National Register of Historic Places

Old Castle Hall, Baker University

Baldwin City, Douglas County, Kansas
Listed
February 23, 1971
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
71000309

About this property

Old Castle Hall was the first building of Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas. It was built in 1857–58 to house the university on its first two floors, with the Palmyra Masonic Lodge occupying the third floor. It was used for classes until 1871, when other buildings were constructed for the purpose, and later used as a mill, a dormitory and for storage. The third floor was rebuilt during its service as a mill to address structural problems. The building was restored in the 1950s and maintained as the Old Castle Museum. The museum features artifacts from early state, Methodist, and University history. The hall is of rubble stone construction with crude quoining at the corners. The reconstruction of the third floor is visible by the change in material pattern on the outside. The overall plan is a rectangle. The interior has been extensively altered. Old Castle Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 24, 1971.

Location

513 5th St.
Baldwin City, Douglas County, Kansas
38.77722, -95.18470

Categories

EDUCATIONARCHITECTURE
Sources

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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Parmenter Memorial Hall
Industrial
0.2 mi
Case Library
Industrial
0.2 mi
Baldwin City School and Auditorium-Gymnasium
Industrial
0.3 mi
Quayle, William A., House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Santa Fe Depot
Industrial
0.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Black Jack
1856Mexican-American War
2.1 mi
Bleeding Kansas — Battle of Black Jack
1856Civil War
8.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Old Castle Hall, Baker University listed on the National Register?

Old Castle Hall, Baker University was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1971.

What type of historic resource is Old Castle Hall, Baker University?

Old Castle Hall, Baker University is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Old Castle Hall, Baker University?

The period of significance for Old Castle Hall, Baker University is recorded as the industrial era.

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