From Handbook of Amherst by Frederick H. Hitchcock, 1894: "The Barrett Gymnasium, erected in 1860 at a cost of $10,000, was largely the means of developing the system of physical culture for which Amherst is justly famous. It was the first building in the country erected for gymnastic work in charge of a regularly appointed professor. It is of Pelham granite, and is 70 feet long by 50 wide. It was designed by C. E. Parkes of Boston, and bears the name of Dr. Benjamin Barrett of Northampton, who was a large contributor toward the fund for its erection and support. Since the completion of the Pratt Gymnasium in 1884, the building has been used for various purposes, while awaiting alterations to make it a geological cabinet. When used as a gymnasium, the physician's office, dressing-rooms, and bowling-alleys were on the ground floor, with the main hall for class and special exercise above."
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