The view from the library looks different these days. Construction is well underway on the new wings for the Martin Chemical Laboratory.
Construction crane at back of Martin Chemical Laboratory, December 2014
Chemistry has a long history at Davidson with the first Martin building opening in 1901. Known as the Martin Chemical Laboratory, it was named in honor of William Joseph Martin, Sr. chemistry professor (1869-1896) and acting Davidson College President (1887-1888).
That the building lasted 40 years, is a testament to the ingenuity of faculty. In the first decades of the 20th century, three labs, one stockroom and a 120 seat lecture hall were deemed ample resources.
Entry way for Martin Science Building
By 1941, the building was outdated and the college began construction of a more modern replacement. The new Martin Science Building was 3 stories to the original’s two stories and greatly expanded the number of classrooms and laboratories but stayed with one lecture hall. There was one additional change – this time the building’s name referred to both William Joseph Martin, Sr. and William Joseph Martin, Jr.
Davidsonian article on dedication of Martin Science in honor of father and son Martins.
For almost 2 decades, the building housed chemistry and biology. In 1960, the Biology Department moved into the new Dana Science building.
The second Martin Science building under construction
By the 1970s, the state of the art conditions of the 1940s were far from sufficient. Department chair, Nick Burnett described the conditions in an August 1978 Davidson Update article, “It has been difficult teaching in rooms with inadequate lighting, noisy radiators, poor acoustics, and no air conditioning.”
Martin Chemical’s storage area in 1970s
Renovations in 1979 upgraded the facilities including a new lecture room featuring hexagonal lights and mahogany walls. New fluorescent lights along with orange and chrome fume hoods brightened the lab spaces. The renovations also brought the return of the name Martin Chemical Laboratory when the building was rededicated in 1980.
Newly renovated lecture hall with custom designed lights.
Invitation to 1980 rededication. The response was so large, the program moved from the Chemistry building to the Chambers building
Fast forward another 15 years or so and the $1,000,000 renovation in 1980 was being updated with a $400,000 National Science Foundation Infrastructure grant. The grant provided for updating the current labs and building new faculty research labs.
Fast forward again, to 2014 and more renovations and the reintegration of other sciences into the two wings being added to the original building.
Even though it will be another year or two before the next dedication invitations are sent and the archives will add to yet another program to the ones from the 1944 and 1980 ceremonies, the Martin legacy will carry on in good Davidson tradition.
Speak Your Mind