Johnson Hall - Eugene, Oregon
Posted by: 
DougK
N 44° 02.718 W 123° 04.547
10T E 493928 N 4876907
Johnson Hall, erected in 1915, is located at the center of the University of Oregon campus. The building's Classically-derived American Rennaissance-style elevations are unique to the campus and to the Eugene area.
Waymark Code: WMFHP4
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 10/22/2012
Views: 2
From the
NRHP submission form:
Johnson Hall, a two-story reinforced concrete, brick and glazed terra cotta veneer building with raised basement, is located in the center of the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Lane County, Oregon. Situated on an important axial alignment between the "old" and "new" campus quadrangles, the prominent site is emphasized by the building's imposing American Renaissance-style design by William C. Knighton, who was State Architect for Oregon between 1912 and1917. Named in honor of the first University of Oregon president, John Wesley Johnson, the building is significant to the Oregon System of Higher Education and to the City of Eugene, and meets eligibility Criterion "a" as the administrativecenter of the University of Oregon for 70 years. Symbolic of a renewed interest in higher education and of building expansion in the campus, Johnson Hall, erected for almost $104,000 in 1915, was initially a multi- function building which housed various departments and a theater in addition to the University's administrative offices.
Johnson Hall is further significant as the first reinforced concrete building on campus and was also the first to employ glazed architectural terra cotta for its decorative program. Dominated by a two-story portico supported by white, glazed architectural terra cotta-encased colossal Ionic columns, the building is also embellished with terra cotta sills, friezes, modillioned cornice and parapet coping. Its interior, altered in 1949, still conveys its essential character. The main floor lobby dominated by a north/south axial, retains its marble sheathing, original light fixtures, stylized columns with "UO" logogram, coffered ceilings and varnished wood details. The second floor lobby, originally featuring a large Tiffany-style skylight, has been modernized and the skylight panels removed and stored.
Architect William C. Knighton designed notable landmarks such as the Dr. L. A. Port House (1894), old State Office Building, and Supreme Court Building (1913), all in Salem. Other notable Knighton buildings include the Seward Hotel in Portland (1909) and Eastern Oregon State Hospital in Pendleton.
The position of Johnson Hall terminates the "old quadrangle" formed by Deady Hall and Villard Hall and marks the connection to the new quadrangle containing the museum, library and other important buildings. The significance of Johnson Hall as a transition element between the old and new quadrangles goes beyond formal campus planning. At the time of Johnson Hall's conception, the University gained new financial stability by the passage of the 1913, "Millage Bill" which marked both a renewed interest in the role of higher education and a new period of building expansion on the University of Oregon campus.
Johnson Hall was completed November 8, 1915, and was dedicated to the first President of the University ,John Wessley Johnson, on November 20, 1915.