Henry Hardin Cherry Hall
Encyclopedia
Henry Hardin Cherry Hall is a building located on the campus of Western Kentucky University
in Bowling Green, Kentucky
. Built with funds appropriated under the New Deal
, the building was completed in 1937. It is named for Henry Hardin Cherry, who founded the Bowling Green Normal School, the forerunner of the modern university. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
of Henry Hardin Cherry Hall (or Cherry Hall for short) was formulated by Louisville
architect
Brinton B. Davis
. Nicknamed "the hill builder,"
Davis had designed a majority of the buildings at what became Western Kentucky University prior to that time. His plan was to use funds appropriated through the Public Works Administration
to make improvements to the campus and expand classroom space.
The crown jewel of the university, Cherry Hall was completed in 1937. Located at the intersection of College and 15th Streets, the building contained space for fifty classrooms, sixteen laboratories and sixty offices. At the time of its construction, Cherry also housed the campus bookstore and post office. The building contains three floors, as well as a basement which provides extra office and classroom space.
The hall was named after Dr. Cherry, who died shortly after the completion of the building.
Cherry Hall currently serves as the locations of the Departments of English
, History
, Religion
, Philosophy
and University Experience. It also provides the headquarters of the WKU Forensics Team, a prominent club that has won numerous national competitions.
In April 2006, the lower floors of Cherry Hall were damaged by a fire, which was determined to be arson
. The damage to the hall was repaired and classes resumed in the facility the next semester.
Four teenagers were arrested for the crime the following June.
of the school. The 25 chimes in the belltower cupola
play once every fifteen minutes, to signal the time in order to aid students in keeping up with classtimes. At the top of every hour, the chimes play a longer tune to signal the new hour.
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
in Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
. Built with funds appropriated under the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
, the building was completed in 1937. It is named for Henry Hardin Cherry, who founded the Bowling Green Normal School, the forerunner of the modern university. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
History
The idea for the constructionConstruction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
of Henry Hardin Cherry Hall (or Cherry Hall for short) was formulated by Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Brinton B. Davis
Brinton B. Davis
Brinton B. Davis was an architect in Kentucky. More than a dozen of his works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some of his works were covered in a study, "Buildings on the Western Kentucky University campus TR"....
. Nicknamed "the hill builder,"
Davis had designed a majority of the buildings at what became Western Kentucky University prior to that time. His plan was to use funds appropriated through the Public Works Administration
Public Works Administration
The Public Works Administration , part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression...
to make improvements to the campus and expand classroom space.
The crown jewel of the university, Cherry Hall was completed in 1937. Located at the intersection of College and 15th Streets, the building contained space for fifty classrooms, sixteen laboratories and sixty offices. At the time of its construction, Cherry also housed the campus bookstore and post office. The building contains three floors, as well as a basement which provides extra office and classroom space.
The hall was named after Dr. Cherry, who died shortly after the completion of the building.
Modern Usage
As the University expanded over the years, the usage of Cherry Hall was modified. Over time, the post office and bookstore moved to different buildings on campus, while the construction of the Kelly Thompson Complex for Science facilitated the removal of the laboratory space from Cherry Hall. The former laboratories were subsequently converted into more classroom space.Cherry Hall currently serves as the locations of the Departments of English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and University Experience. It also provides the headquarters of the WKU Forensics Team, a prominent club that has won numerous national competitions.
In April 2006, the lower floors of Cherry Hall were damaged by a fire, which was determined to be arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
. The damage to the hall was repaired and classes resumed in the facility the next semester.
Four teenagers were arrested for the crime the following June.
Symbolism
Cherry Hall provides a good deal of the symbolism associated with Western Kentucky University. The belltower atop the hall is part of the current logoLogo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
of the school. The 25 chimes in the belltower cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
play once every fifteen minutes, to signal the time in order to aid students in keeping up with classtimes. At the top of every hour, the chimes play a longer tune to signal the new hour.