Campus Planning, Historic Preservation

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Cover Sheet for Grouped Resources : Agate Group
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Welch, Dustin; Blaser, Andrea
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Cover Sheet for Grouped Resources : Allen Hall
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Welch, Dustin; Blaser, Andrea
Open Access
Cover Sheet for Grouped Resources : Cascade Annex
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Mertz, Kathleen; Mendoca, Elise
Open Access
Cover Sheet for Grouped Resources : Education Complex
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Lingo, Shawn; Mauro, Jeremy
Open Access
Cover Sheet for Grouped Resources : Straub/Earl
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Burk, Kathryn; Stoller, Melissa; Mertz, Kathleen; Mendoca, Elise
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Agate Hall
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Welch, Dustin; Blaser, Andrea
Agate Hall was designed in the California Mission style by architect F. Mason White and was constructed in 1924. It has a rectangular plan and 2 stories with a concrete foundation. The exterior wall surface is stucco, and it has a hipped roof with composite shingles, although the original building had metal roof tiles. The building has primarily aluminum louvered windows, and has an entry block with decoration in the form of engaged columns, arched windows, and a parapet. Agate Hall was originally Theodore Roosevelt Junior High School and then became Condon Elementary School in 1950. Condon Elementary was closed by the Eugene School District in 1983 due to low enrollment. The university acquired the property in 1984 and named it Agate Hall. The south entry is marked for “Boys” and the north for “Girls”. Originally matching “play sheds,” one for girls and one for boys, were located along the east façade and separated by the auditorium and boiler room. At some point after 1925 the boys play shed was removed and a sawdust storage area was built next to the boiler room. The interior has a relatively intact auditorium with a stage, cove ceilings, six skylights and a wrap around balcony. The auditorium is used for community and University functions. The tall furnace chimney has been decommissioned and has become locally famous due to a large population of Vaux’s Swifts that roost inside the stack during their annual summer migration. It has been used for numerous offices over the years, and now houses the Alumni Association, the UO Foundation, and the Oregon Bach Festival.
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Agate House
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Welch, Dustin; Blaser, Andrea
Agate House is a Craftsman bungalow that was acquired by the Eugene School District and moved adjacent to Agate Hall, which was known as Theodore Roosevelt Junior High School until 1950 and then Condon Elementary School until 1983. After the move, the house was used as classrooms. It has a rectangular plan, with 2 stories and a concrete foundation. The primary exterior material is clapboard siding, and the roof is of a gable configuration with composite shingles. The windows are primarily 4/1 double hung sash made of wood, and decorative features include an exposed eave, rafter tails, and verge boards. Not much is known about this resource other than it was moved to be utilized as classrooms and was acquired by the University at the same time they purchased Condon Elementary in 1984. The house is listed as a dwelling with an address of 1803 Agate Street in a 1925 Sanborn Map. While it is an example of a typical Craftsman bungalow, it is not exemplary of the style and is not eligible for the National Register as an individual resource. With its fair integrity and very low significance, it is ranked it as a noncontributing resource.
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Allen Hall
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Welch, Dustin; Blaser, Andrea
Allen Hall was constructed in 1953 by Church, Newberry and Roehr Architects. The contractor was J. G. Watts Construction Company. The building is of the Modern Style with a rectangular plan, three stories and a concrete foundation. While the walls are made of concrete, they have a brick and limestone veneer, with limestone being the primary surface material on the West façade. Vinyl is used on the flat roof, and the primary windows are steel sash. Decorative features include nine raised limestone plaques that represent old printers marks. The landscape includes a sunken patio on the Old Campus Quad that is situated to the West. The old Journalism Building is attached to the East. Allen Hall originally was designed to accommodate every aspect of the mass communications field and the entire first floor housed the University Press, with its letterpress, offset and bindery equipment.1 The University of Oregon’s journalism program was the first comprehensive curriculum of its kind in the field, and the Department of Journalism that was established in 1912 was one of the first in the country. In addition, the seminar room was designed to be a replica of Dean Eric Allen’s living room. Dean Allen, who joined the Journalism faculty in 1916 and served as its head for 28 years, died in 1944, (Sandahl). During Allen Hall’s construction, the Journalism Building was completely remodeled as the East wing of Allen Hall.2 In 1999, Boucher, Mouchka, and Larson designed the South Lobby that connects Allen Hall with the Journalism Building and created a new main entrance where the loading dock once was. Cameron, McCarthy, Gilbert and Scheibe designed the 1999 Ted M. Natt first Amendment Entry Plaza.
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Bean Complex
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Welch, Dustin; Blaser, Andrea
The Bean Complex was built during an era of rapid growth in student enrollment at the University. It is a dormitory complex that was completed in 1963 in the Modern style amidst a university housing boom by architects Wilmsen, Endicott, and Unthank, and is one of the few buildings constructed as a direct result of the Lawrence Lackey Plan. Lackey was hired by the University of Oregon to prepare a planning report for the future growth of the campus in 1962. A significant amount of growth was targeted in the I.O.O.F. cemetery and land east of Agate Street. The Bean Complex appears in Lackey’s proposed plan in its current location. It has an asymmetrical plan, with 3 stories and a concrete foundation. While the primary exterior wall material is brick, concrete is also used throughout. Bean has a flat roof with elastic sheet roofing, and has aluminum casement windows. The only decoration comes in the form of pre-cast concrete panels with an exposed aggregate finish. The complex is named for Robert Sharp Bean, who was chief justice of the state supreme court and later judge of the federal court of Oregon, a position he held until his death in 1931. He was the first University graduate to serve on the University’s Board of Regents, and was first president of the University of Oregon Alumni Association. Units within complex are named for former faculty: Parsons, Thornton, Caswell, DeBusk, Ganoe and Henderson. Landscape features include courtyards with lawns, concrete paths, numerous rectangular concrete planters and exposed aggregate walls. Large pin oaks appear in each of Bean’s enclosed courtyards along with a mixture of smaller ornamental trees, shrubs and perennials. As an example of late modernist landscape architecture, the design by Maryl S. Lorish may prove to be more historically siginificant than the buildings. Because of misgivings with earlier campus planning strategies, Bean complex, along with numerous other buildings on campuses throughout the country at the time, were designed without any effort to conform to the existing built environment. Today Bean Complex stands at the east end of campus with other similarly-designed dormitories that were also completed in the Modern style, and which stand in contention to the unified styles of the buildings in the center of campus. While the building has very high integrity, it is not eligible for the National Register because it is less than 50 years old and holds no significant distinctions. Due to its very low significance on the campus, it is rated as a non-contributing resource.
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Carson Hall
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Dietzler, Karl
Ellis Lawrence approved the preliminary design for Carson less than one week before his death in February 27, 1946. The original design called for two units (mirroring each other), but only one was constructed due to high construction costs. Bids opened on July 22, 1947, construction began in 1948 and finished in January of 1949. Due to high construction costs, the building was modified from its original design. Newspaper articles touted the to-be-built Women’s Dormitory design as among the most up-to-date on college campuses. Particular emphasis was placed on its fire-resistance due to concrete construction, and the modernity of its all-electric kitchen. D.L Halverson, Director of Residence Halls at the University of Wisconsin was the consultant in planning the first kitchen facilities, which included refrigerators for separate foodstuffs, and even for garbage - - a nod to increased sanitation standards. Additionally, the basement housed a butcher shop and bakery (for the entire campus), and dishwashing facilities, the latter equipped with a conveyor belt to accept dirty dishes from the first floor dining room. Construction was well underway as workers poured concrete for the second floor in November of 1948, as an article published in the Daily Emerald on the 30th noted, “The splendor of the building as revealed in the blueprints seems a far cry from the bare concrete forms which rise across from Emerald hall (sic); but through the rain, cold, and sludgy mud of a late Oregon fall, workers continue to hammer and pour, and the dream gradually nears reality.”
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Cascade Annex West Wing
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Mertz, Kathleen; Mendoca, Elise
This building was designed by Ellis Lawrence in 1925 to house the press operations on campus. It is a simple rectangular poured concrete building with a rough stucco finish and multi-pane metal windows. Per the original drawings, it was intended to have a sawtooth roof with north facing windows but due to cost, it was redesigned as flat with skylights. A small addition in 1926 was the workroom for San Francisco printer John Henry Nash, although the architectural details of this lack documentary evidence. Special equipment was moved into the building for the printing of one book a year under the supervision of Mr. Nash. One of the first books printed was the biography of recently deceased University President Prince Lucien Campbell. The Daily Emerald was printed there as well. The original interior configuration consisted of two large rooms (press room and bindery) with a couple of offices along the west wall. The interior was modified multiple times to accommodate changing uses over the life of the building so that by 1987, the floor plans show all smaller offices and laboratories rather than a large interior space. In 1946 there was a fire and the roof was reconstructed. In this same year, Cascade Annex East was constructed adjacent to it on the east. At the time of construction, its dimensions and massing mirrored Cascade Annex West, although a few feet longer extending to the south. Drawings from 1952 show this length differentiation but later drawings show them the same length. Documentation of the exact date of this change is inconclusive. In 1950, a window of the west facade was converted to an entry door. In 1961, the Onyx Bridge was constructed on top of the building. In 1963, a freezer room and air-conditioned animal room was constructed within the south end of the building to accommodate the science laboratories. The southern 60% of the building was demolished in 1987 to clear the site for Cascade Hall. In 2001, there was extensive remodeling to house the science stores, which included interior demolition of the north offices, infill of the west door and conversion of the central north window into a door with a decorative I-beam awning. Currently, the building sits dwarfed under the Onyx Bridge, connected to Cascade Annex East at the southeastern corner and surrounded by an asphalt parking lot, loading ramp and alley on the north, east and west facades, respectively. This building lacks integrity for listing on the National Register because Onyx Bridge was built on top of the annex, 60% was razed, and interior modifications over time have greatly diminished the existing historic fabric. It has been ranked as a non-contributing resource for its very low significance to the campus and poor integrity.
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Cascade East Annex Wing
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Mertz, Kathleen; Mendoca, Elise
This building was designed by Ellis Lawrence and was one of the last of his buildings to be built in his lifetime. It cost the University of Oregon approximately $50,000 by the time it was completed in May 1946. It closely resembles the adjacent Cascade Annex West. At the time of construction, its dimensions and massing mirrored Cascade Annex West, although a few feet longer extending to the south. Drawings from 1952 show this length differentiation but later drawings show them the same length. Documentation of the exact date of this change is inconclusive. It is a simple rectangular poured concrete building with a rough stucco finish and multi-pane metal windows. It is devoid of any detailing except two parallel grooves in the concrete that form a cornice line. It is utilitarian in design, built to house the paint, electrical, mechanical and carpentry shops, which, at the time, had been housed in various temporary structures on campus. The original floor plans show the building subdivided into four sections for theses shops with only three interior east-west walls. A variety of interior modifications were made when the Museum of Natural History and the Herbarium, moved into this building in 1955, then called the Anthropology-Museum building. By 1987, the interior space had been heavily subdivided into smaller offices. In 1961, the Onyx Bridge was built on top of it. The Museum of Natural History was housed in the central and southern half of it until 1987, when this portion was razed to clear the site for the construction of Cascade. Currently, this building sits dwarfed by the Onyx Bridge and connected to Cascade Annex West on the southwestern corner. There is an asphalt parking lot along the north side, a loading dock on the west side, minimal landscaping of trees and grass on the east side, a large bicycle cage on the southeastern corner and a concrete sidewalk along the south side. It is sited adjacent to the Science Courtyard on the southeast corner. This building lacks integrity for listing on the National Register because Onyx Bridge was built on top of the annex, 60% was razed, and interior modifications over time have greatly diminished the existing historic fabric. It has been ranked as a non-contributing resource for its very low significance to the campus and poor integrity. NATIONAL
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Chapman Hall
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Lingo, Shawn; Mauro, Jeremy
Chapman Hall, designed by Ellis Lawrence, was constructed in1939. The building is named for Charles H. Chapman, President of the University from 1893-1896. The project was funded by the Public Works Administration, a New Deal era program. It is part of the Lawrence plan for the central campus area anchored by the Memorial Quadrangle. Originally, it was part of a three-wing humanities complex intended to mirror the similar science complex of which Condon Hall was the only section constructed. Like its sister buildings on the Memorial Quad, Chapman Hall is stylistically complex and difficult to classify. The arrangement of the diverse elements that constitute the architectural composition is generally Classical in feeling. The individual elements draw on a wide range of Greek and Roman archetypes and there are even a few Egyptian echoes, such as the corner pilasters that represent bundled reeds. Much of the terra cotta detailing has a definite Art Deco or Moderne machine-inspired feeling. This represents the last use of terra cotta ornamentation on a U of O campus building. Chapman reflects design elements common to the other buildings on the Memorial Quad, such as the frieze with round arch details, to create a unified design language. These stylistic elements are perhaps best understood in Lawrence’s own terms. In his 1914 campus plan, he recommends that “the more monumental buildings… be erected in the Classic style, while the buildings of the minor groups in Renaissance and Colonial styles…” Lawrence himself characterized it as a “composite, not a true historical style.” As a matter of interest, Chapman Hall was designed to mirror Condon Hall architecturally yet Chapman’s structure is concrete walls with brick veneer while Condon is made of brick bearing walls. Chapman Hall displays a high level of craftsmanship in its detailing. One especially noteworthy interior feature is the mural in room 223 by E. R. Scott. It is executed in the New Deal social realist style and depicts a number of American radicals and social thinkers including Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Dewey. It was completed by Scott as part of his thesis work for a Masters degree from the U of O.
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Clinical Services Building
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Dietzler, Karl
Balzhiser, Seder, and Rhodes had plans drafted up in 1968 for a “Clinical Service Building for Mental Retardation”. Materials for the interior included “poured in place concrete,” solid brick walls, grouted brick walls, and solid brick and concrete walls. Framing called for 2.5-inch metal studs placed two feet on-center, with 1.5-inch sound attenuating batting insulation. Exterior materials for the north and east exterior elevations included striated colored concrete, smooth colored concrete, brick, vertical wood paneling, glass and corten steel roof. Materials for the south and west elevations were the same, with the addition of pre-cast concrete panels, and stucco infill between the upper story windows. With the only alterations noted above on the interior, it appears that little has changed about this unusual building. The dedication was held on January 23rd, 1970. Paul Jacobson, then dean of the College of Education, presided over the ceremony. Speakers were Clay Meyers, Oregon Secretary of State; Dale Parnell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction; Roy Lieuallen, State Chancellor of Higher Education; and Robert Clark, University President. Of interest, Arthur Flemming, President of Macalester College and former University President, and Wayne Morse, former U.S. Senator from Oregon, were the main speakers for the dedication.
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Collier House
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Mertz, Kathleen; Mendoca, Elise
Dr. George Haskell Collier was a Physics professor at the University of Oregon from 1879-1895 and had bought 9.5 acres of land adjacent to the school for his family’s residence. The Collier House was completed in May 1886, probably by the Collier family and based on pattern books and/or builder’s guides for the layout and style; no architect or builder is documented. Some people suggest a stylistic influence of architect Warren Haywood Williams, however, there is no documentation to verify this link. The original house had no indoor plumbing but did have a fountain. There was extensive surrounding vegetation, including an orchard. According to the Collier House Restoration Proposal, remnants of the original landscape include the false cypress, sitka spruce, big leaf maple, Japanese maple, English Holly. In addition, the memorial hedge, donated in 1925 memory of Prince Lucien Campbell, is intact. Soon after the house was completed, it began to play a central role for community gatherings, meetings and parties. In 1896, Professor Collier retired from the University and sold the house, barn and acreage to the school for $5,000. At this point, the UO President Charles Hiram Chapman moved into the upstairs with his family and the University library holdings were moved into the downstairs. From 1896-1900, the building was referred to as South Hall. In 1900, the Board of Regents voted to have it permanently house the university president and thus it became the President’s House. During the occupancy of president Prince Lucien Campbell (1902- 1925), a variety of small changes were made throughout the building. A room and bath were added to the southwest bedroom, the front stairs were remodeled, and a sleeping porch as placed above the drying porch. Ellis Lawrence redesigned the front porch and door in 1914, with the help of an architecture student Walter Church. A fireplace was added to the west wall in 1932, which involved the rearrangement of some windows. Many accounts characterize the building as a center of social activity for the university during this period. After Campbell’s death in 1925, the building was refinished prior to the next president’s occupancy. The house was referred to as the Chancellor’s House between 1932-1938 while the University was without a president. Around this same time, the barn was razed and a two-car garage was added to the south side (where the current dining room addition is located), the east porch was enclosed with glass, improved baths were added to the second story with exposed pipe work on the west side, and steam radiators replaced the wood basement furnace. In 1941, the Collier House became the Faculty Club. The associated renovations include turning the northwest parlor into a library and the southwest bedroom addition into a billiards room. The upstairs rooms were rented out to male faculty and the downstairs was used for meetings, special events and a restaurant. This use led to the demolition of the garage and bedroom on the southwest corner to make room for a large dining room addition in 1963 by Eugene architects Wilmsen, Endicott & Unthank. A billiards room was housed below the dining room, the wood porch was added to the north side, the south stairs were remodeled and other miscellaneous interior modifications were made to support the dining room facilities. This is the general state of the building today although the Faculty Club closed in 2003. It now is used for faculty offices, classrooms and small music recitals. In 1980 the University officially changed its name to the Collier House.
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Columbia Hall
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Mertz, Kathleen; Mendoca, Elise
This building was built in 1960 as an extension of the growing science division on campus. Early reports show it to house the geology program, which had split from the geography program in 1958. While the creative writing program is currently housed in this building, interior exhibits and classroom configurations confirm its continued use by the geology department. This building also houses the largest lecture hall on the University of Oregon campus in the western portion. The building plans refer to it as the south wing, or first addition of “Science One” which is the former name of Pacific Hall. Laboratory facilities were installed in all of the classrooms to accommodate use by the science departments. The former men’s gymnasium occupied the site. Campus myth claims that the mosaic tiles from the swimming pool that was demolished were incorporated into the design on the north facade but there is no documentary evidence to confirm this rumor. The east facade and a portion of the south facade include basement level light wells, with simple, pipe metal safety railings. The south lobby’s southern facade is a granite slab with glass doors on the east and west ends. The south loggia includes two brick posts and a basalt rock sculpture, by Steve Gillman, attached to the interior wall. Shrubbery is planted along the south, east and north facades. Trees are planted in planter boxes along the west side. It is three stories, including basement level, of classrooms and offices in the eastern portion. There is a belt course between the first and second floors along the eastern portion. All of the windows are metal vertical paired casements over a horizontal hopper. While mainly a freestanding brick building, it is connected to Pacific via a second story bridge on the north side. Decorative brick work is incorporated into the perimeter Science Walk sidewalk along the northeast corner. This is part of the “science walk” installed in 1982. The building is sited at the corner of University Street and 13th Avenue. This building is less than fifty years old and has limited significance. However, this building should be further researched and reevaluated once it reaches 50 years old. Given its excellent integrity but low significance relative to other campus buildings, it is ranked as a tertiary resource.
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Computing Center
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Welch, Dustin; Blaser, Andrea
The Computing Center, constructed in 1966 and opened in 1967, was designed in the Modern style by architects Morin and Longwood. It has a rectangular building plan, 2 stories, and a concrete foundation. The primary exterior wall material is brick, with stucco as the secondary material. The roof is flat with vinyl roofing material, and the building has aluminum framed pane windows. Vertical brick coursing and the simplistic, horizontal box massing contradicted by a sense of verticality inferred by the narrow, tall windows are the only decorative features. The surrounding landscape consists of shrub beds. Ever since it was erected, the Computing Center has functioned as a resource center for all campus computer needs, and may prove to be significant for its relationship to the roots of the computer age on campus. The purpose of the center is to both provide educational facilities and to provide scientific computations for research projects. University faculty and students had to use facilities in other parts of Oregon as well as California for their computing needs prior to its construction. The Computing Center was supported partially by a $30,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.1 It was originally a single story structure but it is now rumored to have been designed to support a second story. This alleged intention was fully realized in 1970 when a second-story addition was done by the original architects, creating the building that is seen today. The only other changes to the building are the addition of skylights, replacement of ceiling tiles, and enlargement of bathrooms by architects Robertson and Sherwood in 2001. In addition, the southern entry plaza was redesigned when the Lillis Business Center was constructed in 2004. While the building has much of its integrity intact and is in excellent condition, it is not exemplar in style. When it reaches 50 years of age, it will need to be reevaluated for significance to the campus before a judgment can be made regarding its eligibility for the National Register. For now, it is ranked as a non-contributing resource due to its very low significance compared to other campus buildings.
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Condon Hall
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Helwick, Sarah; Steverson, Erica
Built in the Mediterranean style, Condon Hall was designed by Ellis Lawrence. The original portion is a two-story brick building with a rectangular footprint. From the main east entry, terra cotta tiles create a Roman arch that is supported by pilasters. The carved wood, metal and glass door, surrounding pilasters and arch emphasize the center projecting bay and symmetrical rhythm. Ornamental brick bands below the cornice and elaborate terra cotta tiles on top of the parapet frame a terra cotta cornice. Brick patterns, including basket-weave motif, accent the upper windows. An addition, completed in 1967, is connected to the south side of the building and is set back from Memorial Quadrangle. The International Style addition is a three-story building with an irregular footprint. The horizontal bands of windows are set within a concrete frame emphasizing its International stylistic characteristics. A sunken courtyard with a ramp in front of the south addition and to the south of the original structure provides a universally accessible route. Condon Hall was named for Thomas Condon, famed Oregon geologist and one of the University's first professors. It originally housed the departments of geology, geography, and psychology. Additionally, it was also the temporary home to part of the U of O library until Knight Library was built. Today, Condon houses Geography, Anthropology, and Environmental Science departments. Condon Hall was originally intended as the north wing of a larger building that would house the science department. This plan was abandoned in the 1940's, and the 1967 south addition did not utilize the brick knock-out panel that Lawrence provided. This addition is stylistically similar to the adjacent Prince Lucien Campbell Hall and was designed by the same architectural firm. In stark contrast to the stylistic characteristics of the original building, an exterior, semi-enclosed stairway replaced the original fire escape in 1974. Condon Hall is an architecturally distinctive work, one of six Ellis Lawrence designed buildings on the main University quadrangle, known as Memorial Quadrangle (includes Condon Hall, Knight Library, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Chapman Hall, Peterson Hall and Gilbert Hall). So, not only was Condon designed by a significant Oregon architect and a man important to campus planning and the history of the architecture program at the U of O, the building is located in a place crucial to the story of the campus’ development under Lawrence. That is, it is an integral member of an ensemble of buildings referred to as one of Lawrence's greatest works. Condon Hall is in good condition and has good integrity. The south addition and western fire escape alteration do not detract from Condon's presence in the Memorial Quadrangle. Because of its significant connection to Ellis Lawrence and its contribution to the integrity of Memorial Quadrangle, Condon Hall is eligible individually for the National Register and is ranked as a primary resource.
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Deady Hall
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Welch, Dustin; Blaser, Andrea
In 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.
Open Access
Historic Resource Survey Form : Earl Hall Complex
(University of Oregon, 2006) Johnson, Susan; Mertz, Kathleen; Mendoca, Elise
The Earl Complex, also identified as Virgil D. Earl Hall, was completed in 1955 as an addition to Straub Hall. The design reflects the International style popular in the post-war period. This complex was named for Virgil D. Earl, University of Oregon alumnus and Athletic Director (1923-31) as well as Dean of Men (1931-45). Earl Hall is comprised of units named for former faculty: Edgar McClure (Chemistry), Davis Walter Morton (first dean of Administration), Frederick George Young (first dean of Graduate School), Orin Fletcher Stafford (Chemistry Department head), Henry Davidson Sheldon (founder of Oregon State Teachers Assoc., first dean of School of Education). It was built as a dormitory to house incoming freshmen men, including five separate units for 330 students. There have been minor renovations over the life of the building, including the restoration of the exterior tile wall portions in 1983 and 1985. This restoration included the removal and replacement “in-kind” of broken and cracked tiles. In 1985, the entire interior was painted. In 1991, the entire building was re-roofed. It is used for coed housing today. Dining and kitchen facilities are no longer situated in the complex. The former dining rooms have been converted into a lounge space in each of the 5 units. Laundry facilities have also been incorporated into the basements. Most recently (2005), Earl Hall has received universal accessibility alterations (ADA elevator, partial removal of covered walkway). This building is sited between the Emerald Axis, 15th Avenue Axis and Promenade and it is connected to Straub Hall. While this building has continuity of use, has good integrity, and is in good condition, it does not meet any of the criteria of significance for listing on the National Register. It has been ranked as a non-contributing resource due to its very low significance compared to other campus buildings.