Waldschmidt Hall

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Front by Waldschmidt Hall (2007)

Waldschmidt Hall (originally West Hall ) is an academic building belonging to the University of Portland in Portland , Oregon . The building, built in 1891, was originally part of the now defunct Portland University and is located in northern Portland above the Willamette River . It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 22, 1977 and renovated in 1992. In the same year it was named Waldschmidt Hall. The oldest building on the university campus houses administrative offices of the university and some lecture halls.

history

Members of the Methodist Episcopal Church founded in Portland in 1891, the Portland University and started with the collection of funds for the operation of the school. That year, the university had the five-story building built at a cost of US $ 32,500 (2009: 791,000) . Initially the only building on campus, it had living rooms, lecture halls and a chapel . Portland University struggled financially and was forced to leave the site in 1896 after the facility failed to pay loan installments. The campus with West Hall reverted to the previous owners of the site.

Archbishop Alexander Christie bought the campus and building in 1901 in exchange for two Church properties plus a dollar to build a Catholic school. In September 1901, Columbia University opened with West Hall as the only building. The school changed its name to University of Portland in 1935.

Drawing of the building from 1894

West Hall was listed as a Historic Site by the City of Portland in 1970 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. In 1990 the renovation of the property began to bring it up to date with the latest building regulations and to prevent its deterioration. Sinking walls and false ceilings were renewed and the building was reinforced to make it earthquake-proof . The $ 5.5 million project used the original plans and old photographs to preserve the building's original look and feel. Other measures included the creation of barrier-free access, the replacement of the windows and the restoration of the hardwood flooring. The renovation measures were partially financed by private donations and ended in October 1993.

In October 1992 the university gave the building the new name Waldschmidt Hall, with which the former president of the university, Paul Waldschmidt, was honored. Since the renovation of the building, it has housed offices of the university administration and some classrooms. On May 1, 2001, the United States Postal Service dedicated a postcard depicting Waldschmidt Hall to the university's centenary. The computer-generated image of the building is part of a series of historical monuments and was designed by John Pirman.

details

Frederick Manson White, Richard H. Martin, Jr., and William F. McCaw were the original architects of the building. The brick building , built in neo-Romanesque style, is decorated on the outside with parts made of cast iron . The shape of the building is based on Sever Hall in Harvard and has a wide, domed entrance.

The interior of the 2790 m² building is largely made of wood - the walls are paneled with cherry wood, the floor is made of oak planks, and the stairs are also made of wood. The furniture is modern.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Howard M. Corning: Dictionary of Oregon History . Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1989, p. 202.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h Joe Fitzgibbon: Back from the grave (English) . In: The Oregonian , Oct. 28, 1993, p. 1. 
  3. ↑ a b c d Tom Gauntt: Moo-vers and shakers on Waud's Bluff (English) . In: The Oregonian , September 26, 2004, p. H2. 
  4. ↑ a b c Richard Carr: Card honors Oregon's Catholic university (English) . In: Sun-Sentinel , June 10, 2001, p. 8D. 
  5. ^ Oregon National Register List ( English , PDF; 346 kB) State of Oregon. January 6, 2009. Retrieved April 18, 2009.
  6. ↑ Schools (English) . In: The Oregonian , May 27, 1993, p. 5. 
  7. ↑ University renames building, honors Bishop Waldschmidt (English) . In: The Oregonian , October 19, 1992, p. B3. 
  8. ↑ Janie Har: UP celebrates 100 with special post card (English) . In: The Oregonian , May 1, 2001, p. B3. 
  9. ^ West Hall ( English ) In: Building Oregon: Architecture of Oregon & the Pacific Northwest . University of Portland. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved April 18, 2009. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / boundless.uoregon.edu
  10. ↑ Site Information: West Hall, University of Portland ( English ) In: Oregon Historic Sites Database . Retrieved April 18, 2009.

Coordinates: 45 ° 34 '18 "  N , 122 ° 43' 28"  W.