Kearney Hall - Oregon State University Historic District - Corvallis, OR
N 44° 34.022 W 123° 16.383
10T E 478317 N 4934890
This historic building which resides on the campus of Oregon State University was constructed in 1899 and underwent a major renovation in 2007-8. It was renamed to Kearney Hall in 2009.
Waymark Code: WMFH62
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 10/20/2012
Views: 3
Kearney Hall has a lengthy history on the campus of Oregon State University. Visitors to the lobby of this hall are welcomed with a placard hanging on the wall next to a display case of accomplishments by the Department of Engineering over the decades. The following excerpts are taken from this placard:
A HISTORY OF THIS HALL
MECHANICAL HALL 1899 - 1900: First known as Mechanical Hall, this building was constructed in 1899 at a coast of $25,000 to replace an earlier structure destroyed by fire in September 1898. Designed by Portland architect Edgar Lazarus, Mechanical Hall was built with Oregon gray granite, sandstone walls, and a metal roof, making the structure fire resistant.
APPERSON HALL 1920 - 2009: In 1920, a third story was added, and the building was renamed Apperson Hall in honor of the work John Apperson did as president of the Board of Regents in securing funding for its construction.
KEARNEY HALL: 2009 - Present: After decades of heavy use, the structure needed modernization and earthquake remediation. In 2004, Lee and Connie Kearney provided a lead gift of $3 million that kicked off fundraising for the $12 million project. They later increased their gift to $4 million. The renovation, funded entirely by private gifts, restored the historic exterior and created a modern interior, featuring a 105-seat auditorium, a central light court, and state-of-the-art classrooms. In addition, the building itself is designed as a teaching tool. Some ceilings have been left exposed and "windows" into walls provide students with real-world examples of structural, mechanical and electrical features. The renovation also incorporated cutting-edge design to achieve certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design qualifications in support of sustainable building practices. Upon its dedication in 2009, Apperson Hall was officially renamed Kearney Hall.
Kearney Hall is one of many contributing buildings as part of the Oregon State University Historic District. The NRHP website has a link to a PDF documenting Apperson (Kearney) Hall as a contributing building and can be viewed here. In reference to the OSU Historic District, it should be mentioned that Kearney Hall falls within an established 'grouping' of buildings called the Engineering Triangle. The following excerpt is from the PDF application form that was submitted to the NRHP organization:
The Oregon State University Historic District is an excellent example of campus planning developed first by the Olmsted Brothers firm (1909-1925) and then by A.D. Taylor (1926-1944; 1945-1964). It retains the elements recommended throughout these plans, including the creation of quadrangles, grouping of buildings, architectural harmony and unity, and campus planning. In the area of architecture, the campus includes an amazing collection of buildings designed by John V. Bennes, a noted Portland architect. Over thirty of his
projects remain on the campus today, and most of these buildings are located within the historic district. His involvement with the university from 1907 through 1942 is largely the reason that the campus achieved the architectural unity recommended by the Olmsted Brothers and A.D. Taylor.
Oregon State University hopes to secure its place in Oregon's history as the first public or private institution to establish a historic district (it has done so), and feels fortunate to have had a distinguished and significant history for campus development. In addition, the designation of the Oregon State University Historic District will continue the historic planning efforts for which listing is being sought and will strengthen Oregon State University's prominence in Oregon's history.
*NOTE* The nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com website with the link to the historic district for this waymark is CORRUPT and not currently functioning for the entire state of Oregon. I will check back later and see if it's been corrected. For the time being, I was able to find a link to PDF documents from the www.nps.gov website that highlights the OSU Historic District here.