Cretin Hall is one of the male undergraduate

residence hall A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...

s at the

University of St. Thomas St. Thomas University or University of St. Thomas may refer to: *Saint Thomas Aquinas University, Colombia *Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North, Tucumán province, Argentina *St. Thomas University (Canada), Fredericton, New Brunswick *St. ...

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...

. It resides on the South Campus, which is just south of historic Summit Avenue. Cretin was originally constructed as the South Student Residence Building for the

Saint Paul Seminary The Saint Paul Seminary (SPS) is a Roman Catholic major seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. A part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, SPS prepares men to enter the priesthood and permanent diaconate, and educates lay men and women o ...

in 1894. It was designed by architect

Cass Gilbert Cass Gilbert (November 24, 1859 – May 17, 1934) was an American architect. An early proponent of skyscrapers, his works include the Woolworth Building, the United States Supreme Court building, the state capitols of Minnesota, Arkansas and We ...

, who also designed Cretin's two sister buildings, Loras Hall and Grace Hall. In 1987 Cretin was acquired by St. Thomas and in 1989 it was renovated for use as a residence hall. Cretin Hall is named after the first Roman Catholic

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of St. Paul,

Joseph Crétin Joseph Crétin (19 December 1799 – 22 February 1857) was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Cretin Avenue in St. Paul, Cretin-Derham Hall High School, and Cretin Hall at the University of St. Thomas are named for him. ...

. Initial funding came from a $500,000 donation by Great Northern Railway President

James J. Hill James Jerome Hill (September 16, 1838 – May 29, 1916) was a Canadian-American railroad director. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwes ...

. Hill’s donation paid for the construction of the Cretin Residence Hall and its twin, Loras Residence Hall. Cretin Residence Hall is a -story, hipped-roof building faced in red pressed brick and designed in what Gilbert called a “Northern Italian style.” On January 17, 2023, St. Thomas announced plans for a new on-campus indoor arena. As part of the plans, Cretin Hall and two other buildings would be demolished to make way for the arena.

Specifications

Cretin houses 90 students on 5 levels. Community bathrooms with private shower stalls are located on each floor. Common areas include a service desk, computer room, recreation area,

kitchenette A kitchenette is a small cooking area, which usually has a refrigerator and a microwave, but may have other appliances. In some motel and hotel rooms, small apartments, college dormitories, or office buildings, a kitchenette consists of a small ref ...

, laundry room and recreation and TV areas.

References

{{coord, 44, 56, 22, N, 93, 11, 42, W, display=title Buildings and structures in Saint Paul, Minnesota University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) University and college dormitories in the United States 1894 establishments in Minnesota Buildings and structures completed in 1894 Cass Gilbert buildings