Nott Memorial, Schenectady, NY
Audio Excerpts | Current Photo | Historic Picture

Interview with: Wayne Harvey
Interviewed by: Emily Carbone & Nancy Gifford on 5/22/01

Emily: Diod you go to Union College?
Wayne: No, but I play Elifalet Nott in first person. He was the long time president of Union College. He was the president for 62 years! The only way they got him out was that he died. He was in his 80s at the time. His wife lived in the President's house after he died. They couldn't get her out, so they had to build another house for the incoming president.

Emily: What about Nott Memorial?
Wayne: Nott Memorial is a many sided building. There is no other building in Schenectady with so many sides to it. It has a greenhouse top with glass all in the top, so light can come through the whole top of the thing. It is an absolutely wonderful design. It was an Italian, Venetian design. The glass was all replaced when it was renovated, and the bricks all had to be pointed (regrouted) .

Elifalet is a really odd name. The only other person I know of called Elifalet is Elifalet Ball who settled Ballston Spa. Elifalet Nott was a very interesting man. He invented a stove when fireplaces were popular. He was one of the first ones to invent a stove, and it worked. But then he kept going on his inventions, but some of them took money. So he used college funds to do his inventing, without permission. His wife kept the lawyers and the police, and the government officials, and the college people off him, for years and years. You just couldn't get by her if you wanted to see him.

I play Elifalet Nott in first person. He was the long time president of Union College. He was the president for 62 years! The only way they got him out was that he died. He was in his 80s at the time. His wife lived in the President's house after he died. They couldn't get her out, so they had to build another house for the incoming president.

The I Spy games and Website was supported by Federal Library Services and Technology Act funds, awarded to the New York State Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Mohawk Valley Library System and participating member libraries.

Mohawk Valley Library System - About I Spy - Visit Our Kids' Website