Brief building histories
Note: This list contains only information pertaining to buildings constructed for Lawrence University. Information on houses or other structures which Lawrence purchased from private owners and repurposed for university use is not included.
| Building name | Date constructed | Purpose | Destroyed? | Other information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy | 1849 | All-purpose | 1857, fire | Located where the YMCA is presently |
| Main Hall | 1853 | Original: all-purpose college building. Current: academic. | On National Register of Historic Places | |
| Sampson House | 1881 | President’s residence until 1956. Administrative use since then. | ||
| Ormsby Hall | 1889 | Residence hall | ||
| Underwood Observatory | 1891 | Academic | 1964 | Razed to make room for Youngchild Hall |
| Stephenson Hall of Science | 1898 | Academic | 1998 | Razed to make room for Science Hall |
| Alexander Gym I | 1901 | Athletics | 1960s | Razed to make room for Youngchild Hall |
| Carnegie Library | 1906 | Academic | 1974 | Had an addition in 1962, known thereafter as the Samuel Appleton-Carnegie Library |
| Peabody Hall of Music | 1909 | Conservatory | 1959 | Located where the YMCA is presently. Razed after Music-Drama Center was built. |
| Brokaw Hall | 1910 | Original: Residence hall. Current: residence hall and administrative | ||
| Sage Hall | 1917 | Residence hall | ||
| Memorial Chapel | 1918 | Conservatory | ||
| Alexander Gym II | 1928-1929 | Athletics | First Lawrence building on the south side of the Fox River. | |
| Fraternity quadrangle houses | 1941 | Residences | ||
| Worcester Art Center | 1950 | Academic | 1987 | Razed to make room for Wriston Art Center |
| Memorial Union / Memorial Hall | 1951 | Original: student life. Current: academic/administrative | Known as “Memorial Hall” and used for academic purposes since the Warch Campus Center was built in 2009 | |
| Colman Hall | 1956 | Residence hall | ||
| Music-Drama Center | 1959 | Conservatory | ||
| Plantz Hall | 1961 | Residence hall | ||
| Trever Hall | 1963 | Residence hall | ||
| Youngchild Hall | 1963-1964 | Academic | ||
| Banta Bowl | 1965 | Athletics | Originally known as the Lawrence Bowl, renamed Banta Bowl in 1978 | |
| Kohler Hall | 1967 | Residence hall | ||
| Downer Commons / Hurvis Center / Alice G. Chapman Hall | 1968 | Original: cafeteria. Current: administrative and academic | Cafeteria until the Warch Campus Center opened in 2009, name changed to Hurvis Center for administrative offices and Film Studies, name changed to Alice G. Chapman Hall in 2016 | |
| Seeley G. Mudd Library | 1974-1976 | Academic | Demolished and replaced the Carnegie Library side and retained the addition from 1962 | |
| Buchanan Kiewit Recreation Center / Wellness Center | 1986 | Athletics | ||
| Wriston Art Center | 1989 | Academic | ||
| Shattuck Hall | 1991 | Conservatory | Addition connecting Music-Drama Center and Memorial Chapel | |
| Briggs Hall | 1997 | Academic | ||
| Science Hall / Steitz Hall | 2000 | Academic | Renamed Steitz Hall in 2009 | |
| Hiett Hall | 2003 | Residence hall | ||
| Warch Campus Center | 2009 | Student life, multi-purpose |