Benton Hall - Oregon State University National Historic District - Corvallis, OR - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

Benton Hall was erected in 1889 and is listed as site #27 in the Oregon State University National Historic District. The following verbiage is taken from the Oregon Historic Sites Database website (link below) to describe this building's history:

Architectural History:
Alterations: 1896: North wing and bell tower added; 1899: Cemented and repainted; 1900's added historic Quad faced clock to tower;1906: Added space 1st and 2nd floors; 1926: added office space; 1948 remodeled 3rd floor; 1949 remodeled 1st floor; 1958: remodeled building Being the oldest building on campus, Benton Hall has undergone many alterations since 1889 to accommodate the needs of a growing university. In 1896 the north wing and bell tower were added. In 1899 the exterior was cemented and repainted. Interior changes occurred between 1906 and 1908 when the Hall was remodeled on the first and second floors to expand the library and registrar offices, and add a vault for the Business Office and Book Store. Another significant alteration took place in 1918 when the library moved to Kidder Hall and its space in Benton was transformed into the Community Drama and Workshop Theater. In 1926 office space was added, and in 1948 and 1949 the first and third floors were remodeled. More recently, the building received a $400,000 renovation in 1997 to restore the Captain Beard Band Hall to resemble the original design of the space. Landscape: Benton Hall sits on the east side of campus atop a slight hill. There is a large, grassy patch leading to the building’s front entrance.

Background History
Architect/Builder: Edgar M. Lazarus Date of Construction: 1889 Historic Name: Administration Building Additional building names/dates changed: Benton Hall Building’s original use: Held all academic departments and offices Subsequent use of building/dates changed: 1889- was whole college; 1948: Music Department Benton Hall was the first building constructed at Oregon State University. At the time of construction, the campus totaled 35 acres and was called Agricultural College Farm. As the dominant campus building, the hall housed the academic departments, library, and museum, as well as the registrar, business, and administration offices. There was an auditorium on the second floor where compulsory chapel was held until 1906. Benton Hall also housed the president’s office until it moved out in 1922. The library collection moved from Benton to Kidder Hall in 1918. There is clock tower on the building that houses a clock made by the E. Howard Clock Company of Boston, MA, in the early 1900s. The clock previously occupied the tower of the Pacific Gas and Coke Company in Portland, OR. Though the clock was built in the 1900s and the tower was built in 1896, a clock was not installed until 1989 because funds were not available. The clock was a gift of the Northwest Natural Gas Company and the OSU class of 1988. After 118 years on campus, Benton Hall is no longer expected to house all aspects of university life. The hall is now the exclusive home of the OSU music department. Though the campus has added numerous buildings since 1889, Benton Hall stands in its original location and speaks to the significant growth and longevity of the university.

Name of Historic District (as listed on the NRHP): Oregon State University National Historic District Link to nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com page with the Historic District: [Web Link] NRHP Historic District Waymark (Optional): [Web Link] Address: 1650 SW Pioneer Place Oregon State University Corvallis, OR How did you determine the building to be a contributing structure?: Narrative found on the internet (Link provided below) Optional link to narrative or database: [Web Link]

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