John W. Cook Hall, or Cook Hall, is a building that resembles a castle on the Quad of Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Cook Hall, named for the university's fourth president, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since the winter of 1986.
John W. Cook Hall | |
 John W. Cook Hall | |
   | |
| Location | Illinois State University, US 51, Normal, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°30′33″N 88°59′32.5″W / 40.50917°N 88.992361°W |
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1896 |
| Architect | George H. Miller |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000268[1] |
| Added to NRHP | February 20, 1986 |
Cook Hall is one of "Altgeld's castles": it was designed toward the end of the administration of Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld. Altgeld was a German native who favored Gothic Revival architecture.[2]
First proposed as a dormitory by Richard Edwards during his presidency at Illinois State University, the building was not approved until 1895. Opened in 1897, design elements for the building were changed, and its overall purpose shifted to that of a gymnasium. The building, called "Gymnasium" also held the University Library.[3] Renamed "John Cook Hall" in 1936, it was eventually converted for other uses as larger gyms were constructed on campus.[4] It currently houses the School of Music.[2]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "Cook Hall". Illinois State University. Archived from the original on 2008-06-14. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ Anderson, April (2017). Illinois State University (1st ed.). Virginia Beach, VA: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 19–20. ISBN 978-1-4671-2748-6.
- ^ Staff writer (April 17, 1936). "'John Cook Hall' to Supplant 'Castle' after Commencement". Vol. 48, no. 49. The Vidette. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
