Browse Items (9 total)
Historic Elm
In 1833, the year that Oberlin's founders John J. Shipherd and Philo P. Stewart picked the site for Oberlin College, this American Elm tree was a five-inch sapling in a dense forest. The tree was located on what is now Tappan Square. Legend has it…
Spear Library-Laboratory
Spear Library was the gift of Charles C. Spear, of Pittsfield, Mass. The cornerstone was laid October 6, 1884; it was dedicated November 2, 1885. The building was made of stone and measured 70 by 70 feet. It was named in honor of the donor, who also…
Society Hall
The construction of Society Hall was begun in 1867 and completed in 1868. It was a two-story brick building built at the same time and in the same style as French Hall, located on the west side of the Campus near the north end. As originally…
Memorial Arch
The Memorial Arch was erected as a memorial to the missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions who lost their lives in the Boxer uprising in China in 1900. The cornerstone of the Arch was laid October 16, 1902, and it was…
French Hall
The construction of French Hall was begun in 1867 and completed in 1868, at the same time and in the same style as Society Hall. It was a two-story brick building, located on the west side of Tappan Square, near the south end, named in honor of…
Bandstand (1st)
Early photographs of the Oberlin campus indicate a raised platform that appears to be a bandstand, but prior to the 1870s these were typically temporary structures that could be moved to different locations, and covered with canvas. The first…
Tappan Hall
Tappan Hall, completed in 1836, was named in honor of Arthur Tappan of New York City, who provided most of the funds needed for its construction. Tappan was for many years one of the most influential supporters of the Oberlin Collegiate Institute…
College Chapel (Old)
The College Chapel was begun in 1854 and was completed in 1855. It was located on the campus south of Tappan Hall. It was built of brick, two stories in height, with dimensions 56 by 90 feet. As originally planned, the first floor contained offices…
Clark Bandstand
The project to build a modern bandstand was begun by President Starr and was carried initially by his enthusiasm for placing a bandstand on Tappan Square for the first time since 1907. Arthur H. "Kenny" Clark, president of Clark Brothers, Inc.,…