Amos Eaton Hall
Encyclopedia
Amos Eaton Hall is the current home of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
in Troy, NY. It is named for Amos Eaton
, the co-founder and first senior professor of Rensselaer. Amos Eaton Hall is the only building on the campus referred to by both first and last name. The building opened in 1928.
In 1926, the Board of Trustees recognized the need for a larger library and assembly hall. The proposed building to house these facilities was to be named in memory of Amos Eaton
, the co-founder and first senior professor at Rensselaer. The existing library had outgrown its home in the Pittsburgh Building. The new library was designed to accommodate 160,000 volumes and 240 readers. The new assembly hall was designed to accommodate 1400 people, approximately the size of the student body at the time.
Amos Eaton Hall, in Colonial Revival style, was designed by Lawler & Haase of New York who had previously designed the '87 Gymnasium in 1911. The actual costs of the building are unknown, as it was contracted together with the Caldwell dormitory in the Quadrangle, but it has been estimated at $300,000.
In 1960, the library was moved to the former St. Joseph's Chapel, where it remained until the Folsom Library
was built. The chapel then became the Voorhees Computing Center. The auditorium space was converted into lab, classroom, and office space. In 1965 the interior of the building was remodeled. It currently houses the Department of Mathematical Sciences and includes some offices of the Department of Computer Science.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
in Troy, NY. It is named for Amos Eaton
Amos Eaton
Amos Eaton was a scientist and educator in the Troy, New York area.Eaton attended Williams College; after graduating in 1799 he studied law in New York City and was admitted to the state bar in 1802. He practiced law in Catskill, New York until 1810, when he was jailed on charges of forgery...
, the co-founder and first senior professor of Rensselaer. Amos Eaton Hall is the only building on the campus referred to by both first and last name. The building opened in 1928.
History
Amos Eaton
Amos Eaton was a scientist and educator in the Troy, New York area.Eaton attended Williams College; after graduating in 1799 he studied law in New York City and was admitted to the state bar in 1802. He practiced law in Catskill, New York until 1810, when he was jailed on charges of forgery...
, the co-founder and first senior professor at Rensselaer. The existing library had outgrown its home in the Pittsburgh Building. The new library was designed to accommodate 160,000 volumes and 240 readers. The new assembly hall was designed to accommodate 1400 people, approximately the size of the student body at the time.
Amos Eaton Hall, in Colonial Revival style, was designed by Lawler & Haase of New York who had previously designed the '87 Gymnasium in 1911. The actual costs of the building are unknown, as it was contracted together with the Caldwell dormitory in the Quadrangle, but it has been estimated at $300,000.
In 1960, the library was moved to the former St. Joseph's Chapel, where it remained until the Folsom Library
Folsom Library
The Richard G. Folsom Library is a research library constructed in the brutalist style located on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. It is named after Richard Gilman Folsom, the President of the Institute from 1958–1971. The Folsom Library offers a variety of services to...
was built. The chapel then became the Voorhees Computing Center. The auditorium space was converted into lab, classroom, and office space. In 1965 the interior of the building was remodeled. It currently houses the Department of Mathematical Sciences and includes some offices of the Department of Computer Science.