Slater Hall

Slater Hall was erected in 1879. Stone and Carpenter were the architects of the building, which was financed by the gift of Horatio Nelson Slater, who had offered to donate $25,000 to the University if Ezekiel Gilman Robinson would accept the presidency. The money was allocated to the construction of a new dormitory and the site selected was the south end of the Middle Campus along George Street, but, when the foundation had been dug, influential inhabitants protested that the building would obstruct the view of the campus. One objector wrote to the Providence Journal, “It was a matter of surprise and regret that grounds upon which so many are accustomed to gaze while taking daily walks are to be disfigured by the march of events.” The University obligingly placed the building, smaller than planned, between University Hall and Rhode Island Hall.