The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

Jorden Hall

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Jorden Hall (general view), University of Sioux Falls

Jorden Hall (detail, entrance), University of Sioux Falls

Institution Name: University of Sioux Falls
Original/Historic Place Name: Science Hall
Location on Campus: central campus
Date(s) of Construction:

1908	original construction Schwarz, Joseph

Designer: Joseph Schwarz
Type of Place: Individual building
Style: Gothic revival, Other (Glossary)
Significance: education
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Materials:

Foundation: Jasper quartzite

Walls: Jasper quartzite and Kasota limestone

Roof: asphalt shingles

Function:

ca. 1908	other (laboratories)
ca. 1908	auditorium
ca. 1908	chapel
ca. 1908	library
ca. 1908-present (2006)	classrooms
ca. 1908-present (2006)	faculty offices
ca. 1908-present (2006)	administration

Narrative:
From the National Register report:

Jorden Hall is the oldest remaining building at the University of Sioux Falls and serves as the central architectural focus of the campus. In 1907 the college hired Joseph Schwarz, a prominent architect from Sioux Falls recognized for his work throughout the state of South Dakota, to design the building. Schwarz is credited with the design of many public commissions at the state and county level in South Dakota, including the Minnehaha County Courthouse, the Carnegia Libraries in Sioux Falls, Brookings, and Pierre, and Washington High School in Sioux Falls. Schwarz chose to design Jorden Hall in the Gothic Revival style. In South Dakota, the Gothic Revival style is most typically used for churches and is not commonly found in educational settings.

Jorden Hall was named to the National Register of Historic Places as a significant representation of the Gothic Style, and as the work of an architect important to the state of South Dakota. The structure has been well-maintained and in consistent use since it was built in 1908. Its interior has been renovated several times to accommodate varying uses.

References:

Architecture Interiors, and Lynda Schwan. Jorden Hall [University of Sioux Falls]. National Register of Historic Places designation report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service, 2000.

College Messenger. 1909-1910.

Jeschke, Reuben P. Dreams of the Pioneers: A Brief and Informal History of Sioux Falls College, in Commemoration of its Seventy-Fifth Anniversary. [s.l.: s.n.], 1958.

University of Sioux Falls Alumni Association. Cross Sections 2, no. 1 (Fall 1998).