The William Kennish Engineering Centre of the University College, Isle of Man was opened on Wednesday 12th November 2014.
The £4.9m centre comprises the main lecture rooms and workshops building (upper left and right), and the automotive training centre (immediate right).
The building was converted from the former Douglas Water Works filter building in 2013/2014 and the animated photographs below show what the building looked like from its original construction in 1933/4.
It was opened by the Hon Tim Crookall MHK, Minister for Education and Children with the assistance of Mr Cliff Kennish and Mr Dana Kennish Smith, both great-great grandson's of William Kennish and who both travelled from the USA to attend the ceremony.
The Hon Tim Crookall MHK with Cliff and Deke and the unveiled plaque
Deke and Pat Kennish Smith left with Cliff and Dodie Kennish either side of the plaque with TT commentator Roy Moore and his sister-in-law Betty (Roy is a great-great grand-nephew of William Kennish)
Professor Ronald Barr, Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Education and Children, addresses the opening ceremony.
Col. Geoff Draper, College Principal, addresses the opening ceremony.
Cliff Kennish (a direct Male line descendant) shows a remarkable similarity of facial features to William!
The Hon Tim Crookall MHK presented both visiting descendants with a memento of the event - a time-piece set into a block of Manx Rowan tree taken from Glen Roy.
When the original filter works opened in 1933, the Douglas Mayor, Alderman James H. Skillicorn (centre, behind table) and invited guests sat on the embankment which is now grassed and to the western end of the machine shop shown in the photo top left.
This sequence of photos shows the original sand filter hall in 2007, immediately before its abandonment when the new treatment works on the other side of the college went on line, and the strip-down and refurbishment to arrive at the current world-leading engineering workshop facilities.
Below is a view of the fitting out of the filter hall in 1933/34 and a view of the new workshops.
Site Copyright Statement © 2011-2022 Robert W Stimpson