Photos from November 2024.
Campbell Hall was actively under renovation while I attended Ohio State, one of a few such cases. Although I will have to postpone my normal coverage until it is completed, this will be an extra special article, as I did a site visit into the construction site for my Materials and Envelopes class. I still wish I was able to see it in its pre-renovation state, just for comparison’s sake. Campbell Hall is located on south campus, bordered by Lazenby Hall and the Psychology Building to the north, Jennings Hall to the south, Mirror Lake to the east, and Neil Avenue Garage to the west.
History
The Home Economics Building viewed from across Mirror Lake in 1917. (Buckeye Stroll)
Campbell Hall was designed by university architect Joseph N. Bradford in 1915. The building has brick bearing walls, with Neoclassical ornament and details. This is the first time I have proven that John Herrick was wrong--in his write-up, he claims it has a reinforced concrete frame. However, my professor is an architect involved with the construction, and he claimed that it has brick bearing walls. Upon my visit, my professor was correct, as you will see in my photos. The only concrete portion of the original building is the floor plates.
Campbell Hall was built starting September 1915 and was fully completed and approved by the Board of Trustees in January 1917, though the building began use in December 1916. Campbell Hall was constructed to house the growing Home Economics department, which at one point taught half of all female students.
The Home Economics Building’s original footprint.
Campbell Hall in 1926. (University Archives)
Originally, Campbell Hall was known as the “Home Economics Building” for a few years after its construction. In August 1921, the Board of Trustees named the building after Elizabeth Owens Campbell, the wife of Ohio governor James F. Campbell.
Campbell Hall in 1954. (Buckeye Stroll)
In 1961, university architect W. E. Linch planned an addition, which extends outward from the south wing of the existing building. As was typical for his designs, the new structure was designed in a clashing Mid-Century Modern style, and it does not harmonize with the existing building. It was built starting June 1961 by Sheaf Construction Co. and was completed on September 19 of that year. After the addition, the building came to 58,212 net assignable square feet.
Campbell Hall’s footprint after W. E. Linch’s addition.
The addition under construction in 1961. (Buckeye Stroll)
Another addition has since been constructed, as the current roof plan of Campbell Hall differs from John Herrick’s diagrams. It was probably built after 1986, as John Herrick’s document does not mention another addition, and his last addendum was that June. Given the Postmodern appearance and faithful imitation of original masonry and proportions, I believe it was built between 1986-2000. My professor mentioned in lecture that it was built in 1993 and has a steel frame. I could not find any photos of this addition beyond my own.
Campbell Hall’s current footprint.
W. E. Linch’s addition, with Jennings Hall in the background. (University Archives)
Before 2023, Campbell Hall was the home of many programs belonging to the Department of Human Sciences, including Fashion and Retail Studies, Family Financial Services, Hospitality Management, Human Development and Family Science, and Human Nutrition. The Historic Costume and Textiles Collection was also housed there. As the building is currently empty, Evans Lab houses the displaced faculty.
Campbell Hall is currently being renovated to update classroom spaces and replace aging infrastructure like the roof and windows. The design process took place between 2021-2023, Schooley Caldwell being the commissioned architect. Construction began July 2023, being executed by CK Construction, and is expected to finish by spring 2026. While I am glad that most of the building is being preserved, and later renovations are actually being reverted such as restoring crown molding that was covered by a drop ceiling, I wish they would keep the windows and other original details.
A view of Campbell Hall’s interior during its renovation, showing the previously hidden crown molding. (OSU Building the Future)
The main feature of the project seems to be a three-story atrium in the lobby, which will serve as a community space and bring natural light in. Additionally, the auditorium will be renovated, and accessibility will be improved.
Photos
I know these pictures aren’t the greatest example of my photography skills, but I was wearing a hard hat, so I had to “hip-fire” a lot of these using only the screen and not the viewfinder like a normal person. The lighting was often poor as well.
Before entering the building, we gathered on the west side. The place is pretty messy-looking:
The 1993 addition is on the left, while the 1961 portion is on the right. We entered where the loading dock was, which was at the border between the Postmodern addition and the original building.
Photo of the loading dock in August 2024. The glass curtain wall above was already removed by that time.
Inside, the area had been chopped out to accommodate the new three-story atrium. Note the long beam above -- apparently this was necessary after the steel frame was altered.
One of the two “light courts” of the building:
This was the first sight upon entering the building. I began to lag behind a bit as everyone followed the worker conducting the tour ahead, which established I’d be “bringing up the rear to get my photos” and let me get better shots without people in the way.
We stopped in this room to discuss the plans for the area.
The space was originally a classroom, but it is being subdivided into faculty offices. Note the lines on the floor -- these measure out where the steel studs will go for their walls. Additionally, the original central doorway is now bricked up, and another entrance has been added to the western corner.
The CMU lintel is necessary to stabilize the walls surrounding it. Look at these bearing walls--four courses thick!
The hallways have all sorts of fun electrical junk, and many different eras of paint are visible:
This area is part of the basement underneath the central stairs. Note the massive exposed brick walls.
Original light fixture:
This crown molding is really pretty, and I’m glad it is being preserved.
Another empty classroom awaiting its subdivision:
A lot of the original wood doors also remain intact. I’m hoping this means they’ll be preserved as part of the renovation.
The stairwell:
Note the studs at the top here--code today dictates that stairs must have doors enclosing them.
This lovely original wood paneling would have been your first sight upon entering Campbell Hall from its main entrance. I believe the worker or my professor said explicitly that this is being preserved.
This is the fancy central room on the top floor, where the largest windows are:
Another similar room to the ground floor here, but the studs are actually in place:
Here’s a rare look at something I probably wasn’t supposed to be taking pictures of--a floor plan of the third floor, albeit focused on the electrical work. Now I know where all the security cameras will be on the third floor of Campbell Hall.
At this point, we had reached the top of the atrium:
We then entered the 1961 addition, which was more stripped down and largely unremarkable. This was towards the end of the tour, and our time there was more brief. Here’s some more framing in that area and the southwest stairwell:
Hole in the floor:
We exited the building and went to the front for some more info. I learned that these masonry panels are original, and they were later obscured by the more elaborate metal ones:
I think everyone else in the class was bored by this, but I found it really interesting, as it was my first time inside a construction site. Stay tuned for the next article(s) on Campbell Hall--apparently we are visiting the site again in the spring to study the systems being put in, and I will conclude the series with photos of the completed building.
Sources:
https://kb.osu.edu/handle/1811/24059
https://library.osu.edu/site/buckeyestroll/
https://kb.osu.edu/handle/1811/37314
https://buildingthefuture.osu.edu/campbellhall
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