National Historic Landmark

Lincoln Hall

Berea, Madison County, Kentucky
Listed
December 2, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74000892

About this property

Lincoln Hall is the administrative center of Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. Built in 1887 and named in honor of Abraham Lincoln, it was declared to be a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1974 in recognition of the college's role as the first school of higher education in the nation established to provide a racially integrated educational environment. Lincoln Hall is centrally located on the campus of Berea College, just northwest of the junction of Chestnut and Prospect Street, on the south side of the campus's central quadrangle. It is a three-story brick building, covered by a hip roof and exhibiting modest Romanesque architectural features. It was built in 1887, originally with first floor for classrooms and offices, with second floor for classrooms and a library, and with third floor for laboratories, a museum and meeting rooms. It was funded by donation from Roswell C. Smith, founder of Century Magazine. As the college grew, uses of the hall changed. By 1974, the building was used for the President's office and other administrative functions, a role it continues to play today. Berea College was founded in 1855 by John Gregg Fee, but was closed during the American Civil War due to threatened violence against its principles of racial integration. It is significant as the first college established in the United States expressly for the goal of educating black and white students together, a principle it upheld until the early 20th century. In 1904, the state passed a law forcing Berea to segregate, resulting in the landmark Berea College v. Kentucky case in which the law was upheld. National Register of Historic Places listings in Madison County, Kentucky

Location

Berea, Madison County, Kentucky
37.57210, -84.28581

Categories

BLACKEDUCATION
National Register nomination ›
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

Boone Tavern Hotel
Early Republic
0.1 mi
Churchill Weavers
Industrial
0.5 mi
Louisville and Nashville Railroad Passenger Depot
Industrial
0.8 mi
Tate Building
Modern
0.8 mi
Berea College Forest
Listed
3.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Skirmish at Big Hill (Richmond Campaign)
1862Civil War
3.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Lincoln Hall listed on the National Register?

Lincoln Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 2, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Lincoln Hall?

Lincoln Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Lincoln Hall a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Lincoln Hall has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Lincoln Hall?

The period of significance for Lincoln Hall is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Lincoln Hall?

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