Main Hall (Lawrence University)
Encyclopedia
Main Hall is an academic building on the campus of Lawrence University
in Appleton
, Wisconsin
. Constructed in 1853, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1974.
Main Hall was the second building on the Lawrence campus, after the long-demolished Lawrence Institute building erected in 1848. Funding for the building came from the sale of $100 "perpetual scholarships" to Lawrence College. It is constructed of stone from local limestone quarries, with a dome made from wood and hand-hewed beams from local sawmills. When it was first built, Main Hall housed a library, chapel, classrooms, housing for men, and offices for faculty and administration. Local legend holds that it was a stop on the underground railroad
during before the American Civil War
.
The building was known in the early twentieth century as "Recitation Hall." It was remodeled in 1938, 1941, the 1970s, and 1999. A sundial from Milwaukee-Downer College
was added to the back of the building after that institution merged with Lawrence in 1964. As of 2010, it held classrooms and offices for classics, languages, philosophy, and religious studies departments, as well as a student commons and a faculty lounge.
Lawrence University
Lawrence University is a selective, private liberal arts college with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, in Appleton, Wisconsin. Lawrence University is known for its rigorous academic environment. Founded in 1847, the first classes were held on November 12, 1849...
in Appleton
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Constructed in 1853, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1974.
Main Hall was the second building on the Lawrence campus, after the long-demolished Lawrence Institute building erected in 1848. Funding for the building came from the sale of $100 "perpetual scholarships" to Lawrence College. It is constructed of stone from local limestone quarries, with a dome made from wood and hand-hewed beams from local sawmills. When it was first built, Main Hall housed a library, chapel, classrooms, housing for men, and offices for faculty and administration. Local legend holds that it was a stop on the underground railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
during before the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
The building was known in the early twentieth century as "Recitation Hall." It was remodeled in 1938, 1941, the 1970s, and 1999. A sundial from Milwaukee-Downer College
Milwaukee-Downer College
Milwaukee-Downer College was a women's college, later a normal school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.-History:...
was added to the back of the building after that institution merged with Lawrence in 1964. As of 2010, it held classrooms and offices for classics, languages, philosophy, and religious studies departments, as well as a student commons and a faculty lounge.