Science Hall - Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

SCIENCE HALL, four stories high, erected in 1902, of gray granite and sandstone, houses the chemistry department, the Rockefeller Research Institute, and chemistry laboratories of the agricultural experiment station.

This campus landmark was originally named Agricultural Hall. It was built to advance instruction and experimentation in agricultural science at Oregon Agricultural College at a time when agriculture was Oregon’s principal industry. The building was renamed Science Hall (commonly referred to as the ‘Chem Shack’) in 1910 when the Agriculture Department moved into Strand Agricultural Hall and the Chemistry, Pharmacy, and Forestry Departments occupied the building. When the Chemistry Department moved to Gilbert Hall in 1940, the building was renamed once again. It was named Education Hall and housed the Education Department, along with many others. Up until this time, the Education Department had spread classes throughout several buildings on campus. There were major fires in 1924 and 1927 that destroyed the original interior wood framing, though the building’s exterior remained intact. This led the university to replace the interior frame with steel and concrete. However, the stone exterior was never attached to the new inner walls, which created a hazard because the stones were not anchored down. University officials decided to cover the outside of the building in wire in the early 1990s to ensure public safety. Education Hall still houses the Education Department and the building is cherished by many in the Oregon State community. Though the building was slated for demolition in 2001, significant interest in restoring the building has kept it intact and functional. In fact, Education Hall became the first building on campus to go wireless in 2003.