Old Main
The Agricultural College of Utah was established by act of the 1888 Territorial Assembly. On March 26, 1889, the Board of Trustees met in Logan, accepted the offer of the campus site, and instructed the secretary of the Board “to advertise ‘for plans for a $20,000 building, plans to be delivered to the secretary before the 15th of April. On April 15, the Board met in Logan, accepting the plan of C. L. Thompson for a three-section structure. On May 18, 1889, the Board awarded the construction contract for the south wing to Sommer, Peterson and Company of Logan for a total cost of $20,305. The south wing was completed and accepted by the trustees on February 22, 1890. The College was dedicated on September 4th and officially opened on September 5, 1890, with the south wing of Old Main as the only complete classroom facility. As it stands today, Old Main is the oldest continuously used building at an institution of higher education in the State of Utah. During its history, it has housed virtually every University department or office. It is the best example of the “Campus Gothic” of the last century.
Located on the Utah State University campus in Logan, Utah and added to the National Historic Register (#72001258) on February 23, 1972.
The original plan by C. L. Thompson was for a three-section buff colored brick and stone structure 270′ x 100′ with sections that could be readily erected independently of each other. The south wing was completed February 1890. In 1892 the Board authorized the construction of the north wing and the east portion of the central section. The original plans of C. L. Thompson were re-drawn by Carl S, Schaub, a Logan architect. The new plans called for a building of 342′ x 190′. The Thompson plans for the north and south wings were maintained, though Schaub modified the projected tower and greatly enlarged the central section of the building, which until then had been planned as little more than a glorified hall between the two wings, A completion date of 1894 was postponed by the panic of 1893. Finally in 1901 and 1902 the front 80′ including the tower, was added to the structure.
In 1892 the catalog described the structure’s many uses:
“It contains . . . recitation rooms . . . workshops, cooking, sewing, householding, dairying, laundering, engineering, agricultural and business departments . . . laboratory, museum, library and gymnasium rooms and a military drill hall of ample size. Its audience room or chapel will hold 1600. Three large rooms have been set aside for halls for the literary societies. Its rooms are light and pleasant to a rare degree and its halls wide and roomy, extending on each floor the entire length of the building. In the near future, large bath rooms will be put in for the accommodation of both sexes, where baths can be taken at pleasure.”
Though the interior has been remodeled and some incongruous modernization done, Old Main retains enough of its original style to stand as the principal Utah example of the “Campus Gothic” of the late 19th century.
