By Cole Hatcher
Photo: Slocum Hall features a Reading Room with a leaded-glass ceiling. The study space is open to students around the clock during the academic year. (Photo by Larry Hamill)
The State Historic Preservation Office of the Ohio Historical Society has awarded Ohio Wesleyan University a 2024 Preservation Merit Award for excellence in the restoration of OWU’s iconic Slocum Hall.
State Historic Preservation Officer Diana Welling presented the award during a Nov. 2 celebration held at the Ohio History Center in Columbus.
“Historic places contribute to our sense of community and give us a tangible connection to our heritage,” said Welling, who also serves as director of the State Historic Preservation Office. “Our awards program is designed to honor the individuals and groups who go above and beyond to safeguard the irreplaceable architectural and historic treasures of their communities.”
Slocum Hall began its life as a library when it opened in 1898, and it continues to overflow with information as the Admission Welcome Center and the home of the university’s signature, curricular program, the OWU Connection. The building’s $11.25-million, donor-funded renovation was completed in fall 2022 after 14 months of construction.
The first floor of the three-story, 29,076-square-foot building features the Office of Admission; the second floor includes the Career Connection office and the Slocum Reading Room, a student study space highlighted by a Romanesque arcade with breathtaking views of the building’s 70-foot-by-20-foot leaded glass ceiling; and the third floor includes additional admission counselor offices as well as offices for the OWU Connection, Community Service Learning, Financial Aid, and International and Off-Campus Programs.
Before the restoration began, Schooley Caldwell researched Slocum Hall and discovered it originally had a stenciled pattern on the Reading Room ceiling. Architects replicated the stencils by hand, recreated painted medallions that originally aligned with the room’s columns, and reproduced many of its original light fixtures.
All but two of the building’s original windows were restored, with new interior storm windows installed to make them as energy efficient as replacement windows. In addition, the building’s five fireplaces were restored along with the original ceramic tile in the first- and second-floor landing spaces.
In addition to preserving historic details, the architects also added amenities to make Slocum Hall more modern and functional. This included installing air-conditioning, an elevator, an exterior accessibility ramp, and a sustainable “green” cork floor in the Reading Room to improve acoustics.
Schooley Caldwell served as the project architect, Setterlin Building Co. as the general contractor, and Hill International Inc. as the owner’s representative. All are based in Columbus, Ohio.
The 2024 Preservation Merit Award is not Ohio Wesleyan’s first such statewide honor. In 2023, OWU earned a Preservation Merit Award for the 15-month, $14-million donor-funded restoration of Stuyvesant Hall, a 74,000-square-foot student residence originally opened in 1931.
The State Historic Preservation Office Awards have been presented since 1983 to recognize notable contributions to historic preservation in Ohio. The awards are presented in two categories: Public Education and Awareness and Preservation Merit. Learn more at www.ohiohistory.org.
Source, Image: OWU
