From the Archives revealed: The Oval and Ladies Hall

Photo from Purdue Libraries Archives and Special Collections Download image

This picture of campus, circa 1909, shows students walking across The Oval along the hedge walk toward Ladies Hall. The Oval still exists today as Memorial Mall, but the hedge walks that used to circle The Oval have long since been removed. 

Ladies Hall, also known as Art Hall, was the women’s dorm and for many years the site of home economics and art classes.  Its unusual architectural style and ivy-covered walls stood out among the traditional brick buildings on the rest of campus, making it a popular subject of campus imagery. Ladies Hall stood along State Street on the site of what is now Founders Park between Matthews Hall and Stone Hall. It was demolished in 1927.

This snowy photograph and many other views of Purdue student life in the 1900s can be found in the photo album of Loretta Mae Wallace, available online here: http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/ref/collection/msa327/id/176.

The "From the Archives" photo series from Purdue Today and Purdue Libraries Archives and Special Collections will continue to share a glimpse at Purdue’s past throughout the year. More from the series can be found on the Purdue Libraries blog.