Manasseh Cutler Hall

Manasseh Cutler Hall is the oldest academic building at Ohio University (OU) and the oldest in the original Northwest Territory of the United States. It is located at the center of the OU campus in Athens, Ohio. A National Historic Landmark, it continues to house school offices. It was named for Manasseh Cutler, a New England physician, botanist, and minister who wrote the University's charter in 1804.[2]

Manasseh Cutler Hall, Ohio University
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Cutler Hall
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Location	Athens, Ohio
Coordinates	39°19′34″N 82°06′00″W
Area	10 acres (4.0 ha)
Built	1819 (1819)
Architectural style	Federal
Part of	Ohio University Campus Green Historic District (ID79001783)
NRHP reference No.	66000604
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966[1]
Designated NHL	December 21, 1965[2]
Designated CP	June 11, 1979

Description and history

Manasseh Cutler Hall occupies a central position on the Ohio University Campus Green. It is a three-story brick structure, with a gabled roof topped by a wooden tower and cupola. The main facade is nine bays wide, with the main entrance at its center, topped by a semi-oval fanlight. The windows in the floors above the entrance are Palladian in style, that on the second floor topped by a half-round window. The tower has two stages, the first being square with a round window in the front face, and the second octagonal with louvered openings.[3]

The hall was completed in 1819, and is the oldest academic building in the historic Northwest Territory. The hall initially housed dormitories and laboratory space, as well as the office of the university president. The roof was raised in 1882 by about three feet. In 1937 the interior of the building underwent a complete modernization, which included the addition of metal staircases and an elevator. The roof was restored to its original roofline in 1949, and the building exterior now looks much as it did when first built.[3]

See also

• List of National Historic Landmarks in Ohio

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
2. "Manasseh Cutler Hall, Ohio University". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2008-01-19. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
3. "National Historic Landmark nomination for Manasseh Cutler Hall". National Park Service. Retrieved 2018-02-20.