 An artist's rendition of the Academic Hall dome
|
|
 View from inside Academic Hall dome
|
|
 A view of Kent Library from the top of the dome
|
|
 Student scribbles and names on the interior of the dome
|
|
 Alternate view of dome interior
|
|
 View of staircase to the top of the dome
|
|
 Exterior shot of the Academic Hall dome
|
|
Academic Hall was built in 1906 to replace the original Normal School Building, which burned down on April 8, 1902. The college was very small when the first building burned, said Frank Nickell, the director of the Center for Regional History.
"Because the original school building was so small, there was talk of it relocating," said Nickell.
The man in charge of appropriation for the rebuild, State Senator R. B. Oliver, stepped in and made an appropriation of $200,000 to build Academic Hall and to keep the college from relocating. Nickell said that at that point, it was the largest appropriation Missouri had ever made to education.
"They built Academic Hall to make a statement," said Nickell. "You will not take our college!"
Southeast's domed landmark building was designed by Jerome Bibb Legg, and includes light fixtures from the 1904 World's Fair. When it was built in 1906 it was the biggest public building in the state of Missouri.
There are chalk, ink and pencil markings throughout the dome area of Academic Hall. Countless faculty, staff, students and visitors have visited the dome area and "left their mark."
Academic Hall is not open to the public on a regular basis but tours are occasionally given. It was built on the site of a Civil War fort on the highest hill in Cape Girardeau 104 years ago and remains a symbol of both Southeast Missouri State University and of higher education to this day.
Be the first to comment on this story