Lord Hall would be 106 years old today (if it was still standing)
If Lord Hall hadn't been demolished, today would be its 106th anniversary. Construction was completed and the building accepted by the Board of Trustees on this day back in 1906.
It was originally known as the Mines Building before being dubbed Lord Hall in 1912. It was named after Nathanial Wright Lord, original Dean of the College of Engineering and professor of Metallurgy from 1877 to his unexpected death in 1911.
This image, referring to the "New Mines Bldg," was made not too long after it opened. Note the dirt path & construction debris. Also noteworthy: The forest in back. In Ohio State's early days--when campus was out in the country--it was called the "University Woods."
For most of its history, Lord Hall was home to Mining, Ceramic Engineering, and Metallurgy. In later years, it was home to Anthropology. I remember it from those days when it was full of casts of skulls and hominid skeletons, artifacts from strange cultures in distant lands, and relics from archaeological digs.
The 124 W. 17th Ave. building was almost destroyed in a huge fire in January 1959. During the May 1970 riots, somebody firebombed the copier center in the basement.
By the 1980s, the building was showing its years. My wife had many classes there. I remember the floors shaking during class changes. I attended a class in there when a professor pulled down the film screen only to have the whole apparatus pull out of the wall, fall, and smash him in the face. Lots of blood.
Above: Lord Hall in summer 1988.
For whatever reason, the university elected not to restore the building. It was demolished in January 2009. The lot now sits vacant awaiting a new use.