University of Minnesota Old Campus Historic District

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University of Minnesota Old Campus Historic District
(U.S. Registered Historic District)
The Richardsonian Romanesque Pillsbury Hall within the Old Campus Historic District.
The Richardsonian Romanesque Pillsbury Hall within the Old Campus Historic District.
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Built/Founded: 1886-1907
Architect: Multiple
Architectural style(s): Renaissance, Queen Anne, Romanesque
Added to NRHP: August 23, 1984
NRHP Reference#: 84001463 [1]
Governing body: State

The University of Minnesota Old Campus Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, includes a number of buildings on the Minneapolis campus that date back to the oldest days of the university. The buildings include:

Contents

[edit] Eddy Hall, 1886

Architect: LeRoy Buffington

Originally built as the Mechanic Arts building. It is the oldest existing building on the Minneapolis campus.[2]

[edit] Music Education, 1888

Architect: Warren H. Hayes

Originally the Student Christian Association building. It once housed the Child Welfare and Music Education departments, but is now vacant.[2]

[edit] Pattee Hall, 1889

Architect: J. Walter Stevens

The first Law School building. The Law School later moved to Fraser Hall and then to the West Bank.[2]

[edit] Pillsbury Hall, 1889

Architects: LeRoy Buffington with Harvey Ellis

Originally named Science Hall, and named for Governor John S. Pillsbury. [2] Harvey Ellis, Buffington's assistant, was responsible for the Romanesque details in the design. Ellis was inspired by Henry Hobson Richardson, but the building also contains elements of the Prairie School, Arts and Crafts, Gothic, and Victorian styles. The building is built with two different colors of sandstone. The buff-colored sandstone is from quarries near Banning State Park, while the red sandstone is from the Fond du Lac formation. The clay tile roof and copper eaves serve to protect the sandstone from the infiltration of water, and they also add to the appearance of the building. [3]

[edit] Nicholson Hall, 1890

Architects: LeRoy Buffington with Harvey Ellis

Built as a chemistry laboratory, until that department moved to Northrop Mall. It served as the men's student union until Coffman Memorial Union was built.[2] The building was recently renovated with $24 million of structural improvements and interior updates, and reopened to the public in January of 2006.[4]

[edit] Wulling Hall, 1892

Architects: Allen Stem and Charles Reed

Built as Medical Hall, and later served as the pharmacy building.[2]

[edit] Burton Hall, 1894

Architects: LeRoy Buffington and Charles Sedgwick

The main library building on campus until Walter Library was built in 1924. Before Burton Hall was built, the library collection was housed in Old Main. A series of fires in Old Main convinced the Board of Regents that a new, fireproof building was needed. President William Watts Folwell first consulted with LeRoy S. Buffington on a library design, but the Regents overruled him. After much debate between the Regents and the faculty, the design was finalized, with the exterior designed by LeRoy S. Buffington in a Greek Revival style and the interior designed by Charles Sedgwick in a rather ornate Victorian style. The building also included an assembly hall which doubled as a chapel.[5]

[edit] Armory, 1896

Architect: Charles Aldrich

Built for athletics and for military drills.[2]

[edit] Wesbrook Hall, 1898

Architect: Frederick Corser

Originally the Laboratory of Medical Science. It became the home of the dentistry department in 1912.[2]

[edit] Jones Hall, 1901

Architect: Charles Aldrich

The first home of the physics department.[2] The building, a Renaissance Revival structure, was renovated in 2005 to provide ADA access and to update building systems. Historic features such as stair treads and banisters, paneled doors, arched ceilings and the terra cotta façade were preserved in the renovation.[6]

[edit] Child Development, 1903

Architect: Clarence H. Johnston Sr.

Originally built as the Mines Building until damaged by fire in 1913. The building was later used for University High School.[2]

[edit] Shevlin Hall, 1906

Architect: Ernest Kennedy

The site of Old Main, the first building on campus. Shevlin Hall was built as a student union for women until Coffman Memorial Union was built.[2]

[edit] Folwell Hall, 1907

Architect: Clarence H. Johnston Sr.

Built to house departments that were displaced after Old Main burned in 1904.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2006-03-15).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l National Register, University of Minnesota Heritage Trail, University of Minnesota. Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
  3. ^ Pillsbury Hall. Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
  4. ^ Historic Nicholson Hall to Reopen on January 27 (December 19, 2005). Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
  5. ^ Johnson, Craig. Burton Hall: The University's First Library. Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
  6. ^ University of Minnesota’s historic Jones Hall to have grand reopening Sept. 6 (August 8, 2005).

Coordinates: 44°58′42″N, 93°14′12″W