Mears Hall
About this property
Mears Cottage, also known as Mears Hall, is a historic structure located on the Grinnell College campus in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. Originally known as Iowa College, it was the second institution west of the Mississippi River to admit women as students. The first degree was awarded to a woman ten years later. The increase in the number of female students and a destructive tornado that hit the campus in 1882 were the impetus for rebuilding the campus. Edward A. Goodnow, a reformer from Worcester, Massachusetts who promoted public education for women donated the funds to build the cottage-style facility to house female students. It was named for Mary Grinnell Mears, who was the daughter of J.B. and Julia Chapin Grinnell and wife of the Rev. David O. Mears. The building opened on January 1, 1889, with thirty women and a housemother as residents. Each room contained closet space, toilet, medicine cabinet, dresser, study table with attached shelves, chairs, rug and cot. It was the first building on campus with electric lights, installed in the 1890s. New York City architect Charles D. Marvin designed the expansion of the building in 1903, and by 1915 it was connected to other buildings in the women's quadrangle. The building became coed in 1978, and closed the next year because of its deteriorating condition. It sat unused for several years until alumni John H. and Lucile Hanson Harris provided the funds for its renovation. It reopened in 1986. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Mears Hall
This page lists Mears Hall. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Mears Hall listed on the National Register?
Mears Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 25, 1979.
What type of historic resource is Mears Hall?
Mears Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Mears Hall?
The period of significance for Mears Hall is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Mears Hall?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Mears Hall will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Poweshiek County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Poweshiek County.
Explore PoweshiekCounty ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Mears Hall will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.