Matthews Hall (with Jarvis Hall and Territorial
School of Mines to right)
Photo courtesy Colorado Historical Society
Bishop Randall fervently believed that, if religion was to succeed in Colorado, it must go hand-in-hand with learning. Even before the reborn Jarvis Hall and School of Mines were complete, he began setting up the final ingredient for the Colorado University Schools, to be an Episcopal seminary called Matthews Hall. Through the generous cash contributions of Nathan Matthews of Boston, the final part of Randall's dream took shape.
Matthews Hall was placed 50 feet to the east of Jarvis Hall, creating a complete campus centering on Jarvis Hall, flanked by its sister schools, all three schools facing north towards Golden. The whole campus was landscaped with trees and other plants, with a central arched gateway entrance. Randall hired a prominent Boston architect by name of Thayer to create the campus' final masterpiece, Matthews Hall. Thayer took the design of the sister schools and embellished upon it, creating an almost pure Italianate design, yet with a modified mansard roof, Gothic entrance and tall, peaked Gothic windowed tower. He added the first ever decorative bricks in a Golden design, using black and white bricks to trim the arches of the front doors and windows, with decorative bandwork across the front and to the sides. Black bricks formed in the shapes of crosses on each of the great brick chimneys of the edifice. Matthews Hall was like its sisters, yet set apart from them as a singularly impressive design, as reviewed by William Newton Byers:
Matthews hall is on a line with the other buildings, and is of brick, having three stories and a tower which is ornamented with a cross. The style of architecture differs from anything in this country. The plans were made by Mr. Thayer of Boston, and are after the Italian mode. The tower is large - the roof much broken and massive, and the walls and arches of the windows, are ornamented by alternate courses of white and black brick, which give a highly ornamental and somewhat novel attraction to the appearance of the building. It is probably, taken as a whole, the most tasteful structure in the far west, and is an addition to the public buildings of Colorado, which will certainly do great credit to the territory. The work is very well done, and does much credit to the contractor, Mr. Albert Brown, of this city.
- Rocky Mountain News, September 22, 1872
Also working on the craftsmanship of the grand new divinity school were those who built the Territorial School of Mines, builders Thomas Gow and Samuel Flint. Matthews Hall itself opened for its first term on September 4, 1872, with an attendance of 10 students. The building was ideally designed for its purpose. Its 1st floor housed the chapel, professors’ rooms and lavatory; the 2nd housed the theological library, recitation rooms, and students’ rooms; the 3rd floor served as the dormitories for the students. On Thursday, September 19, 1872, Matthews Hall officially opened, beginning with a procession of students, faculty and clergy from Jarvis Hall to the chapel of the new school, led by Bishop Randall himself. Randall, near the end of the impressive opening service, gave a speech for which Colorado Transcript editor George West was in attendance. West gave excerpts from Randall's speech in the paper, which give a feeling for the significance of Matthews Hall in Colorado of this era, and its place in Randall’s university as a whole:
It stands here today amid magnificent surroundings of natural scenery, rarely equaled in any part of the world, a monument alike of Christian liberality and of the Church’s advancement. This gift, not less noble than timely, will not only transmit the donor’s name to coming generations as a benefactor of the age, but will supply a want which has been deeply felt in the Church on this frontier.
Now, in the early infancy of our mission, when the Church’s strength is small, her numbers few, her labors increasing, her opportunities multiplying, when the tide of immigration and commerce is rising and rushing in a manner and pressure unprecedented in modern times, when this extraordinary condition of things is challenging the Church to arise and go forward and do her work of planting Christ’s kingdom, and promoting and enobling civilization, such an institution as this becomes an absolute necessity. Mr. Matthews’ generous gift has enabled us to meet, at the outset, this great want.
I congratulate the people of Golden and
of Colorado, on the erection of an edifice, which, for architectural finish
and good taste, is not surpassed by any structure this side of the Mississippi
- an ornament of which any community, East or West, might justly be proud.
Buildings such as this, are indicators
of the character of a people. They instantly exhibit in the eye of
the stranger, the progress of a new country, and in what direction.
They are the true land-marks of a Christian civilization, revealing the
point from which it proceeds and the point to which it tends. Common
schools, high schools, academies, colleges and universities are the glory
of any land, and when they are seen springing up throughout the length
and breadth of a new country, they not only reflect the good sense and
the good taste of its citizens, but they are the pledge of a true prosperity,
ensuring the continuance of an intelligent, religious and patriotic people.
Matthews Hall dutifully served in its first year, led by Professor Harding. Its student body came from Europe as well as the United States. Prospects looked bright for 1873, and for Randall's university as a whole, when at last funding became available for the Territorial School of Mines to open. In early October, 1873, just after Wolfe Hall was opened for the fall term, the first opening service of the true and unified Colorado University Schools was commenced in the chapel of Matthews Hall. The service was majestic, spiritual and inspirational, with the university at last complete, with Bishop Randall flanked by the heads of his three colleges: Prof. Selden of Jarvis Hall, Prof. Mallet of the Territorial School of Mines, and Prof Harding of Matthews Hall. Randall praised each of them with inspirational words, leaving them with many prayers and expressions of affection, encouraging hope for a bright future ahead. He then returned to his home at Wolfe Hall, and told his assistant, Bishop Spalding, that he was now "to take a long rest...all the schools were in nice running order, and I want strength for the fall campaign." A few days later, on Sunday, October 12, 1873, Bishop Randall died.
The passing of the man who had given Golden and Colorado endlessly of himself cast a pall over Golden. Randall had been widely loved, respected and admired by the community. However, life at the University Schools strived forward. Despite the different missions of each college, they remained a close common community, sharing architecture, a museum, faculty, and a highly interactive student body. Among the things they did together included literary societies such as the Eularian, as well as cricket, military drills, and rifle clubs. Another was their baseball team, the Jarvis Hall White Legs, doubtless named for the color of their uniforms. Jarvis Hall was seen as the uniting communal gathering place between all of the schools of the campus. On Sunday, May 31, 1874 the first graduating class of Matthews Hall was ordained at St. John's Cathedral in Denver. Among them was a young man from Guernsey, England, named Arthur Lakes.
Lakes was the first of what would be very many foreign-born college graduates in Golden's history. He did not depart his campus, however, but had become fascinated with its mission. One of the things Lakes dedicated himself to was building up the campus museum. Jarvis Hall Museum, with a mission of depicting natural history, had been established in 1871, by minister and Matthews Hall student Arthur Lakes, and shared its quarters between Matthews Hall and the Territorial School of Mines. Geological exhibits found a home in the latter building, while exhibits of animals and birds of Colorado were placed in the cabinets of Matthews Hall. By 1877 the museum was truly the premier of its kind in Colorado, with many startling and noteworthy exhibits. Upon entering the geology wing, visitors were greeted by a great log of petrified wood, which had been found by students atop Green Mountain. Other exhibits came from the Table Mountains and other places, as well as fossils of animals including mastodons and dinosaurs. Upon entering the wildlife wing, visitors were at once greeted by the fierce eyes of a mountain lion, the museum's first exhibit, given by the Table Mountain hunter that the cat surprised. Another stuffed animal, a coyote, snarled back at the wildcat. Other wildlife exhibits included a fox, golden eagle, owls and birds. In all, the museum was the area's foremost display of Colorado's natural history.