I have often regretted, as I watched the crowds swarming around, that each individual might not carry away a real appreciation of West Point, instead of leaving with only the most superficial impressions. Unless one has graduated from the Academy it is impossible to seize fully the spirit of the institution, or have a clear idea of its intimate life. My long familiarity with West Point, both as a cadet and as an officer, prompts me to portray for the American people the history, aims, ideals, and spirit of their National Military Academy.
Class Formation in the Area of Barracks
West Point seen for the first time from the river, whether in sunshine or through the mists, is a sight not soon forgotten. The monumental Riding Hall that rises out of the cliff of which it seems to form a part, first fixes the eye, but as one’s glance wanders a little higher it drinks in the towering pile of Post Headquarters; higher yet, the eye rests for a moment on the crenelated border of the roof of the Academic Building, and then, higher still, it pauses to contemplate the beauty of West Point’s crowning architectural achievement, the Cadet Chapel. For a moment the beholder seems withdrawn from the sordid material world, and filled with a multitude of noble impressions. He experiences a spiritual uplift as he admires the majestic simplicity and grandeur of the buildings, an architectural triumph worthy to have inspired Ruskin’s beautiful thought, “frozen music.”
When the Government determined to rebuild West Point, nearly fifteen years ago, the presence of two fine buildings of Gothic design—the Library and the Cadet Barracks—decided the style of architecture. These two buildings ranked as perhaps the most successful examples of the Collegiate Gothic that was much in vogue for educational institutions in the country half a century ago. A limited competition was held for designs and all architects who had distinguished themselves in Gothic work were invited to participate. Several beautiful designs for a Renaissance treatment were offered, but one group of architects, Cram, Goodhue, and Ferguson, submitted drawings for so admirable a Gothic treatment that they received the unanimous approval of a board of judges composed of eminent architects. The construction of the new buildings lasted over a period of about seven years, during which time the work was under the direction of Colonel John M. Carson, Jr., Quartermaster, who was representing the Government. In writing a book on West Point, any mention of the buildings involves the name of Colonel Carson who performed his difficult work with an unusual amount of zeal and intelligence. The result is that the new buildings are splendidly constructed, and because the architects had an eye for harmony these structures seem to grow out of the rocks upon which they stand, emphasizing rather than detracting from West Point’s natural beauty.
The Administration Building
The north road from the station passes first, on the river side, the Power House built of granite from local quarries. It is designed to supply the entire institution with electricity for light and power, and the central buildings with heat from exhaust steam. In a building of this nature, a factory-like look would be taken for granted and pardoned, but, on the contrary, its design is not only adapted for its function, but the building forms an important link in the architectural whole. It assumes its place quite naturally and modestly, almost unobtrusively in the natural landscape, tying the buildings in the upper terrace with the base. The tall smoke-stack is cleverly concealed within the walls of an imposing granite tower.
On a slightly higher level, and paralleling the river, is the Riding Hall splendidly impressive with its broad flat buttresses. The latter seem almost akin to the classic order, and serve in a very large measure to reconcile the classicism of the neighboring Cullum Memorial Hall,—an exotic among its surroundings—with the dominant Gothic of the place. The present Riding Hall occupies the site of not only the old hall, but also of the old Cavalry stables, and barracks. The old hall was built in 1855 and, for the number of cadets at West Point during the ensuing fifty years, it was sufficiently large. With the increase of the Corps of Cadets, and the quickened interest throughout the Service in equitation, however, more spacious accommodations for instruction were required. Usually when a building has served a useful and honorable purpose for many years, its demolition is generally viewed with regret. There was, however, no sentimental attachment for the Riding Hall. Many a painful hour had cadets spent within its walls learning to ride on the bare back of a raw-boned horse, or floundering around in the spongy tanbark.
In the little plaza at the junction of the Power House and Riding Hall, the road winds and passes under the mediæval arch of the Post Headquarters, or Administration Building. At this point, the bulk and dignity of the buildings are stupendous, and admiringly we stand, imprisoned, it would seem, in a quadrangle of Middle Age fortresses, whose sternness and solemnity seem symbolic of discipline and strength. The main entrance to the Riding Hall branches from the road a few paces beyond the arch, the lower level of the galleries being reached by a flight of steps that cling to the steep retaining wall of the road. The great arena is 150 by 600 feet and is covered by a cantilever roof, so that when the eye first encounters this interior, a sensation of its vastness holds the spectator in its grip. The roof is mostly of glass so as to afford a maximum of light, and the floor is covered with tanbark to make more endurable any sudden and unexpected descent from the back of a capricious beast. The building is steam-heated and electric lighted, for during the winter months, equitation drills extend into the late afternoon. The hall can be divided by curtains into three smaller halls, a scheme that permits three classes to undergo instruction at the same time. In one portion of the hall are stalls for one hundred mounts, but the majority of the horses are kept at the cavalry barracks. The hall is so large that during the winter months the U. S. M. A. Battery of Artillery uses it for a drill ground, thereby keeping the horses in good condition and the men well instructed. Moreover, the officers and cadets are enabled to keep up their practice in polo. Every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon, teams of cadets play each other, or try their skill against civilian opponents. Along the full length of the west wall, and the north and south end, are balconies for the accommodation of visitors who are welcome whenever the hall is open.