Built 1910 NRHP Reference # 79001042 Architectural style Neoclassical architecture | MPS Warren County MRA Opened 1910 Added to NRHP 18 December 1979 | |
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Similar Henry Hardin Cherry Hall, Pearce Ford Tower, Rosenberg Gallery, E A Diddle Arena, Kentucky State Capitol | ||
Van meter hall timelapse
Van Meter Hall is a building on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Constructed in 1911, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1979.
Contents
Van meter hall timelapse
History
Van Meter Hall was the first building constructed on the campus of Western Kentucky University. It was also the first building on the campus designed by Louisville architect Brinton B. Davis, nicknamed the "hill builder" due to his vast work designing the majority of the university layout from 1909 until 1939.
The building, completed in 1911, is designed to look like the Acropolis's Erechtheion Temple. The most notable feature of the structure was a 1,600 seat auditorium for hosting concerts and public events, but Van Meter also contained office space. It was named for Captain Charles J. Van Meter, a local riverboat captain and developer.
Modern usage
Today Van Meter Hall houses the office of Campus and Community Events. The auditorium is heavily used for theatrical performances, musical performances (concerts/symphonies/orchestras), guest speakers, pageants, various dance recitals, and Van Meter also serves as meeting space for large events hosted by the campus' president and other campus constituents. Many famous faces have graced the stage of Van Meter Hall. Some are: Carlos Mencia (comedian), Anoushka Shankar (sitar player), Kiss (rock band), Nancy Cartwright (voice of animated Bart Simpson), Charlie Daniels (country band), and so many more.
Renovations
The building has undergone minor renovations numerous times, most notably in 1968, 1969, and 1971.
Van Meter Hall is currently undergoing a major renovation and expansion, started in the spring of 2008. More area is being added to the rear of the building, which will allow the music and theatre departments added space. The overhaul of the building will also allow for improvements in lighting structures and seating, which will allow student musicians and actors to stage better performances in the auditorium. As of March 2009, construction is five months ahead of schedule and the building is projected to reopen for use in the Spring of 2010.
Legends and folklore
Western Kentucky University has many ghost stories. In one such story Van Meter Hall is haunted by the ghost of a construction worker who was killed in a fall from above the auditorium stage during a renovation. Popular legend states that construction worker died in 1909 after seeing an airplane for the first time. Other versions of this tale refer to the death of an actress, a hermit living beneath the hall or the one-time president of the university Henry Hardin Cherry. The date of the supposed death is anytime between 1909 and the 1940s. The ghost is credited with moving furniture overnight, turning off lights and causing computer problems.