Oberlin Then and Now: Cincinnati Hall
Then: Cincinnati Hall,1835, Now: Conservatory of Music, 1964, Minoru Yamasaki
This illustration was reproduced from the original pen drawing made from President Fairchild's description by President Churchill. Cincinnati Hall, also known as "Rebel Hall," and "Slab Hall," was built in 1835, to accommodate the students who came to Oberlin from Lane Seminary, Cincinnati. It was located approximately on the site where Sturges Hall stood. It was a one story building, 144 by 24 feet. The outside of the building was battened with slabs retaining the original bark of the tree, which gave the building a decidedly rustic aspect. It was divided into twenty-four rooms for young men, each room being 12 feet square, lighted by a single window. The rooms were entered only from the outside, there being no internal communication. One end of the Hall was fitted up as a kitchen and dining room. Cincinnati Hall was occupied for two or three years, then used for shop purposes and wholly disappeared about 1840.
Source: From the 1936 Alumni Catalogue and a set of building cards created by the College Secretary's office, both located at the Oberlin College Archives
Photo courtesy of Oberlin College Archives
