The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

Charles A. Dana Fine Arts Building

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Charles A. Dana Fine Arts Building (general view), Agnes Scott College

Charles A. Dana Fine Arts Building (detail, arch), Agnes Scott College

Institution Name: Agnes Scott College
Original/Historic Place Name: Charles A. Dana Fine Arts Building
Location on Campus: corner of South McDonough St. and East Dougherty St.
Date(s) of Construction:

1965	original construction Edwards & Portman

Designer: Edwards & Portman
Type of Place: Individual building
Style: Postmodern, Other (Glossary)
Significance: architecture, education, history
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Materials:

Foundation: concrete

Walls: concrete, brick veneer, glass

Roof: asphalt shingles, tar, and gravel

Function:

ca. 1965	classrooms
ca. 1965	faculty offices
ca. 1965	theater (Winter theater)
ca. 1965	museum (Dalton Art Gallery)
ca. 1965	academic department building (art studios)
ca. 2004-present (2006)	classrooms
ca. 2004-present (2006)	faculty offices
ca. 2004-present (2006)	theater (Winter theater)
ca. 2004-present (2006)	museum (Dalton Art Gallery)
ca. 2004-present (2006)	academic department building (art studios)

Narrative:
Dedicated in 1965, the Dana Fine Arts Building was designed by Atlanta architect John Portman of the architectural firm Edwards and Portman. Portman's design is a contemporary expression of the gothic revival style evident in many of Agnes Scott's historic buildings. Built with the same materials used to construct these older buildings, Dana is fronted by a two-story brick screen with a central arched entryway, forming a courtyard that precedes the approach to the three-story building's main entrance on the second floor. The roof is studded with oversized, arched dormer windows and a hexagonal projection that encloses a theater in the round.

Dana is home to the college's art and theater departments, as well as classrooms, studios, the Dalton Art Gallery, and the Winter Theater. The largest single gift to fund the building came from the Charles A. Dana Foundation. Mr. Dana and the majority of the trustees of the foundation were able to attend the dedication.

References:

McNair, Walter Edward. Lest We Forget: An Account of Agnes Scott College. Decatur, GA: Agnes Scott College, 1983.

Sayrs, M. Lee, and Christine S. Cozzens. A Full and Rich Measure. Decatur, GA: Agnes Scott College, 1990.

Sharp, Leslie N. South Candler Street--Agnes Scott College Historic District. National Register of Historic Places designation report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service, 1994.