Southwestern University Administration Building and Mood Hall
About this property
The Hugh Roy and Lillie Cullen Building (formerly the Administration Building) is the central administration building of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. Completed in 1900, the Cullen Building was declared a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1962 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975, together with neighboring Mood-Bridwell Hall. Southwestern University was formed in 1873 through the union of four earlier colleges and universities across Texas. By the 1890s the program had grown significantly, and between 1895 and 1897 the university made plans to build a permanent administration building at the entrance to the school's Georgetown, Texas campus. The building was meant to house the university's administrative offices, as well as holding a chapel, a library, and classrooms. The structure was initially designed by Southwestern professor Robert Stewart Hyer (a physicist, not an architect), who was inspired by the works of H. H. Richardson. Architects Layton & Raymond of Oklahoma refined the design, and the building's construction was overseen by Hyer, who had become the university's president by the time construction began. Work on the building began with the laying of its cornerstone on September 8, 1898. Shortages of funding delayed construction during 1899, but Southwestern's Administration Building was completed on April 23, 1900 and used for classes that autumn. Mood-Bridwell Hall (named for university President Francis Asbury Mood) was subsequently built nearby as a student dormitory, with construction beginning in 1906 and completed in 1908. The hall served as a barracks for students in the Student Army Training Corps during World War I, and again for the V-12 Navy College Training Program during World War II. Since 1965, the hall has held offices for faculty and campus organizations rather than student residences. The Administration Building was declared a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1962. Together with Mood Hall, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 23, 1975 in recognition of its architectural and historical significance. The Administration Building underwent a substantial renovation in 1976–7, which included modernization of the structure's climate control and safety features. The work was paid for by a grant from the Cullen Foundation of Houston (named for industrialist Hugh Roy Cullen), in recognition of which the structure was renamed the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cullen Building at its rededication ceremony on October 14, 1977. Further renovations in 2002 and 2011 repaired and replaced windows, improved the building's elevator, and made further mechanical, electrical and climate-control upgrades.
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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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Questions about this property
When was Southwestern University Administration Building and Mood Hall listed on the National Register?
Southwestern University Administration Building and Mood Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 22, 1975.
What type of historic resource is Southwestern University Administration Building and Mood Hall?
Southwestern University Administration Building and Mood Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Southwestern University Administration Building and Mood Hall?
The period of significance for Southwestern University Administration Building and Mood Hall is recorded as the industrial era.
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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 Southwestern University Administration Building and Mood Hall will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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