OAC Coat of Arms - Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR
N 44° 34.021 W 123° 16.382
10T E 478319 N 4934889
This sandstone bas-relief is located in front of Kearney Hall, formerly known as Mechanical Hall when this building and architectural components were constructed in 1898.
Waymark Code: WMQ0KA
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 11/23/2015
Views: 1
Visitors to Kearney Hall might notice some ornate architectural elements in front of the main entrance. One of these elements is a bas-relief sculpture of two cherubs holding a shield with the letters 'OAC' intertwined. The letters represent Oregon Agricultural College, the former name for the campus before being renamed Oregon State University in 1961 (the campus was renamed Oregon State College in 1937). This hall was named Mechanical Hall when erected and later changed to Apperson Hall and then renamed Kearney Hall in 2009.
From a nearby interpretive display in front of Kearney Hall, it reads that this bas relief work and stone walls were done by a team of French stone masons. The building replaced a previous building that was destroyed in a fire in 1898. This building underwent a major renovation in 2009 and the whole interior of the building was gutted and replaced with modern materials. The outside original stone walls of local granite and sandstone were preserved and adhered to the interior walls with over 1000 steel bolts. It was nice to see this articulate stonework preserved, including the university's coat of arms.