Altgeld Hall on the campus of

Southern Illinois University Carbondale Southern Illinois University (SIU or SIUC) is a public research university in Carbondale, Illinois. Founded in 1869, SIU is the oldest and flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system. The university enrolls students from all 50 s ...

, originally known as "Southern Illinois State Normal University", is the oldest currently occupied structure on the campus.

History and architecture

Construction was authorized by Governor

John Peter Altgeld John Peter Altgeld (December 30, 1847 – March 12, 1902) was an American politician and the 20th Governor of Illinois, serving from 1893 until 1897. He was the first Democrat to govern that state since the 1850s. A leading figure of the Progr ...

in 1895 as part of a program of expansion of state funding for education. The architect was

C. W. Rapp C. W. & George L. Rapp, commonly known as Rapp & Rapp, was an American architectural firm famed for the design of movie palaces and other theatres. Active from 1906 to 1965 and based in Chicago, the office designed over 400 theatres, includ ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, a Carbondale native, and the contractors were M. T. Lewman & Company of

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

. The cornerstone was laid July 21, 1896 by

Owen Scott Owen Scott (July 6, 1848 – December 21, 1928) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois. Born on a farm in Jackson Township, Illinois, Scott attended the common schools, a private school in Kinmundy and the State normal school in Normal, Illin ...

, former United States Representative. The building was dedicated December 22, 1896 by then president of the school, Harvey W. Everest. As originally designed, the building housed the university library and laboratories for the departments of physics, chemistry and biological science, as well as a gymnasium. Following a major remodeling project in 1958, Altgeld Hall became the home to the

SIUC School of Music The Southern Illinois University (SIUC) School of Music aka SOM is part of the College of Liberal Arts, and a focal point of cultural learning and activity at SIUC. Housed in Altgeld Hall (built in 1896), the Old Baptist Foundation Building and S ...

. From 2002 to 2004 the building underwent a major restoration and renovation project, which included a large addition to the west side. The architects of the project were White & Borgognoni of Carbondale. Altgeld Hall is one of a group of five buildings known as Altgeld's castles. Altgeld authorized these buildings as part of increased state investment in education, but also wielded influence over their design. Four of the five, including the SIUC building, were designed in what Altgeld described as the "Tudor-Gothic style," his preferred style for public buildings built during his term of office. Through his influence these buildings were part of the larger

Collegiate Gothic Collegiate Gothic is an architectural style subgenre of Gothic Revival architecture, popular in the late-19th and early-20th centuries for college and high school buildings in the United States and Canada, and to a certain extent Europ ...

movement.

Historic photos

File:Annual catalogue of the Southern Illinois Normal University, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois, 1875-1892 (1901) (14597970130).jpg, Altgeld Hall (1901)
East Side File:Annual catalogue of the Southern Illinois Normal University, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois, 1875-1892 (1901) (14782329134).jpg, Altgeld Hall (1901)
Interior - Gymnasium File:Annual catalogue of the Southern Illinois Normal University, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois, 1875-1892 (1907) (14781338992).jpg, Altgeld Hall (1907)
Northeastern Side

History and architecture

Historic photos

References

See also