In 1905, Willamette University opened the Medical Building as the first permanent home for the College of Medicine.[1][2][3] The medical school, the first in the Northwest, merged with the University of Oregon's medical school (now Oregon Health & Science University) in Portland in 1913 and vacated the building.[4][5] That year the law school moved into the now Science Hall, which was the first regular home to the school on campus.[6] Willamette's high school department, Willamette Academy, was also located in the building from 1913 until 1920.[4] The science department also occupied the building at this time.[1]
In 1938, the law school moved to Gatke Hall (built in 1903 and moved to campus in 1938),[6] and in 1941 the science department moved to neighboring Collins Hall.[1] In 1941, the then College of Music moved into the building, remaining until 1976.[1] That year the building finished renovations begun the previous year after the structure had declined to the point where the top floor was declared unsafe by the fire marshal.[1] The remodel prepared the building for use by the art department, who moved there in 1976 with the building renamed as the Art Building.[1] After the art department relocated to the hall, a gallery for the school's art collection developed on the top floor and was named the Hallie Brown Ford Gallery.[1] The collections were moved in 1998 to the new Hallie Ford Museum of Art located one block to the west.[1]
In 2002, a wing was added and the existing structure was extensively remodeled and upgraded in a $3.5 million project.[2] The three-story and 7,000-square-foot (650 m2) wing was added to the east with covered walkways connecting it to the existing structure on each of the three floors.[2] Renovations on the original building included seismic retrofitting, addition of bathrooms, and reconfiguration of the basement and the top floor.[2] Jon Weiner of Soderstrom Architects designed the new brick-faced wing,[2] while Walsh Construction served as the general contractor.[7]
Details
Front in summertime
The original building contains 14,000 square feet (1,300 m2) spread over three stories and a full basement.[2] It is the oldest building at Willamette after Gatke and Waller halls,[2] though Gatke was built elsewhere and moved to campus in 1938.[6] Originally featuring wood floors, the now carpeted hall includes a ceramics studio in the basement attached to an outdoor kiln,[2] teaching studios, galleries, offices, and work rooms.[7] The Beaux Arts style brick building is at the corner of State and Winter streets on the north end of the campus across from the Oregon Civic Justice Center.[2][7] The hall has a concrete foundation faced with bricks with the roof made of composite shingles.[1] The new[when?] wing includes a gallery for the display of student art,[2] a 35-seat classroom, offices, painting and printmaking studios, and storage areas.[7] The art history and art departments both occupy the buildings.[1]
^ abcCelebrating 125 Years of Outstanding Legal Education and Bar Leadership. Editor Anne Marie Becka, Willamette University College of Law, 2008. p. 19, 50.
