Architectural Records, 1842-2008, n.d. | Oberlin College Archives

By Archives staff, Anne Cuyler Salsich

Collection Overview

Title: Architectural Records, 1842-2008, n.d.

ID: RG 53/

Primary Creator: Oberlin College (1833-)

Other Creators: Austin Company (Cleveland, OH) (1878-present), Blythe, Walter (active 1860s-1870s), Bond, Richard (flourished 1820-1850), Dagit Saylor Architects (Philadelphia, PA) (1970-2007), Dagit Saylor, Architects (1970-), Eichstedt & Grissam, Landscape Architects, Gilbert, Cass (1859-1934), Gunnar Birkerts & Associates (1962-), Gwathmey, Charles (1938-2009), Hahn, Alfred A. (1924-2010), Harrison, Wallace Kirkman (1895-1981), Kimball, Richard A. (1899-1997), Mellenbrook, Foley and Scott, Minoru Yamasaki and Associates (1949-), Moore and Hutchins (1937-1970s), Murphy, Henry Killam (1877-1954), Olmsted Brothers, Landscape Architects (1898-1950), Patton, Normand S. (1852-1915), Payette Associates, Potter, Tyler, Martin & Roth, Saarinen, Eliel (1873-1950), Schulte, Edward J. (1890-1975), Scott Brown, Denise (1931-), Scott, Kluth, Schaefer and Associates, Architects, Shaw, Howard Van Doren (1869-1926), Shreve, Lamb and Harmon (1924-1970s), Silsbee, Joseph Lyman (1845-1913), Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (1939-), Smith, Julian S., Snyder, Eldredge (d. 1967), Stubbins, Hugh Asher, Jr. (1912-2006), Van Dijk, Johnson and Partners (1987-), various, Venturi and Rauch (1960-1980), Walker and Weeks (1911-late 1940s), Ward, Clarence (1884-1973), Warner, Burns, Toan and Lunde, Weary and Kramer (Akron, OH) (1879-1894), Westlake, Reed, Leskosky (Cleveland, OH) (1905-), Wright, Frank Lloyd (1867-1959)

Extent: 523.02 Linear Feet

Arrangement: Records are arranged alphabetically by building or project name.

Date Acquired: 00/00/1976. More info below under Accruals.

Forms of Material: architectural records, design drawings, digital images, paintings (visual works), photographs - photographic prints, photographs - slides

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The architectural records at the Oberlin College Archives relate to the architecture or built environment of the College and the City of Oberlin from the 1830s to the present, except for a handful of isolated references to other places. The buildings which make up the Oberlin College campus, as well as those which are now gone, constitute a rich artifactual document of institutional growth since the founding of Oberlin in 1833. Oberlin’s architectural history is one of eclecticism – a mixture of styles from Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Romanesque Revival, Mediterranean Romanesque, Italianate, Queen Anne, Usonian, Utilitarian, Modern, Postmodern, and, more recently, sustainable structure design.

The records are arranged into flat files, roll boxes, flat boxes, and manuscript boxes.

Administrative Information

Repository: Oberlin College Archives

Accruals: Accession Nos: 1976/017, 1988/095, 1988/157 (microfiche), 1989/013, 1989/048, 1991/036, 1995/125, 1995/149, 1995/152, 1996/089, 1996/120, 1997/026, 1997/071, 1998/052, 1998/090 (unprocessed), 1998/131, 1998/143, 1999/003 (unprocessed), 1999/025, 1998/028, 1999/037, 1999/049, 1999/066, 2000/003, 2001/033, 2002/134, 2006/097, 2006/100, 2010/047, 2010/071, 2011/038, 2011/068, 2011/070 (separate inventory, digital surrogates), 2013/022, 2013/064, 2016/040, 2016/046, 2017/015, 2017/027, 2020/009.

Access Restrictions: Some drawings and records cannot be photographed or othewise copied; consult College Archivist. Brittle drawings are closed, as noted on inventory.

Acquisition Method: Most of the records were transferred from the Oberlin College Office of Facilities and Planning, with over half the records received between 2011 and 2016.

Related Materials:

College General (RG 0), Series 24. Buildings and Dedications

Office of the President (RG 2)

Office of the Secretary (RG 5)

Records of the Office of Business & Finance (RG 6)

Geoffrey Blodgett Papers (RG 30/263)

Cass Gilbert Papers (RG 30/124)

Clarence Ward Papers (RG 30/158)

City of Oberlin Records (RG 31/5)

Photographs: Buildings (RG 32/4)

Sound Recordings (RG 37)

Related Publications:

Guide to the Architectural Records in the Oberlin College Archives, by Roland M. Baumann, General Editor; Roland M. Baumann, Jessica G. Broadwell, and Michael Morgenstern, compilers (Oberlin: Oberlin College, 1996).

Architecture of Oberlin College, Oberlin College Archives website (Oberlin College Libraries, 2015).

Finding Aid Revision History: Revised March 2005 by Archives staff. Revised by Anne Cuyler Salsich, 2009, October 2010, November 2012, April and October 2013. Accession 2011/068 processed by Anne Cuyler Salsich, August 2014; additional accessions January and June 2016; July 2017, March 2018, November 2020

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Item:

[Item 1: Air Route Traffic Control Center],
[Item 2: Allen Memorial Art Museum and Additions],
[Item 3: Allen Memorial Art Museum and Addition Proposals],
[Item 4: Allencroft],
[Item 5: Apartments, Oberlin],
[Item 6: Apollo Theater],
[Item 7: Arboretum],
[Item 8: Art Department, Geodesic Domes, 1971],
[Item 9: Art Department "Domes", 1983],
[Item 10: F.B. Artz Residence],
[Item 11: Asia House (Shipherd)],
[Item 12: Athletic District Master Plan],
[Item 13: Athletic Fields],
[Item 14: Bailey (French House)],
[Item 15: Baldwin Cottage],
[Item 16: Bandstand, Clark],
[Item 17: Barrows Hall],
[Item 18: Barrows House Renovation],
[Item 19: Bell/Clock Tower Proposal],
[Item 20: Bench by the Road, Oberlin],
[Item 21: Bosworth Hall/Theological Quadrangle],
[Item 22: James Brand House],
[Item 23: Burton Hall],
[Item 24: Cabinet Hall],
[Item 25: Carnegie Library and Addition],
[Item 26: Carnegie Renovation],
[Item 27: Central Heating Plant],
[Item 28: Raymond Cerf Residence],
[Item 29: Chinese Temple],
[Item 30: City Hall],
[Item 31: Coeducational Memorial Gateway],
[Item 32: College Chapel],
[Item 33: College Park Addition],
[Item 34: Commencement Seating Plans],
[Item 35: Conservatory of Music],
[Item 36: Conservatory of Music Library Addition],
[Item 37: Council Hall],
[Item 38: Cox Administration Building],
[Item 39: Crane Pool],
[Item 40: Dascomb Hall],
[Item 41: Dormitories],
[Item 42: East Hall],
[Item 43: C.S. Ellsworth Residence],
[Item 44: Embassy Hall],
[Item 45: Environmental Studies Center, A.J. Lewis],
[Item 46: Faculty Apartments],
[Item 47: Fairchild Hall],
[Item 48: C.K. Fauver Apartments],
[Item 49: Field House, Heisman Club],
[Item 50: Field House, Jones, & Stadium],
[Item 51: Finney Memorial Chapel],
[Item 52: Firelands Retirement Center],
[Item 53: First Congregational Church],
[Item 54: French Hall],
[Item 55: Gasholder House],
[Item 56: Peter B. Lewis Gateway Center],
[Item 57: General Telephone Company],
[Item 58: Graduate School of Theology],
[Item 59: Thomas Wesley Graham House],
[Item 60: Hales Memorial Gymnasium],
[Item 61: Hall Memorial Auditorium],
[Item 62: Hall Memorial Gateway & Outdoor Theater],
[Item 63: Harkness Hall],
[Item 64: Dr. E. Hawkins Residence],
[Item 65: Heating Plant],
[Item 66: Herbarium (Botany Building Annex)],
[Item 67: Intermuseum Conservation Association],
[Item 68: Jameson House],
[Item 69: Johnson House],
[Item 70: Johnston Memorial],
[Item 71: Johnston Park Playground],
[Item 72: Jones Fieldhouse and Stadium],
[Item 73: Kade (German) House],
[Item 74: Keep Cottage],
[Item 75: Kettering Hall of Science],
[Item 76: Kettering Library],
[Item 77: King Memorial Building],
[Item 78: Koppes-Norris House],
[Item 79: J.B. Landfield House],
[Item 80: Landscape Architecture],
[Item 81: Landscape Sculpture Plan],
[Item 82: Langston Hall],
[Item 83: Langston Middle School],
[Item 84: A.J. Lewis Center for Environmental Studies],
[Item 85: Lord Cottage],
[Item 86: Mallory House (Shansi House)],
[Item 87: Medical Arts Building],
[Item 88: Memorial Arch],
[Item 89: Men's Building (Wilder Hall)],
[Item 90: Men's Campus],
[Item 91: Men's Club Proposals],
[Item 92: Men's Gymnasium Proposals],
[Item 93: Metcalf Residence],
[Item 94: Metcalf Summer Cottage],
[Item 95: Mudd Learning Center],
[Item 96: Natural History Building (Proposed)],
[Item 97: Nichols Memorial Gateway],
[Item 98: Noah Hall],
[Item 99: North (Langston) Hall],
[Item 100: North Campus Dining Facility],
[Item 101: City of Oberlin Bike Path],
[Item 102: Oberlin City Hall],
[Item 103: Oberlin Fire Station],
[Item 104: City of Oberlin "General"],
[Item 105: (City of Oberlin) Gilford Instruments Laboratory],
[Item 106: (City of Oberlin) Gilford Residence],
[Item 107: Oberlin High School (Langston Middle School)],
[Item 108: City of Oberlin Municipal Light & Power Systems],
[Item 109: City of Oberlin Public Housing],
[Item 110: Oberlin Public Library],
[Item 111: City of Oberlin Railroad Station Grounds],
[Item 112: City of Oberlin Sanitation System],
[Item 113: City of Oberlin, Vine Street Park],
[Item 114: City of Oberlin Waterworks],
[Item 115: Oberlin College Campus Layout & Landscape],
[Item 116: Oberlin College Proposals],
[Item 117: Oberlin Village Gas & Electric Company],
[Item 118: Oberlin Golf Club],
[Item 119: Oberlin Inn],
[Item 120: Oberlin Properties: Lot 95],
[Item 121: Oberlin Shansi Memorial Schools in China],
[Item 122: Ohio State Athletic Field],
[Item 123: Outdoor Theater],
[Item 124: Park House],
[Item 125: Peters Hall & Renovation],
[Item 126: Phillips Gymnasium],
[Item 127: Physical Education Facility],
[Item 128: Physics Laboratory],
[Item 129: Planning: Campus],
[Item 130: Planning: Landscape],
[Item 131: Pope Residence],
[Item 132: President's House],
[Item 133: Pyle Inn],
[Item 134: Residences: Butler, Kennedy, Seaman, Steiner],
[Item 135: Rice Memorial Hall],
[Item 136: Rice Memorial Hall Library],
[Item 137: Russia Township],
[Item 138: Science Building Proposals],
[Item 139: Science Center],
[Item 140: Science Quadrangle],
[Item 141: Second Church],
[Item 142: Severance Hall],
[Item 143: Shurtleff Cottage],
[Item 144: Society Hall],
[Item 145: Soldiers Monument],
[Item 146: South Hall],
[Item 147: Spear Library],
[Item 148: Stadium (Savage)],
[Item 149: Stand Pipe],
[Item 150: Station Square],
[Item 151: Stevenson Hall],
[Item 152: Stewart Hall],
[Item 153: Student Health Services],
[Item 154: Sturges Hall],
[Item 155: Talcott Hall],
[Item 156: Tank Hall],
[Item 157: Tappan Square],
[Item 158: Theology Quadrangle],
[Item 159: Town Hall],
[Item 160: U.S. Post Office, Oberlin],
[Item 161: Vatican],
[Item 162: Warner Concert Hall],
[Item 163: Warner Gymnasium],
[Item 164: Warner Hall (Conservatory)],
[Item 165: Water Treatment Plant],
[Item 166: Webster Hall],
[Item 167: Weltzheimer/Johnson Residence],
[Item 168: Wilder Hall],
[Item 169: Women's Dormitories],
[Item 170: Women's Hall],
[Item 171: World War II Memorial Garden],
[Item 172: Frank Lloyd Wright],
[Item 173: Wright Laboratory of Physics],
[Item 174: Minoru Yamasaki],
[All]

Item 19: Bell/Clock Tower Proposal