McKinley Building

Last updated
McKinley Building
McKinley Building today.jpg
The McKinley Building in 2016
Location map District of Columbia street.png
Red pog.svg
Location within District of Columbia
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
McKinley Building (the United States)
General information
Location Washington, D.C.
Coordinates 38°56′11″N77°5′22″W / 38.93639°N 77.08944°W / 38.93639; -77.08944 Coordinates: 38°56′11″N77°5′22″W / 38.93639°N 77.08944°W / 38.93639; -77.08944
Current tenants American University School of Communication
Named for William McKinley
Groundbreaking1901
Completed1907
Owner American University
Design and construction
Architect(s) Henry Ives Cobb

The McKinley Building was the second building constructed on the American University campus, built in 1907, in northwest Washington, D.C. McKinley was designed by Henry Ives Cobb, well known for his architectural work in Chicago. The McKinley Building became the new home for the School of Communication after renovations were completed in 2014.

Contents

Construction

Henry Ives Cobb designed a number of buildings on the American University campus including the future McKinley Building (then called the Ohio Hall of Government). [1]

Excavation commenced in 1901 to prepare for a cornerstone laying ceremony in December of that year. The combination of President William McKinley's assassination on September 14, 1901 and the threat of unfavorable weather conditions delayed the cornerstone laying until 1902. [2] In honor of the role of the late President McKinley both in the world and at the school, the founders of American University decided to change the name of Ohio Hall to The McKinley Memorial-Ohio College of Government. The American University Courier said of the building, "Every footfall in its halls for the years to come would echo the name and fame of the great and honored man in whose memory the building was erected." [3] On May 14, 1902, 1,500 people attended the cornerstone laying of the McKinley Memorial-Ohio College of Government. President Theodore Roosevelt did the honors. [4]

In October 1905, construction commenced on McKinley Building. Contractors Richardson & Burgess estimates the building construction cost at $250,000. [5] Exterior construction completed December 11, 1907 with a cost of $145,000. [6] Overall construction is incomplete, with the interior unfinished, and was put on hold due to a lack of funds from American University.

World War I

This sign commemorates the establishment of the U.S. Army Chemical Corps in June 1918. AU McKineyHall ACC.jpeg
This sign commemorates the establishment of the U.S. Army Chemical Corps in June 1918.

April 2, 1917 the United States officially declared war on Germany and entered World War I. American University entered into an agreement with the U.S. government to use the University campus and the McKinley building for war purposes. Camp Leach with acres of barracks was created on campus and the McKinley building was to be turned over to the Bureau of Mines after completion of the interior, renovations which the government paid for. The U.S. modified and finished the interior of McKinley Building, creating the chemical weapons lab, one of the biggest in the nation. [7]

The 30th Engineer Regiment (Gas and Flame), later to become 1st Gas Regiment, was activated at Camp Leach on August 15, 1917. [8]

Major General WM. L. Sibert expressed gratitude to AU on behalf of the Chemical Warfare Service for the use of the campus during World War I. The Chemical Warfare Service left the American University campus July 1, 1919. [9]

Postwar

1926 THC 2003.902.105 Fixed Nitrogen Research Laboratory Exterior.tif
1926

The United States Department of Agriculture leased McKinley for the use of the Nitrate Division (which later became the Fixed Nitrogen Research Laboratory). The Lab, in April of 1920, employed 108 persons to study Nitrogen in the Atmosphere and its potential usage in fertilizer. [10] The Fixed Nitrogen Research Laboratory remained in the McKinley Building until March 15, 1941. [11]

The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company took over occupation of McKinley. $40,000 worth of renovations were done to the building. C & P Telephone Company occupy the building from October 28, 1941 to 1954. C & P pays the school some $48,000/yr rental until vacating the premises.

Academic building

McKinley was renovated in 1955 and opened for academic use for the fall 1955 term. The renovations accommodated classrooms and offices and marked the beginning of the building’s use as an academic building, rather than as a rental to external parties.

Renovation made way for The School of Business, The American Language Center, The District Speech Clinic, and The Education Department.

Mistrust

An exploration of the attic chronicled in an article in The Eagle published Nov. 15, 1966 revealed that a portion of the bare, unused space holds "a maze of telephone wires" and "a complex of electronic equipment." [12] This discovery by the university paper sparks a student-led uproar that carries forward as far as 1970. An article in The Eagle written in September of 1967 quoting the AU Director of Physical Plant clarifies that the receivers are backup Federal Transmitters. [13] An editorial written later in the same paper questions, "what AU's involvement with the government actually is." This mistrust eventually leads to the equipment quietly being removed in November of 1967.

April 7, 1970 rocks thrown at McKinley broke windows as a rally got out of hand. A firebomb thrown into a biology lab did not go off. [14]

Restoration

Newly remodeled north side entrance Newly remodeled north side entrance.jpg
Newly remodeled north side entrance

School of Communication

A quick tour of the new and improved McKinley Building on American University's campus.

McKinley is the new home of the American University School of Communication. Groundbreaking for restoration and construction took place in 2012 [15] and opened for classes in January 2014.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kent State University</span> University in Kent, Ohio, United States

Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in Ashtabula, Burton, East Liverpool, Jackson Township, New Philadelphia, Salem, and Warren, Ohio, with additional facilities in Cleveland, Independence, and Twinsburg, Ohio, New York City, and Florence, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William McKinley</span> President of the United States from 1897 to 1901

William McKinley was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in the industrial states and nationwide until the 1930s. He presided over victory in the Spanish–American War of 1898; gained control of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Cuba; restored prosperity after a deep depression; rejected the inflationary monetary policy of free silver, keeping the nation on the gold standard; and raised protective tariffs to boost American industry and keep wages high.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richardsonian Romanesque</span> Architectural style, named for Henry Hobson Richardson

Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revival style incorporates 11th and 12th century southern French, Spanish, and Italian Romanesque characteristics. Richardson first used elements of the style in his Richardson Olmsted Complex in Buffalo, New York, designed in 1870. Multiple architects followed in this style in the late 19th century; Richardsonian Romanesque later influenced modern styles of architecture as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President William McKinley High School</span> Public high school in Honolulu, , United States of America

President William McKinley High School, more commonly referred to as McKinley High School, is a comprehensive public high school in the Honolulu District of the Hawaii State Department of Education. It serves grades nine through twelve. McKinley is one of three schools in the Kaimuki-McKinley-Roosevelt Complex Area which includes Kaimuki High School and Roosevelt High School. It was founded as Fort Street English Day School in 1865. Later known as Honolulu High School, it was renamed in memorial to William McKinley, the twenty-fifth President of the United States, in 1907. President William McKinley High School is one of the oldest secondary schools in the state and several of its buildings have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The campus displays sculptures by Satoru Abe (1926–) and Bumpei Akaji (1921–2002). McKinley High School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McKinley National Memorial</span> Mausoleum of 25th U.S. President William McKinley in Canton, Ohio

The McKinley National Memorial in Canton, Ohio, United States, is the final resting place of William McKinley, who served as the 25th president of the United States from 1897 to his assassination in 1901. Canton was a significant place in McKinley's life; he lived there, practiced as an attorney, and conducted his political campaigns from the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dix Stadium</span>

Dix Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Kent, Ohio, United States. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Kent State Golden Flashes football team. In addition, since 2016 the stadium is also home to the Kent State women's soccer team and since 2019 to the women's lacrosse team. Previously, it was home to the Kent State field hockey team from 1997 to 2004 and served as a secondary home for the KSU men's soccer team in the 1970s. It opened on September 13, 1969 and was named in 1973 after Robert C. Dix, former publisher of the Record-Courier and a member of Kent State's Board of Trustees for more than three decades. It was built as an expansion and relocation of Memorial Stadium, with all of Memorial Stadium's main seating areas used at the current stadium in a new configuration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McKinley Monument</span> Landmark in Buffalo, New York

The McKinley Monument is a 96-foot (29 m) tall obelisk in Niagara Square, Buffalo, New York. Its location in front of Buffalo City Hall defines the center of Buffalo that all of the main roads converge on.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center</span>

The Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center, often referred to as the MAC Center and the MACC, is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, United States. The building is primarily used as an athletic venue that is home to five Kent State Golden Flashes varsity athletic teams, including the men's basketball and women's basketball teams. The arena also hosts women's volleyball, women's gymnastics, and wrestling as well as commencement exercises, speakers, and concerts throughout the year. The building houses the offices of the Kent State Athletic Department and the coaches of each of the university's varsity athletic teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library</span> Main library at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, US

The William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library is the main library at Ohio State University's Columbus campus. It is the university's largest library and houses its main stacks, special collections, rare books and manuscripts, and many departmental subject libraries. The library was originally built in 1912, and was renovated in 1951, 1977, and 2009. It is named in honor of the university's fifth president, William Oxley Thompson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National McKinley Birthplace Memorial</span> Historic building in Ohio, United States

The National McKinley Birthplace Memorial Library and Museum is the national memorial to President William McKinley, located in Niles, Ohio. Also known as the McKinley Memorial Library, Museum & Birthplace Home, the memorial is a 232 by 136 by 38 ft marble monument with two wings. One wing houses the public McKinley Memorial Library, and the other features the McKinley Museum with exhibits about President McKinley and an auditorium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montreal Masonic Memorial Temple</span> Historic building in Montreal, Canada

The Montreal Masonic Memorial Temple is a historic masonic temple in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on the corner of Sherbrooke Street and St. Marc Street, in the Golden Square Mile district. Dedicated and officially opened June February 12, 1930, it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2001, as an example of one of Canada’s most elegant buildings in the Beaux-Arts style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levi Scofield</span>

Levi Tucker Scofield was a prominent architect and sculptor from Cleveland, Ohio. He served as a Captain in the 103rd OVI in the American Civil War and designed many public buildings and several monuments during his career. He was a third generation Cleveland resident and the Schofield Building, which he designed, is named after him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio State Normal College at Kent</span> United States historic place

The Ohio State Normal College at Kent is a historic district in Kent, Ohio, United States. It consists of the five original buildings on the main campus of Kent State University, with the first, Merrill Hall, opening in 1913 and the last, Moulton Hall, opening in 1917. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The name of the district comes from the working name of what would later be named the Kent State Normal School in 1911 and ultimately Kent State University by 1935.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Buffalo, New York</span> Overview of the architecture in Buffalo, New York

The Architecture of Buffalo, New York, particularly the buildings constructed between the American Civil War and the Great Depression, is said to have created a new, distinctly American form of architecture and to have influenced design throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Cobb Institute</span> School in Athens, Georgia, United States

The Lucy Cobb Institute was a girls' school on Milledge Avenue in Athens, Georgia, United States. It was founded by Thomas R.R. Cobb, and named in honor of his daughter, who had died of scarlet fever at age 14, shortly before construction was completed and doors opened; it was incorporated in 1859. The cornerstone for the Seney-Stovall Chapel was laid in May 1882, and the octagonal building was dedicated in 1885. The school closed in 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McKinley Birthplace Memorial gold dollar</span> Commemorative gold coin featuring President McKinley

The McKinley Birthplace Memorial gold dollar was a commemorative coin struck by the United States Bureau of the Mint in 1916 and 1917, depicting the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley. The coin's obverse was designed by Charles E. Barber, Chief Engraver of the Mint, and the reverse by his assistant, George T. Morgan. As McKinley had appeared on a version of the 1903-dated Louisiana Purchase Exposition dollar, the 1916 release made him the first person to appear on two issues of U.S. coins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart</span> Church in D.C., U.S.

Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart, often shortened to Dahlgren Chapel, is a Roman Catholic chapel located in Dahlgren Quadrangle on the main campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The chapel was built in 1893, and is located in the historic center of the campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Capitol cornerstone laying</span>

The United States Capitol cornerstone laying was the ceremonial placement of the cornerstone of the United States Capitol on September 18, 1793. The cornerstone was laid by president of the United States George Washington, assisted by the Grand Master of Maryland Joseph Clark, in a Masonic ritual.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wills Gymnasium</span>

Wills Gymnasium, often referred to as Wills Gym, was a multi-purpose athletic facility on the campus of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, United States. Construction started in 1924 and the building was dedicated in 1925. It was the first dedicated gymnasium on the KSU campus, which had opened in 1913. Before the opening of Wills Gym, physical education classes and the intercollegiate and intramural sports teams used a variety of spaces for games and classes, both on campus in other buildings and off campus. The main gym seated approximately 4,000 people and the basement level included an indoor pool, locker rooms, and bowling alley. At the time, its capacity made it one of the largest facilities in the region. The building served as the primary home of the university's athletic teams and physical education department until 1950, when the Men's Physical Education Building opened. Wills Gym was the first permanent home of the Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team, and was also the original home venue for wrestling, men's swimming, men's and women's gymnastics, women's volleyball, and women's basketball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology</span> University in Shantou, Guangdong, China

Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) commonly shortened to Guangdong Technion is a public technological institute and non-profit research university in Shantou, Guangdong province, China, situated on the southeast of Shantou University.

References

  1. The University Courier, January 1900, "The American University, the Site, and Plan of Proposed Buildings", p. 6
  2. The University Courier, December 1901, "Laying of the Corner Stone of the McKinley Memorial", p. 9
  3. The University Courier, December 1901, "The Ohio College of Government Commenced", p. 8
  4. The University Courier, June 1902, "An Epoch Making Day," p. 1
  5. Richardson & Burgess to Henry Ives Cobb, July 30, 1901, American University Special Collections, McKinley Building Collection
  6. Richardson & Burgess to Henry Ives Cobb, December 11, 1907, American University Special Collections, McKinley Building Collection
  7. The University Courier, December, 1917, "McKinley Memorial Building," p.1
  8. Eldredge, Walter J. Finding My Father's War: A Baby Boomer and the 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion in World War II, (Google Books), PageFree Publishing, Inc., 2004, p. 246, ( ISBN   1-58961-202-7)
  9. The University Courier, January, 1919, "Letters from General Sibert and Colonel Burrell," p.7
  10. Lamb, Arthur B. (May 26, 1920). "The Fixed Nitrogen Research Laboratory". Chemical & Metallurgical Engineering. 22 (21): 977–979. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  11. Oregon State
  12. The Eagle, Nov. 15, 1966, Vol. 41, #14, "Even Rooms Get Lost," p. 5
  13. The Eagle, Sep 29, 1967, Vol. 42, #4, "Radios Hidden in McKinley," p.1
  14. The Eagle, Apr. 10, 1970, Vol. 44, #24, "Vandals Roam Campus, Do $3000 in Damages," p. 3
  15. Drobis, David R., "The Time is Now," http://www.american.edu/soc/campaign/, Retrieved 2012-03-02