.gif)
Old Main (University of Arkansas)
Encyclopedia
Old Main is the oldest building on the University of Arkansas
campus in Fayetteville, Arkansas
. It is one of the most recognizable symbols of the University (especially to alumni and residents of the state of Arkansas
), and of higher education in general in Arkansas.
architect John Mills Van Osdel, and construction was carried out by William Mayes of the firm of Mayes and Oliver. G. N. Wright was one of the contractors. In 1873, the University of Arkansas purchased Van Osdel's plans for the University Hall at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
(demolished in 1938) in 1873 and erected an identical structure.
The contract to construct the Hall was signed by the superintendent of public instruction, Joseph Carter Corbin, who was the highest elected African American official in Arkansas during Reconstruction.
Most of the building materials used in Old Main came from local areas, because the nearest river port was 60 miles away and the nearest railroad was 150 miles away. 136 miles of lumber came by oxen-drawn wagons from the Peter Van Winkle Sawmill near historic War Eagle Mill
in Benton County
. The red exterior brick
s were made from clay dug on campus and fired in kiln
s built west of Old Main. The brown sandstone
used for the foundation and basement was also quarried from near the building site. The five-story building contained 2,600,000 bricks when originally constructed.
After nearly a hundred years of use, Old Main had really begun to show its age, and in 1981 the building was closed for safety reasons. After a considerable period of debate over whether to restore the old building or tear it down, restoration work began in the summer of 1989 and Old Main was renovated extensively. The renovation proceeded ahead of schedule, and it was finished during the spring semester of 1991 at a cost of $10 million. It was rededicated during the Fall of 1991.
Prior to the extensive restoration of 1986–1991, the building was fondly remembered for its large, open, and decorative central stairwell. However, this stairwell effectively formed a chimney which violated any number of building codes to which the renovated building would have to conform. To preserve the stairwell's appearance and function while still conforming to modern safety standards, an innovative automated fire protection system was installed which would slide out and close protective fire doors from concealed storage areas on each floor, effectively sealing the stairwell off.
In the original building, stairwells were also sited at either end of the central "shotgun" hallway. These were closed off during the 1986–1991 restoration. Additional stairwells were sited at the ends of the wings, again to conform to building codes.
The original 19th century Corinthian
iron
columns, featured prominently in almost all photographs of Old Main's wings, remain in place to this day. To conform to building codes, all but one floor's worth have been reinforced with welded steel and encased in fireproof boxes.
The original columns in Giffels Auditorium were preserved in the renovation process. In order to preserve these columns while still conforming to building codes, they needed to be rendered non-structural. The north wing of the building was therefore completely reconstructed such that loads are carried by the walls instead of the columns. The distinctive "inset" look of the windows of the modern Giffels auditorium are a result of this restucturing and reinforcement.
In 2005 the building underwent another round of renovations. At that time, it received a new roof, aging mortar was replaced, and a clock face was installed in the south tower.
During its history, Old Main has housed many different departments and served many different administrative functions. It currently houses the offices of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
, its honors program and five academic departments, as well as classrooms and meeting spaces.
of the building lists its original cost in 1871 dollars, $
186,000. The sweeping stairwell leading to the attic of the building found at the center of the top floor is original to the structure. The walls of the rooms in the central "shotgun" hallway are structural and largely conform to the plan of the original building. The cast-iron sides of the seats in the Giffels auditorium are supposedly cast from original molds.
The arboretum
(the large lawn area in front of Old Main) is a home to one of every type of tree in Arkansas and once used to be a training ground for military officers when military tactics were taught at the University. It also served as a place where the band would march and play. Today, the band practices in lot 56 (a parking lot on campus), and the arboretum is simply a green space where students can study, play games, or simply stroll through and enjoy.
, was erected in the rear courtyard of the building. President Bill Clinton
gave a much-anticipated speech at the dedication ceremony.
for Old Main was installed. That bell still exists today, but is no longer in regular use. The last two times it was used was when it rang 10 times in 1985 to mark the $10 million received through donations for the restoration process and in July 1989 to mark the beginning of renovation. Electronic bells were installed during 1949, and dedicated to those students lost in any war. These bells wore out and were replaced with a computerized bell device. It plays the Westminster Chimes every hour from 8 am- 8pm, a musical selection after noon and the alma mater
after five o'clock.
Senior Walk is a tradition unique to the University of Arkansas. Each year, all graduates have their name carved into the sidewalk that circles, and cuts through campus. The walk begins directly in front of Old Main with the first graduating class, of 1876.
Even though when Old Main was built, the southern tower was meant to hold a clock, one was not put in when the building was constructed. Although there was no clock face, the building did have a bell in the opposite tower that rang every hour and half hour and could be heard all over campus, as well as most of downtown Fayetteville and surrounding areas. When President Bill Clinton
gave a much-anticipated speech at the J. William Fulbright
statue dedication ceremony, Clinton asked Chancellor John White, "Where is the clock?" Three years later, Old Main received a clock face.
On October 27, 2005, after more than 130 years without a functioning clock face, a specially constructed clock was completed and dedicated on the South Tower. This was in celebration of reaching a "Campaign for Twenty-First Century" campaign goal of $1 billion and also included the replacement of aging mortar
between bricks, replacing the roof, and other minor aesthetic improvements to the building.
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
campus in Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
. It is one of the most recognizable symbols of the University (especially to alumni and residents of the state of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
), and of higher education in general in Arkansas.
History
Old Main was constructed between 1873 and 1875 as part of a land grant for the state of Arkansas. At this time it was known as University Hall. It was designed by ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
architect John Mills Van Osdel, and construction was carried out by William Mayes of the firm of Mayes and Oliver. G. N. Wright was one of the contractors. In 1873, the University of Arkansas purchased Van Osdel's plans for the University Hall at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
(demolished in 1938) in 1873 and erected an identical structure.
The contract to construct the Hall was signed by the superintendent of public instruction, Joseph Carter Corbin, who was the highest elected African American official in Arkansas during Reconstruction.
Most of the building materials used in Old Main came from local areas, because the nearest river port was 60 miles away and the nearest railroad was 150 miles away. 136 miles of lumber came by oxen-drawn wagons from the Peter Van Winkle Sawmill near historic War Eagle Mill
War Eagle Mill
War Eagle Mill is a working gristmill in Benton County, Arkansas. A mill has been located on the site as early as 1832, but was destroyed three times, and last rebuilt in 1973. The mill currently operates as an undershot gristmill, and houses a store and restaurant...
in Benton County
Benton County, Arkansas
Benton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, the population was 153,406. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 population is 221,339. The county seat is Bentonville. Benton County was formed on 30 September 1836 and was named after Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S...
. The red exterior brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
s were made from clay dug on campus and fired in kiln
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
s built west of Old Main. The brown sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
used for the foundation and basement was also quarried from near the building site. The five-story building contained 2,600,000 bricks when originally constructed.
After nearly a hundred years of use, Old Main had really begun to show its age, and in 1981 the building was closed for safety reasons. After a considerable period of debate over whether to restore the old building or tear it down, restoration work began in the summer of 1989 and Old Main was renovated extensively. The renovation proceeded ahead of schedule, and it was finished during the spring semester of 1991 at a cost of $10 million. It was rededicated during the Fall of 1991.
Prior to the extensive restoration of 1986–1991, the building was fondly remembered for its large, open, and decorative central stairwell. However, this stairwell effectively formed a chimney which violated any number of building codes to which the renovated building would have to conform. To preserve the stairwell's appearance and function while still conforming to modern safety standards, an innovative automated fire protection system was installed which would slide out and close protective fire doors from concealed storage areas on each floor, effectively sealing the stairwell off.
In the original building, stairwells were also sited at either end of the central "shotgun" hallway. These were closed off during the 1986–1991 restoration. Additional stairwells were sited at the ends of the wings, again to conform to building codes.
The original 19th century Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
columns, featured prominently in almost all photographs of Old Main's wings, remain in place to this day. To conform to building codes, all but one floor's worth have been reinforced with welded steel and encased in fireproof boxes.
The original columns in Giffels Auditorium were preserved in the renovation process. In order to preserve these columns while still conforming to building codes, they needed to be rendered non-structural. The north wing of the building was therefore completely reconstructed such that loads are carried by the walls instead of the columns. The distinctive "inset" look of the windows of the modern Giffels auditorium are a result of this restucturing and reinforcement.
In 2005 the building underwent another round of renovations. At that time, it received a new roof, aging mortar was replaced, and a clock face was installed in the south tower.
During its history, Old Main has housed many different departments and served many different administrative functions. It currently houses the offices of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
The J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is the University of Arkansas' college for students with interest in the liberal arts. It is named for former University President and United States Senator J. William Fulbright. The College has 19 different academic departments...
, its honors program and five academic departments, as well as classrooms and meeting spaces.
Architectural features
The front doors of the building still retain their original hinges. The cornerstoneCornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
of the building lists its original cost in 1871 dollars, $
Dollar sign
The dollar or peso sign is a symbol primarily used to indicate the various peso and dollar units of currency around the world.- Origin :...
186,000. The sweeping stairwell leading to the attic of the building found at the center of the top floor is original to the structure. The walls of the rooms in the central "shotgun" hallway are structural and largely conform to the plan of the original building. The cast-iron sides of the seats in the Giffels auditorium are supposedly cast from original molds.
Arboretum
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
(the large lawn area in front of Old Main) is a home to one of every type of tree in Arkansas and once used to be a training ground for military officers when military tactics were taught at the University. It also served as a place where the band would march and play. Today, the band practices in lot 56 (a parking lot on campus), and the arboretum is simply a green space where students can study, play games, or simply stroll through and enjoy.
James William Fulbright statue
In 2002, a statue of former faculty member, senator, and namesake of the college housed in Old Main, J. William FulbrightJ. William Fulbright
James William Fulbright was a United States Senator representing Arkansas from 1945 to 1975.Fulbright was a Southern Democrat and a staunch multilateralist who supported the creation of the United Nations and the longest serving chairman in the history of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee...
, was erected in the rear courtyard of the building. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
gave a much-anticipated speech at the dedication ceremony.
Bells
In 1879, the first official bellChurch bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
for Old Main was installed. That bell still exists today, but is no longer in regular use. The last two times it was used was when it rang 10 times in 1985 to mark the $10 million received through donations for the restoration process and in July 1989 to mark the beginning of renovation. Electronic bells were installed during 1949, and dedicated to those students lost in any war. These bells wore out and were replaced with a computerized bell device. It plays the Westminster Chimes every hour from 8 am- 8pm, a musical selection after noon and the alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
after five o'clock.
Senior Walk
Clock
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
gave a much-anticipated speech at the J. William Fulbright
J. William Fulbright
James William Fulbright was a United States Senator representing Arkansas from 1945 to 1975.Fulbright was a Southern Democrat and a staunch multilateralist who supported the creation of the United Nations and the longest serving chairman in the history of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee...
statue dedication ceremony, Clinton asked Chancellor John White, "Where is the clock?" Three years later, Old Main received a clock face.
On October 27, 2005, after more than 130 years without a functioning clock face, a specially constructed clock was completed and dedicated on the South Tower. This was in celebration of reaching a "Campaign for Twenty-First Century" campaign goal of $1 billion and also included the replacement of aging mortar
Mortar (masonry)
Mortar is a workable paste used to bind construction blocks together and fill the gaps between them. The blocks may be stone, brick, cinder blocks, etc. Mortar becomes hard when it sets, resulting in a rigid aggregate structure. Modern mortars are typically made from a mixture of sand, a binder...
between bricks, replacing the roof, and other minor aesthetic improvements to the building.