Rosse Hall
From KCpedia
Contents |
Conception and Cornerstone
Rosse Chapel was one of the original buildings that Philander Chase planned as a part of Kenyon College, and it was named after a generous contributor, Lady Rosse, in the hopes of assuring continued financial support for the College.
In his original vision, Chase planned a campus laid out in squares, with Middle Path connecting each successive square. Old Kenyon would have been the southern-most side of one of these squares, and the new Rosse Chapel would form the western side of another. In accordance with Chase's plan, the building's cornerstone was laid on May 4, 1829, with dimensions specified as 150 by 66 feet. The building was planned to accommodate a far larger body of people than Kenyon supported at the time, but Chase's dimensions were given in anticipation of a building that could comfortably seat a thousand people.
But Chase was unable to finish more than the Chapel's basement before monetary constraints and tensions within the College forced him to resign as President in September of 1831. The unfinished building was neglected for two years.
Redesign and Construction
President McIlvaine made the decision to continue building Rosse Chapel, and Profesor Charles Romanoff Prezriminisky was put in charge of redrawing the original plans and supervising construction. Philander Chase originally intended the chapel's archiecture to match Old Kenyon's collegiate Gothic, but its new design was smaller, simpler, and based on Greek revival architecture.
Construction began again in earnest in 1833 and Rosse Chapel was completed in 1836. The new chapel immediately became the official seat of the Episcopal Church of Ohio, and was consecrated by the Second Bishop of Ohio in 1845.
Throughout this period, Rosse Chapel was used both as a church for Sunday services and as a location for Commencement exercises and other college programs "of a serious nature."
A New Purpose
When the new Church of the Holy Spirit was completed in 1871, Rosse was no longer used as a chapel, and was modified to serve other campus needs. For twenty years, Rosse was used as an occasional hall and campus gymnasium. In 1896, a new wooden floor was installed so that the building could also be used as a dance hall, but not before a special ceremony was given to deconsecrate the building.
Fire and Reconstruction
In preparation for an informal Saturday night dance in May 1897, Kenyon students polished the new wooden floor with linseed oil and threw the oil rags in a pile onto the floor of a little room in the southeast corner of the building. Although no cause has been confirmed, these rags are thought to have caused the subsequent fire that destroyed the building.
The fire was first discovered early the next morning, and a large crowd soon gathered around the building. Several attempts were made to save the structure, but without ladders to reach the roof and with no water source nearer than Ascension Hall, little could be done. By the time the fire was extinguished, only the west and north external walls and the front columns remained partially intact. A reporter from the Mount Vernon Republican described the fire as "a magnificent but sorrowful spectacle."
The monetary loss was estimated at $15,000, and the same Republican reporter noted that "[an insurance] policy of $4,000 or $5,000...expired some time ago...probably from forgetfulness." Immediate plans were made to rebuild Rosse Hall, and significant contributions were made by alumni and by Secretary of State John Sherman. The reconstruction was completed within a year of the fire.
Use as a Gymnasium
After the fire, Rosse Hall was rebuilt with showers in the basement and offices in the balcony, which allowed it to continue its role as campus gymnasium, assembly building, and dance hall. By 1937, however, its condition had significantly deteriorated, making repairs and new facilities necessary. Engineers were able to repair the most significant structural damage, and by the late 1940s, gym activities were relocated to the new Wertheimer Fieldhouse, which relieved much of the stress on the building.
Renovation
The approach of Kenyon College's Sesquicentennial celebration motivated members of the College to renovate and restore the historic building, and it was decided that the building would become a concert and lecture hall. Renovation began in the mid-1970's, and Rosse was transformed into the 600-seat hall recognizable on campus today. The building was supported by the 1999 addition of Storer Hall, which provides office and classroom space for the music department, as well as two smaller rehearsal and performances spaces.
Significance
Rosse Hall now serves as a lecture and concert hall and seats six hundred. Today Rosse Hall’s front steps are used in two closely related Kenyon traditions: the Freshman Sing that takes place after Opening Convocation and the Senior Sing that takes place after Commencement.
Resources in the Kenyon College Archives
- Smythe, George Franklin. Kenyon College: Its First Century. Gambier, Ohio: Kenyon College, 2001. Original edition: New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press for Kenyon College, 1924. [ISBN 0-9623250-4-X / Find in Kenyon's Library]
- Rosse Hall -- collected materials
