Feb. 11, 1917

8.45 Ex. sh. – Awoke to find College Hill bldg. Burning. It was a fine old structure Parthanonic – substantial. Went to Prof Shear’s class – he spoke of Lincoln – also the woman of Samaria*. – influence of X on the sphere of women. Classified McKinley with Lincoln & Washington – to my disapproval. He is a conservative type and more assuming than he would acknowledge – always interesting – class 50- about $5. Visited fire after class – the old house added immeasurably to the hill’s charm. In the eve went to Dr. Sutherland’s little church – (20) and heard my own views liberally propounded. He disposes of orthodoxy triumphantly, but retains heaven. Why? The next step I suppose is Felix Adler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Adler_(professor) & then – a reversion back to R. Catholicy. Is Pouys right in insisting that a coherent logical religion is an anomaly – unsound? Went next door to Van W this P.M. after church. Waster P.M. Slept. ✱

Shall retry vegetarian diet & forsake tea. 11.30

20 ₵

*Wikipedia says this is the “Samaritan woman at the well…in John 4:4–26”

Saartje note: He occasionally adds a large ✱ but there is no companion to explain why.

The imposing structure which for 80-odd years crowned the summit of College Hill as one of the most prominent landmarks of the whole Hudson Valley, immeasurably valuable because of its association with the history of Poughkeepsie and unique as a model of architectural beauty, having been a replica of the Greek Parthenon, was destroyed Sunday morning by a fire which broke out a t 8:45 o’clock.

“The blaze, one of the most spectacular ever seen in Poughkeepsie was caused, according to Fire Chief George B. Wood, by a defective flue which communicated the flames to the southern side of the attic from which, they spread quickly throughout the building. Large logs, burned Saturday in the fireplace, were left to smoulder during the night and it is the fire chief’s belief that sparks from these lodged in the chimney and fanned by a strong draft started the fire.

“The structure was burned to the last piece of timber in just three hours and twenty minutes and at noontime there was nothing left but a smouldering mass of charred timbers and bricks. 

– (Poughkeepsie) Semi-weekly Eagle And Telegraph, 13 Feb 1917

Vassar has a video about College Hill with photos and info about the fire on their YouTube channel. Click Here.