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times over the years, but major structural problems went largely unaddressed. By the 1980s, the building suffered from water seepage, cracked plaster and badly outdated electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems. The newly restored building is a point of pride on campus, both for its beauty and the sense of history it affords, according to NIU President John Peters. "The restoration of
Altgeld Hall was an important step for NIU. It is a physical connection with our very roots as a university and we are proud to see the project recognized by the construction industry." said Peters. "Altgeld Hall is not a museum, but a living, working public space where the roots of American higher education are still very much in view."
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simply the
University Library. In 1927, though, the Law Department decided it needed a new place on campus and it moved into University Library, renaming the building "Law Building". In 1940, the Law Building was renamed in honor of its creator, and was thereafter called Altgeld Hall. Eventually the Law Building was yet again converted into a new purpose, housing the Mathematics Department while the Law Department received a new building. Though the Mathematics Department and the Mathematics Library reside in this building, one can still see the title "Law Building" engraved on the North entrance.
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1899, at a cost of $ 230,000. On
October 21, 1963, the Administrative Building as it was known, was changed to Altgeld Hall in honor of the late Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld, who backed and signed the legislation creating NIU. It was built in Tudor Gothic or English-castle architecture because Governor Altgeld had an eye for architecture and wanted a stately building to unify the state normal schools. The building is among the most recognizable on the respective campus. This is a building that was meant to stand alone, which was a contrast to most college buildings of the time.
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Holmes, the
President's Panel, the Student Affairs Committee, and the Administrative Council made the final decision to have "Library Move Day" be a campus event. Holmes sent a memo out to faculty indicating they were to take roll in their classes and then lead the class over to old library in Altgeld and devote all class period to moving books to the new library in Swen Parson. The members of the Dames’ Club (now the University Women's Club) served refreshments for the book movers.
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stated that it was time for buildings to become more aesthetically pleasing in addition to being functional, and he suggested the "Tudor-Gothic style" as the most inexpensive way to do this. Consequently, several of the state universities in
Illinois erected buildings which resembled castles in his honor. College
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The building also housed NIU's original library . With NIU's second library almost complete in Swen Parson Hall in 1952, ideas were being passed around among the administrators on how to move all of the books because there was no money left in the budget to pay to have them moved. President Leslie A.
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During his term as governor (1893-1897), Altgeld expressed certain opinions on how buildings should be erected in the state of
Illinois. In his second biennial message to the state legislature, he discussed how buildings were being constructed without consideration for their outward appearance. He
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began as a teachers' college and originally was named Dekalb, and then the
Northern Illinois State Normal School. The building architect was Charles E. Brush of Chicago. The general contractor was William J. McAlpine. Construction started on September 17, 1895, and was completed on September 22,
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Since its construction, Altgeld's building has undergone many names and purposes. Governor
Altgeld had a huge interest in education and believed that the campus should have a library, so the building was originally used for this purpose. At the time of its construction the building became known as
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After being a gymnasium for so long, the building eventually came to also house the
University radio station, WGLT. More recently, though, Cook Hall has been remodeled to become the School of Music building. The building holds practice rooms, rehearsal halls, and many classrooms. Cook Hall is the
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Altgeld Hall underwent a $ 24 million renovation project which began in 1999 and ended with the rededication on
October 7, 2004. The Altgeld restoration was undertaken to rescue the university's landmark structure, which was badly deteriorated. The interior of the building was remodeled several
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campus. It originally housed the library and laboratories for the departments of physics, chemistry and biological science, and a gymnasium. Following a major remodeling project in 1958, Altgeld became the home to the School of Music, like at ISU. From 2002 until 2004, the building underwent a
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Currently, Altgeld Hall houses the Office of the President, Academic and Student Affairs, Finance and Facilities, University Advancement & NIU Foundation, University Legal Services, University Council, Community and External Affairs, the NIU Art Museum, the Instructional Technology Teaching
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When Altgeld Hall first opened, it housed the entire university. It was classroom, boardroom, library, gymnasium, administrative office building, and lecture hall. It housed chemical and physical laboratories, executive offices, a 1,200 seat auditorium, biology labs, a study hall, a museum,
161:, who took some creative liberties in the castle's construction. Though the building contains turret styles with towers and battlement like Governor Altgeld wanted, the architects also added their own flair by using Bedford limestone.
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In the design for the building, it was made to be fireproof, which is why the University decided to move the library into it. The building was also originally used as a gymnasium and it was stocked with all the newest
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states that these buildings have aligned corridors and rooms so that they could all be "put together" to create one large building, but there is no evidence to support this rumor.
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Like the building on Illinois State University's campus, the Governor wished it to be built in a Tudor-Gothic style, but due to outside pressure it was given a more
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246:, which was founded in 1895. Old Main was built with Indiana limestone with a Gothic revival style with turrets, towers, and battlements.
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A time capsule was buried under the front arches on NIU's 75th Anniversary in 1974. It will be opened on the 150th anniversary in 2049.
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classrooms, a manual training shop, an independent water system, and finally a "dynamo" for light and power.
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only building on the Illinois State University campus that is on the National Register of Historic Places.
309:"That "Noble Project:" The Founding of Eastern Illinois University and the Origins of Old Main, 1895-1899"
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style. The Board of Trustees initially adopted the classical design by prominent Chicago architect
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EIU and Illinois State are the only schools where the "castle" is not named after Altgeld.
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massive renovation, to preserve the building from the weather damage it had received.
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Laboratory, conference rooms, and an auditorium with seating capacity for 500.
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273:"One Governor’s Legacy to Higher Education: Altgeld’s Castles".
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University and college academic buildings in the United States
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411:. Northern Illinois University. Archived from
386:. Northern Illinois University. Archived from
277:28-2, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
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476:Collegiate Gothic architecture in Illinois
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99:University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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80:Southern Illinois University Carbondale
57:Southern Illinois University Carbondale
311:. Localités/Localities. Archived from
227:Old Main (Eastern Illinois University)
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438:"Altgeld Hall Architectural History"
334:"History and Future of Altgeld Hall"
280:"Back Issues of Historic Illinois"
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307:Barnhart, Terry (1999-09-02).
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189:Built between 1895 and 1899,
195:Northern Illinois University
177:Northern Illinois University
244:Eastern Illinois University
221:Eastern Illinois University
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409:"NIU Virtual Campus Tour"
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384:"Historical Perspective"
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159:Miller & Fisher
63:Altgeld Hall (SIUC)
42:public universities
31:"Altgeld's castles"
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256:Altgeld Hall, UIUC
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167:exercise equipment
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71:Altgeld Hall, SIUC
46:John Peter Altgeld
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340:on August 8, 2007
275:Historic Illinois
185:Altgeld Hall, NIU
155:John W. Cook Hall
149:On the campus of
137:John W. Cook Hall
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359:"Cook Hall"
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419:2008-09-08
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369:2008-09-08
344:2008-09-08
319:2008-09-08
290:2010-06-22
261:References
117:Romanesque
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240:Old Main
51:folklore
39:Illinois
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