The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

Richard H. Allen Memorial Hall

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Richard H. Allen Memorial Hall and Whitmore Hall, Sheldon Jackson College

Richard H.Allen Memorial Hall (under renovation), Sheldon Jackson College

Institution Name: Sheldon Jackson College
Original/Historic Place Name: Richard H. Allen Memorial Hall
Location on Campus: 801 Lincoln St., central structure of quadrangle, placed on the top side of campus greens and hillside
Date(s) of Construction:

1910-1911

original construction Ludlow & Peabody

Designer: Ludlow and Peabody
Type of Place: Individual building
Style: Regionalist/Vernacular, Other (Glossary)
Significance: architecture, culture, education, engineering, history, religion
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Materials:

Foundation: concrete, wood

Walls: wood, slate, and plaster

Roof: shingle, shake

Function:

1911-1990	classrooms
1914-1990	auditorium
1990-present (2006)	other (closed for demolition in 1990, now under renovation)

Narrative:
Richard H. Allen Memorial Hall originally housed the main auditorium and classrooms of Sheldon Jackson College. The building was widely used by the campus and Sitka community for plays, chapel services, weddings, lectures, Native performances, and many other social and community gatherings. The well known Sitka Music Festival was begun in Allen in 1972, along with the Sitka Fine Arts Camp. Renovations on Allen Memorial Hall began on July 30, 2001, and the project is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2004. Once completed, the first floor will provide a 300 seat auditorium with a performance stage, lobby, and toilet facilities. The second floor will house two art studios, an art exhibit area, a music practice room, and four offices.

Due to the efforts of many in the community and the Sitka Historic Preservation Committee, in 1999 the National Trust for Historic Preservation identified Allen as one of the eleven most endangered buildings in the United States. This building received National Historic Landmark Status on August 7, 2001.

References:

Crittendon, Edwin B. Survey [Sheldon Jackson College]. [CCC Architects and Planners, Anchorage, AK], 1987-1995.

Clemens, Janet, Chris Allan, Linda Cook, Heidi Siegel, and Amanda Zeman. Sheldon Jackson School. National Register of Historic Places designation report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service, 1972.