Old Main, Augustana College
Encyclopedia
Old Main, Augustana College is an historic building located in Rock Island, Illinois
, United States
. It was built between 1884 and 1893 on the campus of Augustana College
, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1975.
in 1860 to educate Swedish immigrants by the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod, now part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
. The school moved to Paxton, Illinois
in 1863 and then to Rock Island in 1875.
Old Main was constructed from 1884-1893. It was dedicated in 1889 before it was completed. The building’s design was based on a similar building at the University of Uppsala in Sweden
, which was the alma mater of many of the college’s early faculty. The dome, however, was not part of the building’s original design. The building in Uppsala features a crenellated octagon-shaped tower. A dome was believed to be more American, and so it was chosen to top the building. The original cost to build the building is estimated at $75,000. A third of the money was donated by a local industrialist, Philander Lathrop Cable. Cable Hall, on the second floor of the building, was restored to look like a 19th century classroom.
A $13 million renovation of the building was begun in July 2010. The stone on the building’s exterior was washed and tuck pointed, and the old windows were replaced. The buildings dome, which was painted metal, was covered in a copper that has a pre-treated patina to give a weathered, bluish-green look.
and E.S. Hammatt of Davenport
. A large central pediment
with four two-story pilasters dominate in main façade
of the building over the main entrance. Smaller pediments flank the ends of the façade, and help to give the structure a balanced appearance. The exterior walls features heavy textured stone on the ground level and smooth masonry walls on the second and third levels of the building. The buff-colored dolomite limestone was quarried near LeClaire, Iowa. It is the same quarry that produced the stone blocks that were used to build the shops on nearby Rock Island Arsenal
. The dome on top of the building is based on 16th century Italian designs.
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was built between 1884 and 1893 on the campus of Augustana College
Augustana College (Illinois)
Augustana College is a private liberal arts college located in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. The college enrolls approximately 2,500 students. Covering of hilly, wooded land, Augustana is adjacent to the Mississippi River...
, and 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 1975.
History
Augustana College was established in 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...
in 1860 to educate Swedish immigrants by the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod, now part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
. The school moved to Paxton, Illinois
Paxton, Illinois
Paxton is a city in Ford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,473 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ford County.-History:...
in 1863 and then to Rock Island in 1875.
Old Main was constructed from 1884-1893. It was dedicated in 1889 before it was completed. The building’s design was based on a similar building at the University of Uppsala in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, which was the alma mater of many of the college’s early faculty. The dome, however, was not part of the building’s original design. The building in Uppsala features a crenellated octagon-shaped tower. A dome was believed to be more American, and so it was chosen to top the building. The original cost to build the building is estimated at $75,000. A third of the money was donated by a local industrialist, Philander Lathrop Cable. Cable Hall, on the second floor of the building, was restored to look like a 19th century classroom.
A $13 million renovation of the building was begun in July 2010. The stone on the building’s exterior was washed and tuck pointed, and the old windows were replaced. The buildings dome, which was painted metal, was covered in a copper that has a pre-treated patina to give a weathered, bluish-green look.
Architecture
The Renaissance Revival style building was designed by L.G. Hallberg of 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...
and E.S. Hammatt of Davenport
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
. A large central pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
with four two-story pilasters dominate in main façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
of the building over the main entrance. Smaller pediments flank the ends of the façade, and help to give the structure a balanced appearance. The exterior walls features heavy textured stone on the ground level and smooth masonry walls on the second and third levels of the building. The buff-colored dolomite limestone was quarried near LeClaire, Iowa. It is the same quarry that produced the stone blocks that were used to build the shops on nearby Rock Island Arsenal
Rock Island Arsenal
The Rock Island Arsenal comprises , located on Arsenal Island, originally known as Rock Island, on the Mississippi River between the cities of Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island, Illinois. It lies within the state of Illinois. The island was originally established as a government site in 1816, with...
. The dome on top of the building is based on 16th century Italian designs.