herr2ck: Dorm to Classroom

Photos from February 2024.

Oxley Hall is unique in that it is the only academic building on campus that was fully converted from a dormitory. (Archer House was built as a dorm but served as an office building for decades, however it is a dorm again today, and Lincoln Tower is only half offices.) It was also the first women’s dormitory on campus. I really enjoy the history and design of this one, so let’s dive in:

History

Oxley Hall is located on south campus. It lies north of Mack Hall, south of 12th Avenue and Pomerene Hall, east of Jennings Hall, and west of Kennedy Commons. It was the first dorm intended for exclusively women at Ohio State, and also the first building in the now-packed south campus dorm group.

Oxley Hall in 1910. (University Archives)

Interestingly, Oxley Hall was also largely designed by a woman--Florence Kenyon Hayden (the first licensed female architect in Ohio). She attended Ohio State from 1901-1903 and studied under university architect Joseph N. Bradford, who recommended her hiring. While she did earn the main commission, the Board of Trustees still did not trust a female architect working on her own, so architect Wilbur T. Mills was hired to assist her. The two could not get along, and at one point Hayden locked Mills out of her office out of frustration. In the end, the existing structure was largely Hayden’s Jacobethan Revival design, though both were equally credited. Her plans were approved in 1907 after just 27 days, and construction work began, done by E. K. Hibbs. Oxley Hall was finished and ready for occupation by September 21, 1908, when students moved in. It was originally conceived as a building that would house other facilities; however, these were deferred to Pomerene Hall.

A campus map c. 1911. (University Archives)

Campus maps also show that Oxley Hall was planned to be part of a larger complex of dorms with related massing and likely in the same style. Ultimately, none of these were ever built, though Mack Hall occupies a similar footprint as the one south of Oxley Hall.

Oxley Hall as seen in 1916. (CML)

Oxley Hall is pretty architecturally unique compared to most other buildings on campus. It was built in the "English Renaissance" (Jacobethan Revival) style, similar to Hale and Jennings Hall. The materiality is outside the norm as well--a wood frame clad in brick, with limestone accents and a Spanish tile roof. I especially like the picturesque and eclectic massing seen in the turret and various roof peaks.

An ivy-covered Oxley Hall. (CML)

Oxley Hall was named after university president William Oxley Thompson’s mother, whose maiden name was where he got his middle name. Unlike other buildings on campus named by Board of Trustees action, the first residents held a vote, and the Board accepted their proposal.

A postcard of Oxley Hall from 1913. (CML)

Shortly after opening, a sunroom addition was added by F. M. Howard in 1911, and it was ready in time for a dance held on November 3, 1911. This room stands today on the southeast side of the building. It mirrored an existing portion of the building on the northeast side, which was likely demolished in the 1949-1953 renovation.

Beyond this first addition, Oxley Hall has been renovated many times. It was first closed for a remodel in winter 1949, and reopened in January 1953. This likely stripped the building of much of its original interior character, knowing Modernist-era fashion.

Oxley Hall in 1961, shortly before residence hall use ceased. (Buckeye Stroll)

In 1966, it was decided that Oxley Hall was no longer suitable to be used as a dormitory due to rising upkeep costs, and it was leased to the University Resource Foundation after Board of Trustees approval that December. This remained the building’s use until 1989, when another renovation was approved by the Board of Trustees. It was made ADA compliant, added new windows and doors, and interior details were changed, such as painting and new floor coverings. This remodeling attempted to return the building to its original appearance, yet add modern features. This renovation was executed by Gunton Corp. After it concluded in 1991, Oxley Hall was occupied by the Department of International Affairs, which moved to the Enarson Classroom Building in 2018. It now houses the Department of Linguistics.

Oxley Hall was most recently renovated by Acock Associates in 2017. The Department of Linguistics wanted new soundproof rooms, so the interior was presumably gutted and redone in a contemporary style. The masonry and tile roof were restored.

Female Students at Early OSU

Oxley Hall residents, 1931. (University Archives)

Life was difficult for female students at the fledgling Ohio State University, even after the construction of Oxley Hall. Before it was built, women had to live at home or in local boarding houses. Oxley Hall’s existence did not make their situation much easier, as it only housed 60 of the 600 female students at the time. Although a female dorm was suggested as early as 1875, the reason for the lack of female residence halls on campus was financial, as the university heavily relied on state funding (which was not a lot of money). To compare, Xichigan received $274,000 from its state legislature in the year of 1881, while the University of Wisconsin earned $92,736. Ohio State received a paltry $21,950. Additionally, the first university presidents focused on other priorities. Only by the tenure of the fourth president, James Canfield, did Ohio State attempt to begin construction of dorms for women.

A common room in Oxley Hall c. 1948. (University Archives)

Living in Oxley Hall was much different than a dorm today. A single room cost $1.75/week in room and board, while doubles were cheaper at $1.50. This also covered housekeepers who cleaned the building and cooked for the women. Quiet hours Monday through Thursday were from 7:30 PM to 6:30 AM, and all residents were under curfew. On Sundays, the residents could use the phones from 12-3:00 PM and 5-10:00 PM. Men were not allowed beyond the first floor foyers and could only visit on Saturdays, while family could only visit on Sundays.

Women in Oxley Hall, 1953. (University Archives)

Aside from early women’s dormitories like Oxley Hall, female students had a few other options. They could live in their sorority’s house, which had similar rules like curfews and a housemother, meaning they were generally popular with parents. Campus organizations sometimes had off-campus houses that women could live in, too. Beyond these two, students had to search off-campus. Some rented rooms in private homes, while others worked for a family in exchange for a room in the house. In 1912 the first Dean of Women was appointed, and the university began to publish a list of acceptable boarding houses. These were required to pass an inspection, have sanitary conditions, and be female-only.

A group of women in Oxley Hall in the 1950s. (University Archives)

Oxley Hall became a source of pride for female students at Ohio State, and it became a place where they could spend time together. It was the meeting place of the Women’s Council, which organized the renovation of the “Gab Room” (each resident was asked to pay 25c for that purpose), as well as social events like a co-ed prom and get-togethers for commuters and new students.

Like other old dorms on campus, Oxley Hall is supposedly haunted--this time by a female resident from the 1930s or 40s. Apparently doors spontaneously unlock and lights turn on and off by themselves, which has continued through its new use by the Department of Linguistics.

Photos

I know Oxley Hall would probably be considered a bad work of architecture by my architecture professors, largely because of the odd front facade and because it isn’t Neo-Futurist, but I think it’s one of the better works of campus architecture.

To me, this kind of massing lends itself well to dorm architecture. It provides different views from each room and breaks the monotony of what would otherwise be a flat facade. I like eclectic architecture in general, and Oxley Hall sticks out in a pleasant way.

Here, you can see the materiality is largely red-orange brick, with stone courses and a clay tile roof.

Zooming into the entrance, the irregular brick bond becomes apparent.

I enjoy small opportunities for three-dimensionality like this, and it again breaks the typical monotony. Here, heavy stone corbels support a pedimented porch above the doors.

The crenellated tower is just gorgeous:

Here, you can see the various cross gables and peaks of the roofline:

Here’s a better look at the brick detail work.

The basement windows have a drop mold, and the little courses above the first and second floor windows incorporate curved bricks on the bottom.

On the north side, the eclectic massing continues:

However, it is very regular out back. I would have gone into the courtyard, but there was an ominous warning sign on the doors saying I would be locked out if they shut behind me.

Honestly, I was really let down by the inside of Oxley Hall, and if I wasn’t familiar with the history I would have no idea that it used to be a dorm. To be fair, it hasn’t been for almost 60 years now, which is half the building’s lifespan. Still, I think Acock could have done a better job renovating/preserving the building and not painting everything gray.

I entered through the basement, and this was my view. Aren’t architecture firms supposed to know that painting brick is bad for it? The half-dropped ceiling is tacky, too. This is the more systems-oriented part of the basement:

It’s giving apartment complex in the Short North I can’t afford.

I could tell there was original wood under the carpet, as the floors squeaked while I walked. I know one of the renovations supposedly added new doors, but the existing ones are five-panel and have antique-looking hardware if I recall correctly, so I’m not sure if that’s true.

The third floor was oddly very dark (the photos don’t show it since my phone automatically adjusted):

I couldn’t find my way into any of the odd spaces, like the tower or bay windows, since the only area I could really access was the central hallway. This was the best I could do for the tower: