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290 HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
extending from the home grounds to the proper place at the head of the
bay, to bring to the institution mains for Avater, gas and electricity, a
switch from the Baltimore & Ohio Raihvay to the home grounds, and to
construct tAvo avenues from the city to the home, each 100 feet wide. It
should be stated here that the obligations of the citizens of the county
and city have all been carried out to the smallest item.
It was then necessary that an architect and a landscape gardener
be selected, and for these positions Henry C. Lindsay, of Zanesville,
and Herman Haerline, of Cincinnati, received the appointments. The
original plans called for buildings sufficient to accommodate at least
1,000 members, and all this required not only sufficient quarters for the
housing of this number, but in addition there was a dining room and
kitchen building, poAver house, laundry, bath house, hospital, chapel and
administration building. All these buildings are of the best Ohio limestone
and sandstone, and from an architectural point of vieAV present a
handsome appearance. These buildings are admirably designed, and
are thoroughly built. The ground on which these buildings stand lies
betAveen fifty and fifty-five feet above the level of the lake, and is the
highest point of land for miles around. The work on the buildings was
begun in the fall of 1886. The dormitories for the members are designated
by letter, the last one in the alphabetical line being Cottage "O."
In addition to these, several dormitories bear the name of a member of
the board of trustees, these being Cottages Mack, Dill, Cameron and
Cline. The stone hospital Avas early seen to be too small, and a large
frame hospital of eight buildings, all connected by corridor, AVIIS built
directly in front and attached to the old hospital building and annex,
thus making it all one large plant with a capacity of more than 300 beds.
In connection Avith this building is the nurses' home, a house Avith
modern accommodations for thirty Avomen nurses. This building, too,
is hitched onto the hospital plant, and is a part of the scheme.
The home has a beautiful broAvn stone library building, which contains
on its first floor a large collection of Avell selected books and magazines,
while in the library room are files of ncAvspapcrs from every
county in the state. These papers are sent gratis to the home, and come
every AA'eek, thus keeping each member of the institution in touch Avith
just what is going on in his OAVII home county. On the second floor of
this building is the Grand Army Hall, Avhere all the military societies of
the home assemble.
This home also has another imposing limestone building, known as
the Assembly Hall. It contains a tastefully furnished auditorium seating
betAveen 600 and 700; is an imposing house with a red tile roof, and is
mainly devoted to the holding of religious services, campfires and the
presentation of plays and other entertainments for the amusement of
the members.
On the north side of the grounds is a rbAV of residences, knoAvn
as Officers' ROAV, and here reside the adjutant, the chief clerk, the
chaplain, the engineer, the inspector and the chef. The commandant,
and the matron, his wife, reside in the administration building, the sur-