herr2ck: A Safe Space

September 2025.

Hale Hall, in my opinion, is one of the coolest buildings on campus. It retains much of its original historic character and I consider it one of the most aesthetically pleasing works of architecture standing today on OSU’s campus. It was built as the first student union, having quite an interesting history and numerous additions. Hale Hall is located on south campus, bordered by the South Oval to the north and east, the green space that used to be Bradford Commons to the south, and Kuhn House to the west.

Hale Hall is the most recent name for this building, and it is not the only building known as Hale Hall. In the past, it was known as the Ohio Union, and when the then-new union on High Street opened in 1951, it became the “Old Ohio Union.” In John Herrick’s time it was called the “Student Services Building” after its program. In 1986, its name was changed to Enarson Hall, named after university president Harold Enarson. Finally, in 2013, the building was rededicated as Hale Hall after the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center moved in. Hale Hall was also an alternate name for Bradford Commons, an old dining hall across 12th Avenue that previously housed the Hale Center. That building was demolished in 2013.

There is no shortage of old photos of Hale Hall, so enjoy the many I was able to find. I just wish other campus buildings were publicly documented so heavily.

History

The Ohio Union after construction in 1911. (University Archives)

Hale Hall was designed in 1908 by George S. Mills, an English architect who lived in Toledo, in the Jacobethan Revival style. Construction began in 1909, when its cornerstone was laid. It was built by George A. Abernathy and was mainly completed in 1910, though a few things like lighting delayed its full opening until 1911.

The lower left projection was originally an exterior staircase that led to the basement. It was enclosed as architect's project number 1914, which dates it to after the third addition (built in 1918 as project number 1816). However, for simplicity I’ll treat it as part of the original building.

The Ohio Union’s original footprint, assuming that the staircase annex was original.

The Ohio Union in 1918. Note the ornament above the east entrance, since removed. (University Archives)

Hale Hall has been extensively altered during its lifetime. A total of eight additions were built since its construction, not counting the addition to enclose the stairs, from 1912 to 1985.

The Ohio Union in 1919 during a “football scoreboard party”. (University Archives)

The first addition was built in 1914, designed by university architect Joseph N. Bradford. It was a tiny icebox that was attached to the basement kitchen. The project also included minor kitchen remodeling. I couldn’t find any pictures of it, and it was presumably demolished following a later addition.

The Ohio Union’s footprint after its first addition.

The Ohio Union in 1911, looking northwest. (University Archives)

The second addition was likewise designed by Joseph N. Bradford in 1917. It extended the dining room in the building out further on the basement level and expanded the refrigeration and storage rooms. E. H. Latham completed this second addition from November 7-17, 1917.

The Ohio Union’s footprint as of 1917.

Ohio Union, 1911, prior to later dining room expansion. (University Archives)

The third addition was again designed by Bradford. This addition added a temporary kitchen to the north for the School of Military Aeronautics, also known as “Osborn Hall.” Work was completed in February 1918 and the old kitchen became a serving room. Oddly, the School of Military Aeronautics was dissolved that September by the Board of Trustees. The temporary frame kitchen was removed in 1921 and replaced with a permanent brick structure, which was the fourth addition. John Herrick noted that “[o]nly sketchy records of this project have been found,” only stating for certain that Joseph N. Bradford worked on the plans between March and May 1921, and that the new kitchen was finished between May and September of that year. It did not occupy the same footprint, instead being added to the west face of the building.

The Ohio Union’s footprint with its wartime kitchen.

The Ohio Union after Bradford’s fourth addition.

The Ohio Union in 1918, showing the expanded dining and storage rooms as well as the temporary wartime kitchen. (Buckeye Stroll)

After a 20-year hiatus, the fifth addition was designed in 1937 by university architect Howard Dwight Smith. This addition extended the first-floor parlor to sit in line with the expanded dining room. Work began March 5, 1938, by Skilken Brothers, Inc., and finished June 24, 1938.

The Ohio Union’s footprint as it appeared in 1938.

Only two years later, he designed another addition, which added a passageway along the side of the building that connected to the new kitchen. It also included two-story structures that filled voids in the L-space made by that kitchen. I can’t find any photos of this addition and it has since been demolished.

The Ohio Union’s footprint after Smith’s sixth addition.

The Ohio Union, looking southeast, prior to 1914. (University Archives)

The seventh addition was also designed by Howard Dwight Smith in 1952, and added additional structures over the basement kitchen. Work was completed in 1953 by Geis Construction Co.

The Student Services Building’s footprint in 1952, as it appeared a year after the opening of the new Ohio Union.

The Ohio Union in 1948, in its final few years of service. (Buckeye Stroll)

After Smith’s final addition, the building stagnated. The then-new Ohio Union on High Street had just opened a year prior in 1951. Hale Hall was remodeled into offices in 1953, which housed student services like Student Health Services and Student Financial Aid.

The Student Services Building in 1960. These next two photos appear to be mirrored and depict the later additions to the west side. (University Archives)

Over time, these services gradually moved out. Student Health Services moved to the Wilce Student Health Center in 1969, and others relocated to Lincoln Tower after the first 14 floors were converted to offices. When Hayes Hall was reconstructed, Hale Hall temporarily housed the Division of Art.

Between 1952 and 1969, the building fell into disrepair, and the university planned to demolish it as maintenance costs were high. These plans were thwarted by alumnus George Siekkinen and student George Kane, who submitted a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. It was listed on the NHRP after much effort in 1979, despite the university’s objection, as they considered the subsequent additions to detract from the historical significance and noted the lack of original details. Hey, weren’t they the ones who designed the additions and removed the historic character?

The Student Services Building and additions, 1960. (University Archives)

In 1985, Hale Hall received an extensive restoration of its exterior. It was renamed to “Enarson Hall” a year later, after university president Harold Enarson. An eighth addition was planned, which is the current structure that stands to the west of the building. Designed by Coke Harpham, it was built by Gutknecht Construction Co. in 1987. While this addition took place, the interior was also renovated to house the University College.

Enarson Hall after its eighth addition in 1987, bringing the building to its current footprint.

The final addition in 1988. (University Archives)

In 2013, the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center moved into then-Enarson Hall, and the building received its current name of “Hale Hall.” Hale was the Vice Provost of Minority Affairs and worked to increase minority enrollment at Ohio State during his 18-year tenure. The cultural center was established by university president Edward Jennings in 1989, seeking to both serve as a space for Black students while informing the world at large of their contributions to art and culture.

The Ohio Union was only the fourth student union ever built and the first at a public university. When it was built, it had a barbershop, pool tables, a bowling alley, a dining room and kitchen, study spaces, and a trophy hall. I wish the union now had a bowling alley.

Interior of the Ohio Union in 1931. (Buckeye Stroll)

Photos

Enough history (this building certainly has a lot), let’s get to what it looks like now. Hale Hall is one of the few buildings on campus I could capture in pure 50mm beauty--this shot is from a few years ago:

A more oblique view looking northwest:

The main entrance:

The usage of stone for the pedimented entrance and surrounding ornament visually sets it apart from the red brick and ennobles it. Its central placement is also a common historic move.

One of the projecting wings of the original “I”:

Another view:

Window detail--I like the stone mullions:

There’s also a tablet in the masonry dedicating the building:

I’m agnostic as to what the purpose/history of the white “IVY 1910” block is for. There are others across the building, too. I thought they would be from donors or honor a class that donated money for Hale Hall’s construction, but they seem original to the building and it was already mostly finished by 1910.

Hale Hall is one of the few places to have an Ohio Historical Marker on campus:

Angled view of the east facade (it was tough to shoot straight-on because of nearby trees):

This simple trabeated area is in the Roman Doric order, due to the pedestals and astragals, but the frieze seems more Tuscan:

Looking up at the peaked roofline:

I like the brickwork ribs that extend from the parapet downward. Also note the stone cornice coursing its way across the facade and bay window.

Also outside the east facade are these recently installed obelisks, which honor AKA and AΦA, two historically Black Greek organizations. I apparently missed AKA’s, sadly, but you can see it a couple photos back.

The dining room has unique ornament and a copper roof, which are a departure from the simpler, classically inspired bulk of the original building:

This area seems to be more Tudor-inspired in its expression, which I believe was carried over to the subsequent, since-demolished additions.

The north facade:

Note the new plaza out back, which was likewise recently dedicated and honors the National Pan-Hellenic Council’s “Divine Nine” historically Black fraternities and sororities.

I like these little gables on the dining room expansion, too.

Looking southeast at the 1980s addition:

I feel like it has the common “decorated shed” parapet that depicts the same chimneys as the original building, but only as a simulacrum. It reminds me of the Brain and Spine Hospital on med campus. This method of expression was being pushed by figures like Robert Venturi during the Postmodern era, however, it’s pretty controversial today.

The connection between the original building and the 1980s addition is rather small, which makes the latter appear as its own separate structure.

Southwest corner/parapet detail:

These last few exterior photos will detail the entrance area. A closer look at the main portal:

Entablature detail:

This area is in a more elaborate Doric order. The engaged columns are fluted, and the entablature has triglyphs and mutules.

The window above features Ionic pilasters and some really fancy carved ornament below the sills.

Parapet above--note the little festoons on the edges:

I had to overexpose the hell out of the stone to get a better look at the nice dark wood inside:

A closer look--these fancy carved pilasters remind me of Hayes Hall’s similar wood entrance:

Last thing…I like these fancy globe lights:

Hale Hall was honestly one of the most depressing campus buildings to visit for me, even with its gorgeous, intact interior. The way the building had been for decades and my first three years on campus was a hub of activity--I would always see students streaming in and out of the building when walking to class from Baker or P-Strad. When I was a freshman, I was even invited to get food with a Black student organization having a cookout on the lawn across from Hale Hall while walking by with some friends, which remains a positive memory for me when thinking about this situation. My point is that the presence of the Hale Center made the eponymous hall a very bustling building until recently, and that the student and university organizations associated with it were full of great people.

Meanwhile, when I walked into Hale Hall and explored for about 15 minutes, I saw exactly three people. Bear in mind that this was a day where classes were being held, so this few people was very unusual. I also read somewhere that Hale Hall was the only building on campus where visiting students would be welcomed upon entering. The desks for these greeters were evidently still in place, but their seats were empty:

It’s abundantly clear to me why Hale Hall was empty--the programs that made it so popular until now were axed as Ohio State bent the knee to our fascist presidential administration. The university organizations that attempted to make OSU a more equitable place for our Black and other minority students mostly no longer exist, all in the name of the racist dogwhistle of “DEI.” (I know DEI is a real and positive term, but right-wing groups use it as a pejorative to describe anything race-related they dislike.)

I simply cannot wrap my head around why these decisions are being made, aside from good ol’ racism. I hate that we are going backwards, that this is part of the larger attack on intellectualism and education, and that we are sweeping the shameful parts of American history under the rug. The marginalization of Black people in America goes back centuries, and it is shameful that the organizations attempting to counter those societal effects today are under attack.

The basement has some off-limits university offices:

This built-in mirrors the decoration on the front door:

I just can’t get enough of these stairs. They are beautifully intact:

The newel posts are carved with a very fine filigree:

Second floor landing and windows:

These doors are really great, too:

The third floor:

This was where the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s headquarters were before that office was shut down. Closing a campus organization known for its efforts to improve diversity and inclusion is genuinely insane work. It is ridiculous to me that a nation founded as a melting pot of cultures (Schoolhouse Rock, anyone?) is now spurning the very thing that made it great in the first place, all because a bunch of racist white people can’t acknowledge the fact that minority and immigrant labor is keeping the economy going. We are removing the systems intended to make college education more equitable for those who are disadvantaged because of their race.

I also like these benches by the bay windows here: