Academy Hall (Edinboro University of Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
Academy Hall is an academic building on the campus of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
in Edinboro
, Pennsylvania
. Originally known as Austin Hall for its architect, the hall has since been called a variety of names that reflected its use at the time, including Literary Hall, Commercial Hall and Music Hall. Built in 1857, Academy Hall is the oldest building at the university and the oldest normal school
building in Pennsylvania. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2006.
-style structure located at the intersection of High and Normal Streets at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
, southeast of downtown Edinboro
. The hall is 40 by 50 ft (12.2 by 15.2 ) with 10 by 24 ft (3 by 7.3 ) wings containing stairwells on the north and south sides. A cupola
with a low, pyramidal roof and arched windows is perched atop the building. Beneath the bracket
s and dentil
on the cupola is a "Greek key
fretwork".
The exterior of Academy Hall has remained unaltered since its construction, other than a new basement and foundation when it was moved in 1880, and the removal of chimneys in 1885. During renovations in 2006 and 2007, parts of the first floor ceiling were removed and a mezzanine
installed. The cupola also functions as a skylight.
in the community as the nearest secondary school
was in Waterford
, 10 miles (16.1 km) away. The community applied for a charter
in 1856 and succeeded in raising $3,000 for the purchasing of 1 acre (0.404686 ha) and the construction of an academy building. The contract for the building was awarded to Nathaniel C. Austin, a local architect and carpenter. Austin Hall was completed in 1857 and was dedicated on December 14, 1857, the day before classes began.
During the construction, the Pennsylvania General Assembly
passed the Normal School Act of 1857. The trustee
s of Edinboro Academy immediately decided to pursue certification as a normal school
under the act. An additional 9 acres (3.6 ha) were purchased and three more buildings erected: an assembly hall
and two dormitories
. The academy official became the Northwestern State Normal School on January 23, 1861. It was the second such school in Pennsylvania
, the first being at Millersville
.
Academy Hall was moved approximately 200 yard northeast to its present location in 1880. It was renamed Literary Hall the same year when its second floor became used primarily by the school's literary societies
. From 1912 to 1917, the hall was used by business courses and classes for "secretarial
skills" and became called Commercial Hall. In 1917, the building was used by music students and became Music Hall. The State Normal School became a State Teachers College in 1927 and a State College in 1960. The college's Alumni Office took over Music Hall in 1965 and renamed it back to Academy Hall. In 1983, Pennsylvania created the State System of Higher Education
with Edinboro State College becoming the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
Academy Hall was left vacant in 1996. It underwent a $2.4 million restoration that was completed when it was rededicated on January 18, 2007 as part of the 150th anniversary celebration of the founding of Edinboro University. The hall now houses the university's admissions office.
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro University is a public liberal arts university located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, USA and one of 14 schools associated with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The town is named after Edinburgh, Scotland. It is also not to be confused with the University of Edinburgh...
in Edinboro
Edinboro, Pennsylvania
Edinboro is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Erie Metropolitan Statistical Area. As home to Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, it is a small college town, as well as a "resort community"...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Originally known as Austin Hall for its architect, the hall has since been called a variety of names that reflected its use at the time, including Literary Hall, Commercial Hall and Music Hall. Built in 1857, Academy Hall is the oldest building at the university and the oldest normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
building in Pennsylvania. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2006.
Design
Academy Hall is a two-story, ItalianateItalianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
-style structure located at the intersection of High and Normal Streets at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro University is a public liberal arts university located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, USA and one of 14 schools associated with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The town is named after Edinburgh, Scotland. It is also not to be confused with the University of Edinburgh...
, southeast of downtown Edinboro
Edinboro, Pennsylvania
Edinboro is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Erie Metropolitan Statistical Area. As home to Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, it is a small college town, as well as a "resort community"...
. The hall is 40 by 50 ft (12.2 by 15.2 ) with 10 by 24 ft (3 by 7.3 ) wings containing stairwells on the north and south sides. A cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
with a low, pyramidal roof and arched windows is perched atop the building. Beneath the bracket
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
s and dentil
Dentil
In classical architecture a dentil is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice.The Roman architect Vitruvius In classical architecture a dentil (from Lat. dens, a tooth) is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice.The Roman architect...
on the cupola is a "Greek key
Greek key
Greek key may refer to:*An artistic meander pattern*Beta sheet#Greek key motif: A motif in proteins based on the meander pattern...
fretwork".
The exterior of Academy Hall has remained unaltered since its construction, other than a new basement and foundation when it was moved in 1880, and the removal of chimneys in 1885. During renovations in 2006 and 2007, parts of the first floor ceiling were removed and a mezzanine
Mezzanine
Mezzanine may refer to:* Mezzanine , an intermediate floor between main floors of a building* Mezzanine, in technology, can refer to a thin sheet of plastic insulating different parts of circuitry from each other in cramped environments, such as laptop interiors* Mezzanine board, or daughterboard,...
installed. The cupola also functions as a skylight.
History
In 1855, the citizens of Edinboro elected to establish an academyAcademy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
in the community as the nearest secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
was in Waterford
Waterford, Pennsylvania
Waterford is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,449 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Erie Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Waterford is located at ....
, 10 miles (16.1 km) away. The community applied for a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
in 1856 and succeeded in raising $3,000 for the purchasing of 1 acre (0.404686 ha) and the construction of an academy building. The contract for the building was awarded to Nathaniel C. Austin, a local architect and carpenter. Austin Hall was completed in 1857 and was dedicated on December 14, 1857, the day before classes began.
During the construction, the Pennsylvania General Assembly
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
passed the Normal School Act of 1857. The trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
s of Edinboro Academy immediately decided to pursue certification as a normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
under the act. An additional 9 acres (3.6 ha) were purchased and three more buildings erected: an assembly hall
Assembly Hall
An assembly hall is traditionally a building used for the purposes of holding deliberative assemblies. An example is the Assembly Hall where the general assembly of the state of Mississippi was held. Some Christian denominations call their meeting places or places of worship, assembly halls, such...
and two dormitories
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
. The academy official became the Northwestern State Normal School on January 23, 1861. It was the second such school in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, the first being at Millersville
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Millersville, Pennsylvania, USA, 3 miles southwest of Lancaster. Millersville University is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.-History:...
.
Academy Hall was moved approximately 200 yard northeast to its present location in 1880. It was renamed Literary Hall the same year when its second floor became used primarily by the school's literary societies
Literary society
A literary society is a group of people interested in literature. In the modern sense, this refers to a society that wants to promote one genre of literature or a specific writer. Modern literary societies typically promote research about their chosen author or genre, publish newsletters, and hold...
. From 1912 to 1917, the hall was used by business courses and classes for "secretarial
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
skills" and became called Commercial Hall. In 1917, the building was used by music students and became Music Hall. The State Normal School became a State Teachers College in 1927 and a State College in 1960. The college's Alumni Office took over Music Hall in 1965 and renamed it back to Academy Hall. In 1983, Pennsylvania created the State System of Higher Education
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a large public university system in the United States. It is the tenth-largest university system in the United States and 43rd largest in the world...
with Edinboro State College becoming the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
Academy Hall was left vacant in 1996. It underwent a $2.4 million restoration that was completed when it was rededicated on January 18, 2007 as part of the 150th anniversary celebration of the founding of Edinboro University. The hall now houses the university's admissions office.
See also
- List of the oldest buildings in Pennsylvania
- National Register of Historic Places listings at colleges and universities in the United States
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Erie County, PennsylvaniaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Erie County, PennsylvaniaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Erie County, Pennsylvania.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States...