College Chairs
Our journey today finds us on the campus of the University of New England. The history of this college began in 1831 when the Kennebec Association of Universalists founded the Westbrook Seminary on a track on land in Portland. A gift from Zachariah Stevens (for whom Stevens Avenue is named) and Oliver Buckley, it started as a co-educational institution, but in 1925 it became an all female school and took on the name Westbrook Junior College. Confused yet? Lots of my formative years were spent lurking about this campus: trick or treating, ice hockey where these chairs are situated, football on the field hockey field, and much more. College girls were always traipsing by our house on warm spring evenings. It was never easy trying to do my 7th Grade homework for Mrs. Kibler. From 1970-1996, the appellation was shortened to Westbrook College, and to day it's title really is the Westbrook College Campus of the University of New England. No wait! Recently it has be changed again to the the Portland Campus of the University of New England.
Whew! Those are lot of changes and words in a college title.
No wonder today they just call it UNE.
Which one of those is the Dean's chair?
ReplyDeleteCoed in 1925? Well, that's slightly before you were born, probably. But it must have been frustrating when they kept denying your application for admission. :)
Re your comment on Ocala: The couple had already rented a canoe and were on a path leading to the Silver River where the canoe waited for them. But yes, I think a grand adventure was in store, unless they got eaten by a gator.
For such a wild changing of the names, it appears to be a very peaceful, calm place. ;)
ReplyDeletePerfect spot for a read.
ReplyDeleteGymkhana, your word for today seems very appropriate for this post Birdman :)
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a metamorphosis!
ReplyDeleteIt seems it has preserved it's rich, educational atmosphere, by any name... I love how you've been there through the changes...What I love: the small art museum on that campus...(and Bogusha's Polish Delicatessan & Pat's Meat Market & the shoe repair guy & the Asian tailor & the Scandanavian shop & the Branch of the Portland Public Library, all nearby on Stevens...)
ReplyDeleteThings...change...
ReplyDeletePeople...change...
Love those chairs...
Looks like a great place to study and soak up some sun at the same time. But I'd probably fall asleep.
ReplyDeleteGoing down the old memory alley, can recall when the now flagship campus of UNE was a guys only small Catholic college called St. Francis ..... a couple of the monks and lay profs lived across the street from me in Biddeford Pool.
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