Van Meter Hall
Encyclopedia
Van Meter Hall is a building on the campus of Western Kentucky University
in Bowling Green, Kentucky
. Constructed in 1911, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on December 18, 1979.
architect
Brinton B. Davis
, nicknamed the "hill builder" due to his vast work designing the majority of the university layout from 1909 until 1939.
The building, completed in 1911, is designed to look like the Acropolis
's Erechtheion Temple. The most notable feature of the structure was a 1,600 seat auditorium
for hosting concert
s and public events, but Van Meter also contained office space. It was named for Captain Charles J. Van Meter, a local riverboat captain and developer.
(comedian), Anoushka Shankar
(sitar player), KISS
(rock band), Nancy Cartwright
(voice of animated Bart Simpson), Charlie Daniels
(country band), and so many more.
The building has undergone minor renovations numerous times, most notably in 1968, 1969, and 1971.
Van Meter Hall is currently undergoing a major renovation and expansion, started in the spring of 2008. More area is being added to the rear of the building, which will allow the music and theatre departments added space. The overhaul of the building will also allow for improvements in lighting structures and seating, which will allow student musicians and actors to stage better performances in the auditorium. As of March 2009, construction is five months ahead of schedule and the building is projected to reopen for use in the Spring of 2010.
of a construction worker who was killed in a fall from above the auditorium stage during a renovation. Popular legend states that construction worker died in 1909 after seeing an airplane for the first time. Other versions of this tale refer to the death of an actress, a hermit living beneath the hall or the one-time president of the university Henry Hardin Cherry. The date of the supposed death is anytime between 1909 and the 1940s. The ghost is credited with moving furniture overnight, turning off lights and causes computer problems.
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
in Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
. Constructed in 1911, it was added to 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...
on December 18, 1979.
History
Van Meter Hall was the first building constructed on the campus of Western Kentucky University. It was also the first building on the campus designed by LouisvilleLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Brinton B. Davis
Brinton B. Davis
Brinton B. Davis was an architect in Kentucky. More than a dozen of his works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some of his works were covered in a study, "Buildings on the Western Kentucky University campus TR"....
, nicknamed the "hill builder" due to his vast work designing the majority of the university layout from 1909 until 1939.
The building, completed in 1911, is designed to look like the Acropolis
Acropolis of Athens
The Acropolis of Athens or Citadel of Athens is the best known acropolis in the world. Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification...
's Erechtheion Temple. The most notable feature of the structure was a 1,600 seat auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
for hosting concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s and public events, but Van Meter also contained office space. It was named for Captain Charles J. Van Meter, a local riverboat captain and developer.
Modern Usage
Today Van Meter Hall houses the office of Campus and Community Events. The auditorium is heavily used for theatrical performances, musical performances (concerts/symphonies/orchestras), guest speakers, pageants, various dance recitals, and Van Meter also serves as meeting space for large events hosted by the campus' president and other campus constituents. Many famous faces have graced the stage of Van Meter Hall. Some are: Carlos MenciaCarlos Mencia
Carlos Mencia , born Ned Arnel Mencia, is a Honduran-born American comedian, writer, and actor. His style of comedy is often political and involves issues of race, culture, criminal justice, and social class...
(comedian), Anoushka Shankar
Anoushka Shankar
Anoushka Shankar is a British Indian sitar player and composer who lives between the United States, the United Kingdom, and India. She is the daughter of Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar and Sukanya Shankar...
(sitar player), KISS
Kiss
A kiss is the act of pressing one's lips against the lips or other body parts of another person or of an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, affection, respect, greeting, friendship, and good...
(rock band), Nancy Cartwright
Nancy Cartwright
Nancy Campbell Cartwright is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. She is best known for her long-running role as Bart Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons...
(voice of animated Bart Simpson), Charlie Daniels
Charlie Daniels
Charles Edward "Charlie" Daniels is an American musician known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his number one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer...
(country band), and so many more.
Renovations
Van Meter Hall is currently undergoing a major renovation and expansion, started in the spring of 2008. More area is being added to the rear of the building, which will allow the music and theatre departments added space. The overhaul of the building will also allow for improvements in lighting structures and seating, which will allow student musicians and actors to stage better performances in the auditorium. As of March 2009, construction is five months ahead of schedule and the building is projected to reopen for use in the Spring of 2010.
Legends and Folklore
Western Kentucky University has many ghost stories. In one such story Van Meter Hall is haunted by the ghostGhost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
of a construction worker who was killed in a fall from above the auditorium stage during a renovation. Popular legend states that construction worker died in 1909 after seeing an airplane for the first time. Other versions of this tale refer to the death of an actress, a hermit living beneath the hall or the one-time president of the university Henry Hardin Cherry. The date of the supposed death is anytime between 1909 and the 1940s. The ghost is credited with moving furniture overnight, turning off lights and causes computer problems.