Thompson Hall (University of New Hampshire)

Thompson Hall
Location off Main St., University of New Hampshire campus, Durham, New Hampshire
Coordinates 43°8′9″N 70°55′59″W / 43.13583°N 70.93306°WCoordinates: 43°8′9″N 70°55′59″W / 43.13583°N 70.93306°W
Area less than one acre
Architectural style Romanesque
Governing body State
NRHP Reference # 96001468[1]
Added to NRHP December 6, 1996

Thompson Hall, also commonly referred to locally as "T-hall", is one of the central buildings on the campus of the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire, United States. A large brick and stone building, it was designed by Concord architects Dow and Randlett and built in 1892. It was the first building to be built on the Durham campus, and was named for Benjamin Thompson, a farmer who left his entire Durham estate to the state for use as the college campus.[2] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.[1]

Thompson Hall is a Romanesque Revival structure set on a knoll just south of Main Street, with a broad expanse of lawn in between. Its features are characteristic of the style, with heavy massing, granite trim, and a tall clock tower. Although it is nominally 2-1/2 stories in height, it has a raised basement below, and its slate hip roof is pierced by gables, giving four usable stories of space. The tower is a massive square structure, rising five stories to a pyramidal roof, and features a carillon installed in 1952, and a Howard clock donated by the architects. The main block and tower have round turrets projecting from their corners.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "NRHP nomination for Thompson Hall" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-08-09.