The Aquinas 1979-10-09

              October !I. I!I7!)-THE AQUINAS-Page 1:3
Features ; fii f??S'SffiMa
(PHOTO BY TOM BARBERA)
development of an institution of
higher learning." In December of
1941, the deed was given to then
Bishop Hafey, who acted as a
trustee for the University of
Scranton. At that time, the
University was located
downtown, and it was run by the
Christian Brothers. In January of
1942, the jurisdiction and direction
of the University was taken
over by the Society of Jesus of the
New York and Maryland province.
Later that year, the Jesuit
fathers moved in.
The Scrantons understandably
took their possessions with them
to Marworth, but the Jesuits still
retained the architechural splendor.
Anice touch was added when
a local family donated a Luini
original, painted in the 16th century,
to Rev. W. Coleman Nevils,
the first Jesuit president of the
University. The painting is
valued at approximately $40,000.
In the mid-60's, extensive
renovations were made at the
Estate. Under the care of Rev.
John Lange, S.J., presently of the
Counseling Center, most of the in-
(ContJnued;~-~ge 1-1)
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out over the Estate grounds.
used to stand adJacEmf-to the
horse stables. Now a hill sits
where the trolley stables used to
be.' In 1929, additional stories
were added to the first stables,
and Worthington Scranton used
them as offices.
In the early 1900's, Worthington,
son of William W.,
began to build a new home in
North Abington Twp. for himself
and his wife, Marjorie. The new
home was called "Marworth."
His wife, who was getting on in
years, had difficulty making her
way around the old Estate.
Because she was confined to a
wheelchair, Worthington built an
elevator for her convenience. It
was built outside to the left of the
front door, and only extended to
the second floor. .
With Marjorie infirmed, the
completion of Marworth was of
primary importance. If was
finished in 1941, making the old
Estate obsolete. So the Scrantons
packed up all of the chandeliers
and most of the furniture, and
moved to Marworth.
Worthington wanted the
bUilding to be used "for the
At bottom left is the enclosed dining room. At bottom right is the
enclosed sitting room. Both used to be open porches. The rooms look
A University Landmark
The Scranton Estate: A Look
At History And Beauty
BY DAVID ROMAN
Without question, the most im- tually nonexistant, let alone at on the ceilings.
posing structure to be found on $3.50 an hour. William F. Paris The building's interior and exThe
University of Scranton's was the talented WOOdcutter who terior have changed much over
campus is the three-story Jesuit carved the ornate dark walnut the years. For example, the walls
residence. door to the building's reading that surround the grounds used to
Built more than a century ago room. He also carved a table, completely circle the Estate proat
the cost of approximately mantels, and book shelves in a perty, although the walls were
$150,000, the Estate houses some matching intricate design. Being not built with the original strucartwork,
architecture and craft- a true artist, Paris signed his ture.
smanship that would be impossi- work, and so his name can be In the late nineteenth or early
ble to reproduce today, even at found carved in each piece of his twentieth century, an epidemic of
ten times the original cost. woodwork. tuberculosis struck the Scranton
New York architect Russel The framed shelves that Paris area. The townspeople believed
Sturgis, one of America's most designed are further distinguish- the disease was being spread
outstanding architects in the post ed by stained leaded glass en- through the city's water supply.
Civil War era, was commissioned framed by the cases. The same The water rights at that time
by city-founder Joseph H. Scran- type of Tiffany glass was also us- were owned by the Scranton
ton in 1867 to build the home. ed on a large skylight that rests family. By this time, William W.
Sturgis designed the bUilding in over the winding mahogany stair- Scranton, son of Joseph (who
French Second Empire style. case. died in 1872), ran the Scranton
stone for the home was blasted Abilliards room was built next household. For protective purfrom
local quarries in 1867, and to the reading room. The cue poses, William W. had the granite
construction continued until late stick racks, which were built into wall built, topped by iron railing,
1871. There are indications that the walls, are still visible. The to prevent rioting intruders from
the house was ready for the most impressive feature of this storming the Scranton Estate.
Scranton's Thanksgiving Day room is the hand-tooled leather When Loyola Hall was built in
dinner that year. that covers the four walls and the 1956, sections of the wall were
The Lackawanna Historical ceiling. taken down, and the stone was used
to fill in the mine shafts over
which the Alumni Library was
built. The science bUilding and
the library, both built with a drab
contemporary orange brick,
were the first two intrusions into
what used to be a beautiful,
almost pastoral estate.
The several acres of land used
to be watered daily, and the section
that is now next to the library
used to be kept as green and picturesque
as a golf course. When
this area was dug up recently to
make way for the latest intrusion,
a new walkway, the dirt uncovered
was of a black richness.
Other bygone flourishes included
a tower that stood atop the
front left corner of the roof. The
tower was gone by 1942, which is
when the first group of Jesuit
fathers moved into the house. The
priests called the roof "The
Beach" because they used to sunbathe
atop the bUilding. Access to
the roof is a little precarious <involving
a slim wooden ladder and
a cramped crawlspace), but sunbathing
is no longer popular since
the roof was recovered with little
cubic white stones, which tend to
be uncomfortable.
There used to be two open porches
in the back of the Estate. In
the early '70's, both porches were
enclosed. They are presently used
as a sitting room and a dining
room respectively. Pipes that
originally carried gas to provide
interior lighting are now jammed
with wires that carry electricity.
The President's Office was
built as a one-story structure, and
it was used as a stable and
garage for horses and carriages.
A separate stable for trolly cars
!
The portrait ofSt. Ignatius Loyola. founder of the Society of Jesus. is
in a hand carved picture frame, carved by William F. Paris. :rile
enclosed bookcases to the left and right of the mantel were also deSign-ed
by Paris. IPHOTOBYTOM BARBERA)
Society is in possession of an old A small ball room was also
account book that traces the con- built inside the home. That room,
struction of the Estate from the first converted into a conference
purchasing of powder to blast room, is presently used as a
stone, to the buying of supplies chapel.
for painters, who added the final The structure's tile floor, best
touches to the completed interior. described as a patterned mosaic,
The journal reveals that hun- was designed by the same man
?reds of workers were employed who designed the floor of the
In the process of constructing the Capitol rotunda in Washington,
building. Woodcarvers, for exam- D.C.
pIe, received $3.50 for one day's In various rooms, the ceilings
work. were adorned with frescoes and
Today, woodcarvers are vir- in other, gold leaiing was placed
I •