Photos from November 2024.
The extant version of University Hall is a sterile imitation of the original, flamboyant building. It was demolished under dubious circumstances, likely the worst crime committed against historic architecture on Ohio State’s campus. There’s also a lot of history, and it was almost impossible to organize chronologically, so I did the best I could and tried to organize similar info together. University Hall is located on the northwest side of the Oval, bordered by Cockins and Dulles Hall to the north, the Oval’s green space and Thompson Library to the south, Bricker Hall to the east, and Independence Hall to the west.
Old University Hall History
Old University Hall in 1874, with its original bell tower. (Buckeye Stroll)
The first building known as University Hall was designed by Jacob Snyder (an Akron architect who invented the Akron plan) in 1871, in the High Victorian Gothic style. It was built with a wood frame and brick exterior at a total of $112-114,000. University Hall was the first building on Ohio State’s campus. Construction began that July, by Messrs. Kanmacher and Stark, and by January 1872 the foundation had been laid and the “rubble stone work” was done. The building first opened on September 17, 1873, though doors were missing and the woodwork was not complete. All work was complete by January 7, 1874.
University Hall’s original footprint.
The north side of Old University Hall c. 1892, before Yost & Packard’s addition. In the foreground, Electrical Hall, Mechanical Hall, and the old power plant can be seen.
In 1896, Yost & Packard designed an addition to the north end of Old University Hall. It was completed that December, and brought the building to 53,977 net assignable square feet. It was hard to find a photo that included this new addition. The earliest one I could find was a historic aerial picture of campus.
Old University Hall’s footprint after Yost & Packard’s addition.
(U.S. National Archives and Records Administration)
In his report, John Herrick noted interesting details about Old University Hall’s construction and use. The window trim and base course was made of Berea sandstone, which was sawn to shape near Mirror Lake. The bricks were fired in kilns north of the site, made from clay dug where Fontana Laboratories stands today. A gas plant on campus wasn’t built until November 1874, so students had to haul the gas used in science laboratories on their backs for miles. Old University Hall was originally lit by kerosene lamps until December 1874, and then by gas lamps until 1884. Its water came from a well dug nearby and rainwater, which was pumped from the attic. The first campus post office was in the building’s basement, starting in May 1928.
The interior of Old University Hall, 1907. (University Archives)
Since Old University Hall was the first building on campus, it had a lot of weird initial uses that changed as time went on. When it was built, four professors lived inside the building. The first floor’s east wing was a dormitory known as “Purgatory,” and a dining room was located inside the east end of the basement. (Students moved out in 1874, after the first residence halls were built.) From 1873 to 1879, the building housed every classroom and office of the university. A professor of veterinary science, Dr. H. J. Detmers, was employed by the university and installed a veterinary museum in the basement in 1885. The president’s office and administrative offices were housed in Old University Hall until Bricker Hall was built in 1924. The west wing of the basement originally held the mechanical engineering department (to avoid fires from the metalworking equipment) and later became the print shop of The Lantern.
Ohio State’s library in 1889. (Buckeye Stroll)
Old University Hall was also home of the original university library and geology museum. They existed there until Orton Hall opened in 1893. The library would later move to Thompson Library after its construction in 1912. In 1885, it was also briefly the home of the first state museum.
Old University Hall in 1946, showing some of the modifications made during its lifetime.
Old University Hall was extensively modified over its lifetime. Beyond Yost & Packard’s addition in 1896, many changes were made to modernize the structure. Fire escapes were added to the rear of the building in 1910. In 1912, a new front entrance plaza was designed, which also introduced the cluster lights seen above. Compare the 1874 and 1946 pictures to see how the entry changed. In 1918, a windstorm destroyed the northeast turret, and they were all removed between 1946 and 1959.
Old University Hall, 1905. (University Archives)
Old University Hall’s bell tower was also rebuilt at least twice. Only ten years after its construction, two professors and an architect were instructed to inspect the cupola in 1883. This resulted in the tower being rebuilt for the first time in 1886. The new tower appeared identical, minus a new flagpole at the top. In 1913, bricks fell from the tower, and it was “later rebuilt again.” Then, in 1929, a storm badly damaged the tower, which required it to be rebuilt an additional time. It is uncertain if this reconstruction was the second or third, as after the 1913 damage a date on the later rebuilding was not given. Ultimately, the bell tower took on a more basic appearance, departing from the pointy eaves of the original High Victorian Gothic design.
Old University Hall as it appeared in 1959, near the end of its lifetime. (University Archives)
In 1968, the fourth floor of the north wing began bulging. This led to a study by the engineering firm Jones-Stuckey Ltd., which determined that the building was structurally undermined. Additionally, university officials were worried about the possibility of fire. As a result, the entirety of Old University Hall was closed in May.
Old University Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. The director of the Ohio History Connection submitted the nomination, which was intended to prevent the building’s demolition. According to the nomination, the original building was in good shape, with no settling or rot. The only unsafe portion was Yost & Packard’s addition. At first the demolition of the north wing was considered, but in the end Ohio State decided to tear down the whole building. The contract was awarded to William O’Rourke Wrecking Co. in September 1971, and the site was cleared by the end of that October. The building’s stairs and clock were preserved, among other items. After its razing, the building was removed from the National Register.
The demolition of Old University Hall, viewed from Thompson Library’s stacks. (University Archives)
I’m conflicted about the demolition of Old University Hall. It was a great loss of original campus architecture, especially considering how Ohio State has little Gothic work, and Old University Hall was a precedent to the following Collegiate Gothic style. The building was beautiful and had so much character. On the other hand, it had already been greatly altered, and by the time of its demolition it was probably too far gone. This included the loss of the original clock tower, turrets, and probably the interior. (I find it highly unlikely that the original interior lasted until 1971.) I am glad that elements of the original building were preserved, though, and at least the new building attempts to evoke the original rather than discount it entirely. However, this was a point of contention, as there was much discussion by university officials over the style of the new building.
The wrecking ball demolishes Old University Hall. (University Archives)
New University Hall History
The new University Hall under construction, 1972-1976. (University Archives)
A year after Old University Hall was demolished in 1971, the firm C. Curtiss Inscho & Associates designed the extant structure. This building is located slightly east of the original footprint. Construction work began in December 1972, as the field office was in place and barricades were up. The general contractor was Central Ohio Construction Company, Inc., which apparently had financial difficulties and significantly delayed the project, part of which ended up being built by the bonding agency. It was finally occupied by the Department of Philosophy starting on January 20, 1976.
University Hall’s current footprint.
University Hall after its construction, 1979. Funky plaza. (Buckeye Stroll)
Although the extant University Hall is a less ornamented version of the original building, certain elements were preserved and included in the new building. The stone arch, portions of the base course, and clock belonged to the original.
Currently, University Hall houses classrooms for the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of African-American and African Studies, Department of Classics, Department of Philosophy, Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and The Graduate School. It also is (was?) the location of the University Museum, which holds items from the original University Hall.
Photos
University Hall is probably one of the most photographed buildings on campus--Ohio State uses pictures of it everywhere on their social media and websites. I like to think mine are good, but I’m not really taking any groundbreaking shots here.
When I visited, it was late November, yet the surrounding trees still had their colored leaves intact. I think fall is the season that best suits University Hall.
The tower and central projection:
The sun was shining right on the south facade, which made for very pretty pictures. Here, you can see the ornamental brickwork and cornices:
Looks like the roof is a little worse for wear though…the paint is chipping off, and there’s a giant rust stain on the top of the bell tower. Here’s the entrance:
Even if no sources mentioned that the arch, columns, and course are from the original building, a few things give it away. Notice the soot stains on the voussoirs of the arch and the chipping of the limestone string course. Less obvious are the columns--nobody carves like that nowadays, there’s no demand for it beyond historic preservation. They are each about six feet tall.
This thing really is the highlight of the Oval (at least on the outside)...such an icon.
Around the side, the different molds over each window are visible:
Each floor uses a unique style reminiscent of Italianate drip molds: the ground floor’s are ellipsoidal, the third floor’s are pyramidal, and the second's are segmental.
Around back, University Hall’s footprint is identical to the original building before Yost & Packard’s rear addition. Although the sun was my ally when shooting looking north, it created an awful glare in the opposite direction.
Nice M4, too.
The north projection:
Beautifully-lit view of the western entrance:
Before we head inside, here’s some more pictures of the original entrance stonework, which I just adore.
Capital detail:
The design is reminiscent of a Roman Composite order column, with the acanthus leaves of the Corinthian and volute of the Ionic.
I was extremely disappointed with the interior of University Hall. The exterior makes a strong statement--this is the original architecture of The Ohio State University (albeit reconstructed), dating back to a more gilded age where beauty was revered over functionalism. However, if you led me into the interior blindfolded and told me to name what building I was inside, I would probably choose one of the other bland, dated mid-century buildings like Weigel Hall or Baker Systems. The original interior is not referenced in the slightest, rather, the existing version takes the appearance of the average cheap 1970s building--cinder block walls, dropped ceiling, and crappy asbestos floor tile. It’s such a jarring transition, and it reminds me a lot of this meme format:
(Know Your Meme)
The singular cool feature of the interior is this section of the original masonry, which has been preserved and is on display in the lobby:
University Hall’s main function, beyond classrooms, is that it holds the offices of many university departments. On the ground floor, the deans’ office of the College of Arts and Sciences:
Atrocious angle, but down in the basement there’s apparently a tunnel to Dulles Hall across the street:
I think painting the cinder blocks scarlet and gray is like putting lipstick on a pig here. The basement seems to be where most of the classrooms are, and it’s rather maze-y:
Heading up to the second floor, I was equally jarred by this transition of interior design. The Modernist character of the original interior yields to this harsh contemporary look:
This is the headquarters of the Graduate School, where all of OSU’s graduate programs are managed. It was oddly empty.
The third floor, which is more of the same, has faculty offices and the headquarters of the Department of Philosophy. Apparently, the roof hides a fourth story, which houses more offices and the Department of African and African-American Studies.
I think the cherry on this turd cake, which I saved for last, was University Hall’s museum. A lot of OSU websites hyped it up, and apparently it held all sorts of cool artifacts related to the university’s early history and from the original building. I searched the ground floor, couldn’t find it anywhere, looked up online where it was, and the room number it was supposed to be in simply didn’t exist. My guess is that this recently vacated space must be where the stupid thing used to be, given its size and the track lights.
What a f@#$ing letdown. University Hall isn’t scheduled for any renovation now or in the future, but if I had my way, I’d bring the original interior back in the manner of Thompson Library.
Sources:
https://kb.osu.edu/handle/1811/24059
https://kb.osu.edu/handle/1811/37314
https://library.osu.edu/site/buckeyestroll/
https://library.osu.edu/site/archives/university-archives/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Snyder
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Hall_(Ohio_State_University)
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71988481
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/unfinished-horse-drawing-flaming-horse-rating
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