A Time of Transition
Myers Hall Undergoes Transformation Through the Years

One hundred and sixty years ago, one man’s vision became a reality on a hilltop in Springfield, Ohio, and a college was founded. Instruction began in a nearby church as the forest on the hilltop was cleared, and the “first college building was erected with students and faculty contributing their labor,” according to A History of Wittenberg College (1845-1945) by Harold H. Lentz. On Sept. 1, 1846, the board of directors met for the first time on the college site.

The college catalog carried a picture of a large Greek revival structure, but when students arrived on campus they found “one wing of the college building erected but unfinished and presenting an extremely bald and ungainly appearance.” With the excavation of the site completed and the walls just a few feet above the ground, funds were exhausted.

Work resumed in 1850, and both the stone and lime used in construction came from limestone rock quarried at the southwest corner of campus. At a cost of $28,000, the building, originally named Recitation Hall, housed the college by December of 1851. Clearing the trees in front of the imposing five-story building made it visible from the village of Springfield. Three years later a fire destroyed the cupola and damaged the roof.

The exterior was first painted in 1866, and a slate roof, stone steps and platform were added. The college continued to grow beyond the bounds of the building, and 20 years later a new Recitation Hall was built to the southwest. The first building, now called Wittenberg, became the men’s dormitory with a dining hall and kitchen.

Years of improvements began in the 1880s, including the building of a new cupola, the installation of a telephone, running water, sanitary equipment and shower baths. New window sashes, and two hallways with new floors and new stairways were added along with electricity and steam heat. By 1902, the cost of the improvements totaled $3,134.57, which raised the room rent from $7.50 to $9 per year, and Wittenberg became known as Old Wittenberg.

A gift from Francis E. and Philip A. Myers of Ashland, Ohio, brought changes in 1916 that included fresh paint, inside and out, and new floors. Pillars and a portico added to the front façade completed the Greek revival architectural design, and a cafeteria opened on the first floor. The building was dedicated Myers Hall in their honor during the annual homecoming celebration that year.

The Student Union was added 30 years later as Wittenberg moved into the modern era, and in 1958 the building was again completely remodeled. Another renovation is currently underway of Myers Hall thus beginning a new chapter in the building’s historic story for future generations to write.

— Phyllis Eberts ’00