Des Moines Regisster
04-19-07
Crumbling landmark transformed for future generations of students
By ROX LAIRD
REGISTER EDITORIAL WRITER
Nearly a decade ago, Iowa State University faced a wrenching decision
regarding the future of the oldest academic building on campus, a crumbling
monument to the university's historic roots.
Just over a century after it was built, a decrepit Morrill Hall stood vacant on the
edge of central campus with no conceivable purpose or future.
Some in ISU's administration had a wrecking ball in mind. Meanwhile, a modest
Morrill Hall preservation movement took root among faculty, students and alumni
who had a fondness for the building, and it grew into a remarkably broad-based
fund drive, raising $7.4 million.
Tomorrow, 116 years after it was first dedicated, a renovated Morrill Hall will be
rededicated. The building, which originally housed the Iowa State College library,
chapel, biology lab and music rooms has been stunningly transformed into a
multipurpose showcase for art, fashion and teaching excellence.
This story has a moral: It is possible to preserve an important historic landmark
and give it a new purpose in life that makes the investment worthwhile for future
generations.
The building had deep historic meaning for ISU: It's namesake was Justin Smith
Morrill, the Congressman from Vermont who proposed the Civil War-era
legislation that created the federal land-grant financing mechanism to create
state colleges, including Iowa State.
University officials, nonetheless, could have justified razing Morrill Hall. It had
serious mechanical and structural problems. Its only occupants included bats, a
colony of bees that had built combs in gaps in the brick walls and climbing vines
that had invaded through cracks to nearly take over one entire room. The roof
leaked, exterior brick was crumbling and window sashes were rotted. The
building lacked air conditioning and adequate toilets. It was nowhere close to
being accessible to the handicapped.
Still, ISU President Gregory Geoffrey challenged preservation advocates to
step up with their checkbooks. They responded, including faculty, alums and
students who believed the landmark should be saved. More than 3,300
contributors, including students who remember trudging up the circular staircase
on worn wooden steps to music classes, made donations ranging from $25 to the
$1.2 million lead gift from ISU grad Lyle Campbell and Nancy Campbell of
Paradise Valley, Ariz. The university contributed nearly $3 million to the $10.3
million project.
Morrill Hall has been carefully and expertly restored for new purposes. It houses
three galleries: one dedicated to the work of former ISU artist-in-residence
Christian Petersen, one for traveling art exhibits and a third where ISU fashion
students will mount rotating clothing displays.
In addition, a secure, climate-controlled storage archive has been created for the
school's world-class collection of more than 8,500 textiles and items of clothing
representing every continent and culture. There, students and curators will for the
first time be able to properly catalog, store and care for the collection.
Three classrooms have been created, including a lecture hall in what had been
the chapel. The ISU Center for Excellence in Learning and Training (CELT),
which provides training and support for ISU faculty, occupies the top floor.
In some respects, Morrill Hall today is more durable and handsome than ever:
Exterior and interior brick walls, which were originally laid up separately, were
anchored, and deteriorated masonry was replaced. The roof structure was
reinforced, and asphalt shingles were replaced with a slate lookalike material
made from recycled tires.
The real transformation is inside: Once gloomy with tile floors and painted
wainscotting, it is now open and airy, with bamboo flooring in galleries and stone
in entries and stairs. Because environmentally friendly products were used, the
project is eligible for a "green building" certification.
So, the story has come full circle. Thanks to those with fond memories of the redbrick Victorian building, Morrill Hall got a new lease on life, a new purpose to
make new memories for future generations of students.
ROX LAIRD is a Register editorial writer. He can be reached at (515) 284-8097
or rlaird@dmreg.com.