As the 20th century continued on, Stevens continued to grow. Quickly approaching its 50th anniversary, a certain global event played a key role in the next addition to the innovation university’s campus: World War I. During the war, the Stevens campus was used by numerous military branches, but the Navy in particular (a main launching point to Europe for the Navy was nearby, as seen by a commemorative stone down by Pier A near Lackawanna). From training on what is now the DeBaun (then Stevens) Athletic Complex to classes led by Frederick L. Pryor, who the navy commissioned as a lieutenant commander, Stevens helped the navy in the war efforts in any way they could. One lasting example is the construction of two buildings: the Navy Building and the Lieb Building.
The United States joined World War I in December 1917. After three years of fighting, America joined in despite national skepticism caused by the isolationism movement (the belief that America is safe as long as it stays on this side of the Atlantic). However, once involved, the navy needed qualified and trained engineers who could be the innovators of the American military efforts. With its perfect access to New York Harbor, and therefore the Atlantic Ocean, and its reputation of producing innovative engineers, the navy enlisted Stevens as a training ground for navy engineers, designating it as the United States Naval Steam Engineering School. One of the first problems addressed: housing the sailors-to-be.
The first building built was the Lieb Building. The design of the building was typical for the era and for being a military facility โ a simple rectangle footprint, brick walls, standard windows, and Ionique cornices. Located on the corner of 6th and Hudson Sts., the building was used as a dormitory for the navy recruits and was completed in early 1918. The other building commissioned by the navy was the Navy Building. Designed in the same style as the Lieb Building, it was also planned to be a dormitory but was finished after the war and went unused.
The ownership of both buildings was quickly transferred to Stevens following the end of the war. The Navy Building was converted into classrooms while the Lieb Building was used as a library for the school. Both buildings remained an essential part of campus for decades. However, the Navy Building, in deteriorating condition, was demolished in the early 1980s, and replaced by a parking lot (which eventually was replaced with the Babbio Center). As for the Lieb Building, it remained part of the Stevens campus for many years, serving as classrooms, other academic spaces, and even a museum of Stevens’s history. However, the building was demolished in the late 2010s to make way for the controversial Gateway Academic Center.
The Navy buildings represent Stevens’s support for the Navy in World War I. Yet, their demolition reminds us of losing the past to prepare for the future โ a reminder of the balance of innovation and remembering the past.
