The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

Alumni Hall

Click on image titles for larger views.

Alumni Hall (view from the north), Knox College

Alumni Hall (view from the south), Knox College

Institution Name: Knox College
Original/Historic Place Name: Alumni Hall
Location on Campus: 2 E. South Street
Date(s) of Construction:

1891	original construction Myers, Elijah E.

Designer: Elijah E. Myers (Detroit, MI)
Type of Place: Individual building
Style: Romanesque revival, Other (Glossary)
Significance: architecture, education
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Materials:

Foundation: sandstone

Walls: brick

Roof: slate

Function:

ca. 1891	auditorium (and home to campus literary societies)
ca. 1891	classrooms
1999-present (2006)	other (vacant)

Narrative:
Alumni Hall was built to accommodate Knox College's literary societies and the then-popular intercollegiate debate competitions; both were essential and closely-linked elements of 19th century student culture. Alumni Hall's interior and exterior are detailed and enduring examples of the Richardsonian Romanesque style popular at the time. The building's large central auditorium is a dramatic instance of the innumerable facilities built to accommodate the popular and public culture of the day. The architect, Elijah E. Meyers, had earlier designed the Knox County Courthouse across the street in Standish Park.

The last college offices moved out of Alumni Hall in 1999; it has been vacant since that time. All post-1890s fixtures, partitions, ceilings, etc. were removed in 2002; measures to stabilize the building began in 2002 and continue today. The original slate roof was replaced with a new one in 1990. Holabird & Root (Chicago) are currently [2004] completing an adaptive re-use plan for Alumni Hall.

References: