<\/em> (Canadian Illustrated News<\/em><\/a>, December 9th<\/sup>, 1882, page 371).<\/p>\n

Photographs:<\/h1>\n
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