Koch Hall was originally knows as the "Laboratories Building".

When alumni think of Koch Hall, a flood of memories ensues: an acid vault, the pottery kiln, a Shifter initiation ceremony, or even a lecture from stockroom manager Andy Gumpert on the proper length for women’s skirts.

Originally known as the “Laboratories Building” as it was the first chemistry facility on campus, Koch Hall underwent a major renovation in the 1970s in order to house the current art department. Designed in the eastern collegiate Tudor style, which consists of long casement windows, carved stone and a slate roof, the building possessed some interesting features, according to Don Dunifon, professor emeritus of art. In addition to its vast interior spaces with Gothic influences, it also had a unique landscape complete with trees grown from cuttings from some of the first Katsura trees brought to this country from the Orient.

As for the interior, the first and second floors had fine hardwood doors and trim, while the basement and fourth floor were fitted with pine as a cost-saving measure. The cast terrazzo stone floor became the one luxury item. All of these features remain in the building today.

“Ingenious ventilation duct work made of cardboard material, torn out during the renovation, also offered protection from acid fumes and odor,” Dunifon added.

The original “stonework,” including the interior trim, was actually molded concrete. During the renovation, the coping was replaced with limestone from a Columbus quarry and installed using the traditional method, which involved a stone cutter-and-fitter ascending to the top using a boatswain’s chair and then instructing the workers on how to place the cut limestone. The window casings were also replaced in the all-glass “factory-designed” rear of the building, and new heating, electric and plumbing systems were installed.

Nelson Sartoris, professor of chemistry, who began his tenure at Wittenberg in 1968, taught in Koch Hall for six years before the renovation.

“At that time, the back wall of the lecture room was all windows, and in the winter, I frequently lectured with gloves and Bunsen burners on,” he said. “There was also an interesting men’s room on the second floor, which was long and narrow and had just two stalls,” Sartoris said.

“These stalls were laid out in such a way that you had to pass through one to get to the other. This always presented the dilemma of whether to use the front stall and take the risk that someone would have to climb over you to get to the other one, or go into the back stall and risk getting trapped in there if someone else used the front one.”

This awkward situation disappeared after the renovation as the area was turned into an elevator shaft.

Now 76 years old, Koch Hall still remains a popular spot on campus tours. Home to Kissell Auditorium, it also houses the Ann Miller Gallery, which exhibits professional, faculty and student artwork each year.

-- Phyllis Eberts '00