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UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
 

The Changing Campus: 1892

Western Reserve University incorporated in 1884 and added 6 new schools between 1884 and 1892. With the expansion of the university, physical plant expanded. In 1892 Mather College received its first 2 permanent buildings, Guilford House and Clark Hall of Liberal Arts. Adelbert added 2 athletic facilities to its campus: Adelbert Gym, 1888 and the athletic field (later known as Clarke Field).


The new WRU president, Charles F. Thwing, moved to a new residence at 11109 Bellflower Road, freeing up Cutler Hall (the former president’s residence) for new purposes.


Following the fire that nearly destroyed the Main Building in 1886, Case built 3 new buildings in addition to rebuilding Case Main: the Chemical Laboratory, 1887; Chemical Laboratory, 1892; and Mechanical Laboratory, 1892. The Chemistry Department received a separate building before other departments because many believed the fire was caused by the Chemistry Department (though nothing was proven).


Number of buildings in use by Case in 1892: 4.

Number of buildings in use by WRU in 1892: 13.
map
This map shows the Case and Adelbert campuses. The building by the railroad tracks is the Chemical Laboratory, 1887. After the newer laboratory building was built in 1892, this building was moved and became the residence for the janitor. (It was not razed until 1955.)
A view of the Case campus from Lilac Drive, now known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. You can see (from left to right) Case Main Building, Chemical Laboratory, 1892, and the Mechanical Laboratory, 1892.
 Case campus
Case campus
Another view of the Case campus taken from a rooftop at about East 107th Street. From left to right are Case Main, the Chemical Laboratory, 1892, (Adelbert Hall, the dormitory, is behind it), the Electrical Laboratory, and the Mechanical Laboratory, 1892.
The 2 buildings for the College for Women are Clark Hall on the left and Guilford House on the right.
Mather campus
 
Information was compiled by staff of the Case Western Reserve University Archives, November 2004.