Central Heating Plant

A Central Heating Plant was erected and installed in 1908 or 1909 which enabled the school to take the furnaces out of Longyear and Peter White halls. Originally, basement furnaces in the two buildings provided heating for the campus. The basement furnace in South Wing was still operational after the 1905 fire and was used to heat the unburned Library Annex. The Central Heating Plant was connected with Longyear and Peter White Halls by concrete tunnels which were over six feet in height and width. These tunnels were also used for years by students going from one building to another. Harvey Ripley arrived as the first engineer after the Central Heating Plant was built.