Interior View: Weinberg College - Northwestern University

Interior View

University Hall spire with oak tree in foreground

The oldest and most iconic of Northwestern’s buildings, University Hall is replete with history. Built in 1869 in High Victorian Gothic style, it once housed a chapel, a museum and a library, as well as society rooms and a chemical lab. Renovations over the years have removed much of the historic patina from University Hall’s interior, but hints of its storied past remain: in its arched windows and entrances, a long-silent bell tower and a mysterious “1913” carved into its limestone walls.

The Curiosities of University Hall

1913: Many who notice the “1913” etched into University Hall’s north exterior wall mistakenly assume the number signifies the year in which the building was built. The date may commemorate the “Ivy Oration,” an annual speech at the site accompanied by the ceremonial planting of ivy. The tradition has long since ceased.

Original entrance: University Hall was originally entered on the east via a staircase that opened onto the second floor. In the early 1900s, the staircase was removed and a new entrance was built on the first floor to minimize the impact of the violent “nor ’easters” that periodically wracked the campus.

Rocked: In 2002, the University installed a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDaLCFoA1bw" style="color:#fff !important;">24-hour webcam focused on the Rock</a> in a second-floor window in University Hall. Viewers around the world can see the latest messages painted on the Rock.

Bell: A gift from the Class of 1880, the University Hall bell has been silent for decades. Housed in the spire just below the clock, it was cast in 1877 by the Troy, N.Y. bell foundry Meneely & Kimberly. A century ago, students were rumored to have hoisted a cow into the bell tower. No evidence of any such caper remains.

Original clock: The original clock was a gift of the Class of 1879. In 1966, a new, electrified clock replaced the old works, which are now housed in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Spire: Several steep staircases and a series of ladders ascend into the University Hall spire. At 120 feet tall, it is one of the highest points on the Evanston campus. Etched and painted on the interior of the spire are the names and initials of those who have helped to maintain the structure over the past 145 years.