Gatke Hall

Infobox Historic building


caption=The entrance to Gatke Hall
name=Gatke Hall
location_town=Salem, Oregon
location_country=United States
architect=James Knox Taylor.
client=United States Postal Service
engineer=
construction_start_date=1901
completion_date=1903
date_demolished=
cost=
structural_system=
style=Beaux Arts

Gatke Hall is the second-oldest building at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. A two-story structure, it was originally built in downtown Salem in 1903 across the street from the Marion County Courthouse and served as a post office. The Beaux Arts styled building was moved to the university in 1938 and first served as the home to the law school.

History

In 1901, construction began on the first post office building in Salem.Bell, Sue. [http://www.salemhistory.net/places/post_office.htm Salem's Post Office.] Salem Public Library. Retrieved on March 10 2008.] The Beaux Arts style structure was designed by architect James Knox Taylor. [cite web|url=http://heritagedata.prd.state.or.us/historic/index.cfm?do=v.dsp_siteSummary&resultDisplay=47254|title=Site Information: Gatke Hall|work=Oregon Historic Sites Database|publisher=Oregon Parks and Recreation Department|accessdate=2008-08-23] Prior postal locations were housed in privately owned buildings. The new two-story structure was erected between the Marion County Courthouse and the Oregon State Capitol. It had a steel and brick frame with a sandstone exterior. The sandstone came from Ashland, Oregon, along with the granite used in the building, while the wood and bricks used came from Salem. On April 1 1903, the building opened and remained as the city's post office until a new federal building (currently the State Executive Office Building) opened on October 16 1937.

In 1938, the building was moved to its present location at 12th and State Streets on Willamette University's campus. [http://hcap.artstor.org/cgi-bin/library?a=d&d=p2244 Historic Campus Architecture Project: Gatke Hall.] The Council of Independent Colleges. Retrieved on October 1 2008.] The building was moved intact on rollers down State Street in a process that took six months. [http://www.salemquarterly.com/tour.php?site_id=6 Willamette University Historic Buildings.] Salem Historical Quarterly. Retrieved on January 27 2008.] Once on campus the structure served as home to Willamette’s law school. [http://www.salemhistory.net/education/willamette_university.htm Willamette University.] Salem Online History. Retrieved on January 27 2008.] Gatke was placed at the same location as the original campus building built in the 1840s.The Methodist Parsonage, 1841. "Statesman Journal", December 24 2000.] That three story building originally housed the Oregon Institute, but burned down in 1871. In 1939, the College of Law moved into its new home.

Then in 1952 the building received the Lady Justice statue that had adorned the Marion County Courthouse. [ [http://www.ojd.state.or.us/mar/courthousehistory.htm Marion County Circuit Court: The Marion County Courthouse: A Historical Perspective.] Oregon Justice Department. Retrieved on January 27 2008.] Gatke housed the College of Law until 1967 when it relocated across campus to its current home in the Truman Wesley Collins Legal Center. With the move, the law school also took a portion of the ornate grillwork that had been custom made for the school. [http://www.willamette.edu/tour/tour_flash.php Campus tour: Gatke Hall.] Willamette University. Retrieved on January 27 2008.] In 1967, Willamette's political science department took over the building and remained there until 1986.In 1984, the building was added to the City of Salem’s list of historic properties as the second oldest building on campus after Waller Hall. [ [http://www.cityofsalem.net/export/departments/scdev/cityplan/historic/Historic_Properties_List.pdf Salem: Historic Properties List.] City of Salem. Retrieved on January 27 2008.] In 1986, the political science department moved out and the facility was converted into administrative offices with the basement converted to a sculpture studio around 1990. In February 2007, 20 year-old Christopher Curry leaped out of a second story window of the building while trying to elude police. He was apprehended in a nearby building and arrested by Oregon State Police. [Police chase man through Willamette campus. "Statesman Journal", February 6 2007.]

Details

The building sits on the northeast section of the school's campus at the corner of 12th and State streets, with the Oregon Supreme Court Building directly across State Street to the north. The hall is named after former political science professor Robert Moulton Gatke. Gatke was the school’s first professor in that field and taught for 53 years at the institution. [ [http://photos.salemhistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/specialcol&CISOPTR=1528&REC=1 Historic Photograph Collection: Old lantern at Gatke Hall entrance, Willamette University, Salem, Oregon.] Salem Public Library. Retrieved on January 27 2008.] The exterior of the building is constructed with sandstone and has a metal roof. Beaux-Arts style in design, the structure also has Italian palazzo elements in its architecture. Inside, Gatke features the original marble floor and intricate woodwork. The building currently is home to an integrated lab of the exercise science department, [ [http://www.willamette.edu/cla/exsci/facilities/integrated_lab/ Exercise Science: Facilities: Gatke Hall.] Willamette University. Retrieved on January 27 2008.] a faculty research office, [ [http://blog.willamette.edu/news/archives/2005/11/new_office_to_a.php New office to aid faculty.] Willamette University. Retrieved on January 27 2008.] and some offices of the university’s IT department. [ [http://www.willamette.edu/wits/about/staff_directory/jeremys.htm WITS: About Us.] Willamette University. Retrieved on January 27 2008.]

ee also

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References

External links

* [http://photos.salemhistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/specialcol&CISOPTR=692&REC=9 Historic photography of building as post office]