Natural History Building

Dedicated on November 16, 1892, [1] the Natural History Building is one of 5 buildings on the University campus designed by architect Nathan Ricker [2]. Built in the American High Victorian Gothic style [3] for a cost of $364,000, [4] the 122,900 square foot building [5] represented a welcome deviation from the architectural styles prevalent in the rest of campus.

The inaugural address, entitled "Development of the Natural History Departments", was given by Professor T.J. Burrill, while President David S. Jordan gave a speech on "Science and the American College". [6] The initial occupants of the building were the departments of botany, entomology, zoology, physiology, geology, and mathematics, along with the State Natural History Survey and the State Entomologist. [7]

In June 1897, [8] a lightning strike caught fire to a portion of the building, causing $75,000 worth of damage. [9]

The building has undergone two major additions, in 1909, 1910, and 1923. The 1909 and 1910 additions, architected by W. C. Zimmerman, added a lecture hall and a museum, respectively, for $250,000, [10] while J. M. White was the architect of the $150,000 1923 addition. [11] [12] In 1959, the Geology Library was inaugurated in the building, [13] and on November 16, 1979, the library was dedicated in honor of George Willard White, [14] who served as the Head of the Department of Geology from 1947 to 1965 [15] and was largely responsible for growing the collection to its present size. [16]

The Museum of Natural History was originally located in the center of the building, occupying a respectable 51 by 63 foot space. [17] It later moved to quarters on the fourth floor until around 2001, when it was closed and its more than 420,000 artifacts [18] moved to the new Spurlock Museum. Among this spectacular assemblage is the entire bird collection from the Columbian Exposition of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. [19]

By 1964, the University was requesting funding for "a project to eliminate deadend corridors in the basement, and thus prevent persons from being trapped in this area in the event of a fire emergency". [20]

The building, located at 1301 W. Green St , Urbana , was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. [21]