Sherman Hall (Western Illinois University)

Sherman Hall is the main administrative building of Western Illinois University and site of the original Western Illinois State Normal School in Macomb, Illinois.

Western Illinois State Normal School Building
Sherman Hall, 2006
Location1 University Cir., Macomb, Illinois
Coordinates40°27′51″N 90°41′00″W
Area6.2 acres (2.5 ha)
Built1900
Built byTri-City Construction Co.
ArchitectWilson, Robert Bruce
Architectural styleClassical Revival
NRHP reference No.98000470[1]
Added to NRHPMay 20, 1998

History

Designed by Illinois architect Robert Watson, Sherman Hall is a three-story, mixed classical revival-style building. Construction on Sherman Hall began on December 21, 1900[2] at the cost of $302,950.

Sherman Hall opened to the public in 1902 as the main building of Western Illinois State Normal School. Sherman Hall was the school's only building until Garwood Hall was built in 1914. At the turn of the 20th century, the hall contained classrooms, an auditorium, a gymnasium, a library, laboratories and administrative offices.

The building was referred to as the "Main Building" until it was renamed in honor of Lawrence Sherman, an influential Macomb lawyer and speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, in 1956.[3]

Sherman Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 as "Western Illinois State Normal School Building." This listing also encompasses nearby Garwood Hall because it is linked to Sherman Hall by a passageway as well as the Western Illinois University Art Gallery because it was the original heating annex for Sherman Hall.

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Morton, Dan. "Building History." Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine Western Courier, October 2, 1998. Retrieved February 23, 2007.
  3. Sherman Hall Designated on National Register of Historic Places, Western Illinois University Campus Connection, June 26, 1998. Retrieved February 14, 2007.
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