Sycamore Hall (Library Building) - 1936 - Denton, TX
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member QuarrellaDeVil
N 33° 12.725 W 097° 08.893
14S E 672582 N 3676326
Sycamore Hall stands on the campus of the University of North Texas at 307 S Avenue B, Denton, TX. Begun in 1936 and completed in 1937, it was constructed with PWA funds to replace the school's original library, which it had outgrown.
Waymark Code: WM12YNV
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 08/08/2020
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Outspoken1
Views: 0

Best of luck getting a full shot of the building, as it spans an entire block and is shaded by plenty of trees. Still, it's a nice walk through here. The bronze dedication plaque is visible in an inset photo on the sign at the sidewalk, and is located just a bit south of the entrance. That historical sign was placed by the University of North Texas in 2014, and it provides some background:

Built in 1937, the Library Building was proposed by President W. Joseph McConnell to allow for an expansion of the library materials that had been housed in what is now Curry Hall. He saw the expansion as a way to better educate students, and it was one of the steps necessary to offer doctoral degrees. At its opening, the library held more than 70,000 volumes. The building, constructed at Avenue B and Sycamore, was one of several campus projects that benefited from federal Public Works Administration funds. In addition to greatly expanded stack space, it housed a bookbindery, a broadcasting studio, two large reading rooms, a small auditorium, and art department classrooms and offices. In 1942, the federal government designated the library as a War Information Center to receive and display information for the public. In 1950, two wings to provide more stack space were added, and two years later, the library ranked second in holdings among libraries of the state-supported colleges in Texas. Librarians vividly remember the building's 1962 renovation, in which the stacks were closed and only the public areas of the library were air conditioned. The Library Building became the Information Sciences Building in 1971 as library holdings were split between this structure and what would become known as Willis Library. In 2011, after some of the collections were moved and departments were changed, the ISB became Sycamore Hall. The library it houses was named the Eagle Commons Library after extensive renovations created more group study space and access to the latest technology.

Year built or dedicated as indicated on the structure or plaque: 1936

Full Inscription (unless noted above):
Library
North Texas State
Teachers College

---
Federal Emergency Administration
of Public Works
Project No. Tex. 1639R

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Board of Regents

Henry Paulus
President

Thomas H. Ball
Vice-President

John E. Hill
J.D. Jackson
J.E. Josey
R.A. Stuart
James G. Ulmer
V.A. Collins
Sallie Ward Beretta

H.A. Turner Secretary

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W.J. McConnell
President

D. Boyd Business Manager

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Wyatt C. Hedrick Architect & Engineer
A.J. Rife Construction Co. Contractor
A.D. 1936



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