Warner Hall

Date

1884-1964

Location

Site of King Memorial Hall on Professor Street (demolished)

Architects/Collaborators

Arthur Bates Jennings (1848-1927), New York City (architect)
Doerzbach and Decker, Sandusky, OH (contractor)

Style

Richardsonian Romanesque

History

In June, 1883, the announcement was made that Dr. and Mrs. Lucien C. Warner, of New York, proposed to erect a building for the Conservatory. Ground was broken in November, 1883, and the cornerstone was laid in January, 1884. The building was dedicated December 20, 1884. Warner Hall contained offices, a musical library, lecture rooms, a small studio theatre, and one hundred and fifty studio and practice rooms. In 1887, the north wing of the building was constructed, including the concert hall. In the summer of 1890 a balcony was added, and the concert hall was dedicated. In 1902 an organ was secured from Harold Kimball, of Rochester, N.Y., partly by gift and partly by purchase. In the years 1903 and 1904 the concert hall was remodelled, two hundred additional seats were added to the audience room, and other repairs were made. In 1910 the College dedicated Rice Memorial Hall, also for the use of the Conservatory and immediately next to Warner Hall on College Street, by the same architect. The Kimball organ was replaced in 1928 by a new Skinner organ. New seats were installed in 1926, the gift of Mrs. Warner. The concert hall seated eight hundred persons. Warner Hall had a frontage of 120 feet on College Street and 150 feet on Professor Street. Warner Hall was further refurbished in 1940, 1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955. It was demolished in October 1964 to make way for H.C. King Memorial Hall, after the new Conservatory building was completed across College Street.

Sources

Oberlin College Archives
     Office of the Secretary Records.
     College General Records, Buildings and Dedications.