Johnson, SusanWelch, DustinBlaser, Andrea2023-09-062023-09-062006https://hdl.handle.net/1794/288076 pagesIn Oregon during the 1850’s all higher education was centered in district schools that had religious affiliations. In 1872 citizens of Eugene raised $50,000 and formed the Union University Association. This group successfully lobbied in the State Legislature for the establishment of a state university in Eugene. On December 26th 1872 the association accepted a donation of 10 acres of land from J.W.D. Henderson thereby sighting the location of the University. “The “State University Building” as it was referred to in the beginning was to be larger and grander than any other in Eugene. As the first building on the University campus, Deady was designed by one of Oregon’s first two architects, William W. Piper. Piper had no formal professional training, and Deady would be his last project. He never collected all his fees from the University, and sadly, financial difficulties forced Piper to sell his firm and he ended his life shortly after (jumping from a train in Wyoming). Despite Piper’s lack of formal training this Second Empire style building displays skillful massing that emphasizes Deady’s vertical scale. Keystones and windowsills are made of cast iron. Originally the building’s brickwork was unpainted until 1891, when a layer of gray sanded paint was applied. The original wood floors were two feet thick and filled with earth to deaden sound and provide a source of radiant heat after the wood stoves cooled down. At the basement level Deady’s brick walls are nearly 3 feet thick to carry this heavy structural load. Rough-hewn timbers (3” by 10”) are spaced one foot apart throughout the walls and 16-inch square beams are capable of supporting a considerable amount of weight. On October 16, 1876 the University opened with a partially completed building. In 1877 classrooms were completed on the second floor and an assembly hall capable of seating 600 persons was located on the third floor. In 1885 a cornerstone ceremony took place and a small time capsule was placed under the stone in the northeast corner of the building. Federal Judge Deady was one person in particular who supported the creation of a state funded university system, and Deady Hall was named after him in 1893. But today, Deady’s exterior is all that remains of the original building. The eight chimneys are a remnant of the wood stoves that used to heat the building, and Deady Hall has housed practically every activity of the University at one time or another, including a School of Mines, a gym, a YMCA and an astronomical observatory in one tower. As early as 1914 because of the limited number of University buildings and a growing student population the interior was completely remodeled by William C. Knighton.enCreative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-UScultural resources surveyarchitecturehistoryOther