The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

Odell Memorial Building

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Odell Memorial Building (ca. 1920s), Greensboro College

Odell Memorial Building (ca. 1980s), Greensboro College

Institution Name: Greensboro College
Original/Historic Place Name: Odell Memorial Building
Location on Campus: 815 W. Market St.
Date(s) of Construction:

1922	original construction

Designer: unknown
Type of Place: Individual building
Style: Beaux-Arts classicism (Glossary)
Significance: culture, education
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Materials:

Foundation: brick, concrete

Walls: brick

Roof: conventional materials

Function:

ca. 1922-present (2006)	theater
ca. 1922-present (2006)	auditorium
ca. 1922-present (2006)	academic department building (music)

Narrative:
The exterior of Odell Memorial Building appears today pretty much as it did when the building was first constructed in 1922. While no major exterior modifications have been made, the building's interior lobby and auditorium were last renovated in the 1990s. The current condition of Odell Memorial Building is good.

Historically, the Odell family (a local family of importance to the surrounding community) of Greensboro, NC have been active supporters of Greensboro College. Female family members attended school here, and other family members were active participants in the running of the college and life on the campus. In 1919, J.A. Odell donated $100,000 towards the construction of the building in the memory of his wife, Mary Jane Odell.

Since its construction, Odell Memorial Building has been the nucleus around which the College's exemplary performing arts have revolved. Over the years, the building has, at times quite literally, been a second home for the College's numerous music and drama majors as they have worked on their productions. The building's auditorium has also hosted a wide variety of other events through the years and lent its special charm to their memory.

References:

Turrentine, Samuel Bryant. A Romance of Education. Greensboro, NC: Piedmont Press, 1946.

Selected papers regarding the college and its history. Brock Historical Museum, Greensboro, NC.