| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office.
Schofield Hall, an identifiable Collegiate Gothic structure, was designed by VanRyn and DeGelleke of Milwaukee.
The dimensions of the two story (plus raied basement) structure are 165 ft. by 238 ft. The brick used in its construction came from Danville, Illinois, and the stone from Downsville, a small community near Durand (B). Highlighting the building is a central "keep"-like feature which encompasses the main entrance framed in a Tudor arch. Rusticated stone trim defines the tower, as well as the prominent three part opening above the entrance, and the entrance area itself. The bands of windows which flank the tower are similarly outlined and separated by pilasters. Shallow corner pavilions with abbreviated parapets also distinguish the facade and include segmental rather than flat arch window openings. (Note: All the windows in the building have been partially enclosed.) On the northwest elevation are two additional entrances both contained within pointed arch frames and again accented by stone trim.
Schofield Hall is connected to the university's McIntyre Library on the west.
Schofield Hall, a stately edifice overlooking the Chippewa River, is historically significant for its role in the growth and advancement of what is now the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The "Old Main" of the campus, Schofield Hall, housed the original Eau Claire Normal School, the last of nine schools created by the state's normal school system. At the center of Eau Claire's intellectual life, the school is an integral part of the west central Wisconsin community.
The normal school system in Wisconsin was established in 1866 to supply teachers for the state's public schools. Whitewater, in the southeastern section of the state, was the site of the first school, which was erected soon after the organization of the system. Eight other schools followed, the last being located in the City of Eau Claire, which has initially expressed interest in the institution in the 1870s. Bypassed in favor of nearby River Falls (the school in River Falls was constructed in 1874), the community next entered the selection process in the 1890s, but was unsuccessful in two attempts. In the twentieth century (1908), and Eau Claire resident, Emmet Horan, was named to the Board of Regents of Normal Schools and there presented the city's position. His efforts were almost immediately rewarded, as the 1909 state legislature established the ninth normal school at Eau Claire (B).
The location selected for the school was on the east side of the Chippewa River in a residential area (it is the city's Third Ward). Putnam Park which the local promoters referred to as "an education for any student" formed a natural boundary on the south, while the actual site was traversed by Little Niagara Creek (C). Work on the school building began in the summer of 1914 and was completed in 1916. The building housed laboratories, administrative offices, the model school, a gynasium, the library, and the auditorium. The model school was particularly important for it provided practical classroom experience for the teachers in training (B). One hundred and forty girls and 18 boys registered for classes in 1916.
In the decade following the creation of Eau Claire's normal school, the institution and the entire system underwent a number of changes. In 1925 the legislation designated the normal schools teachers colleges and authorized them to grant the bachelor of education degree upon the successful completion of a four year course in education. The Eau Claire State Teachers College granted this degree beginning in 1927. In a further expansion of degree offerings, the bachelor of arts and the bachelor of science were added in 1951. Again the name was changed as the school became the Wisconsin State College at Eau Claire. Two additional modifications occurred in the second half of the twentieth century. In 1964 Eau Claire's college was renamed the Wisconsin University - Eau Claire and in 1971, following the establishment of the University of Wisconsin System, it became the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire (B,C).
Expansion of physical facilities accompanied the growth of the school, although Schofield Hall remained the lone structure on the site until 1950. Dormitories, a student center, library, and a science hall were among the buildings added in the 1950s and 60s as the Eau Claire campus attracted an increasing number of students. The new structures surrounded "Old Main", which in 1960 was named Schofield Hall in honor of the school's first president, Harvey A. Schofield, and which emerged as the center of administrative services (C).
A highly valued addition to the city, the Eau Claire Normal School was immediately integrated into Eau Claire's community life. Before the construction of dormitories, a number of students boarded in the houses of Eau Claire citizens. The school's athletic contests, educational forums, plays, and concerts were enthusiastically attended by the local residents, while the social events were fully recorded in the daily newspapers. A number of Eau Claire people provided financial assistance by donating funds for building construction.
In addition, the steady growth of the student population assured the continutation of close cooperation between the city and the school. During the 1975-76 term, nearly 10,000 students were registered.
Throughout its history the university has been ably guided. Harvey A. Schofield, who served as the school's president from 1916 to 1941, shaped the institution in its formative years and was involved in the expansion of the normal school concept. He was followed by equally dedicated administrators who also broadened the school's base within the community. The faculty, too, has been distinguished and had included many alumni of the Eau Claire campus. Today, the building houses the administrative offices of UW-Eau Claire.
2016- "Schofield Hall represents the origin and foundation of what is now the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The 'Old Main' first housed the Eau Claire State Normal School, which prepared teachers for positions in the public schools. One hundred forty girls and eighteen boys registered in 1916. Old Main was their entire campus as it contained all classrooms, laboratories, administrative offices, a model school, a gymnasium, the library, and the auditorium. Today it is the administration building for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, which enrolls more than ten thousand students.
The building is named for Harvey Schofield, first president of the normal school. The brick used in its construction came from Danville, Illinois, and the stone from Downsville, a small community in Dunn County southwest of Eau Claire."
-"Eau Claire Landmarks: Designated Historic Properties in Eau Claire, Wisconsin", Eau Claire Landmarks Commission, P.O. Box 5148, 2016. |
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