{"nrhp_refnum":"04001291","name":"Memorial Gymnasium","other_names":["Vdhr#104-0095"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"210 S. Emmett St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Charlottesville (Independent City)","county":"Charlottesville","state":"VA","lat":38.037440384000035,"lon":-78.50712288899996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2004-12-04","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Politics/Government"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Memorial Gymnasium is a large red-brick Beaux Arts Classicism athletic building at 210 S. Emmett Street in Charlottesville, Virginia, on the west side of the University of Virginia grounds. It was built between 1921 and 1924 as a World War I memorial.","why_significant":"It is nationally significant under Criterion A for Politics/Government because President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his June 10, 1940 'dagger in the back' commencement address there, signaling a move away from isolationism. It is also significant under Criterion C as an elegant example of Beaux Arts Classicism designed by a group of architects under Fiske Kimball.","narrative":"Memorial Gymnasium, known as \"Mem Gym,\" sits at the foot of a steep hill west of the original academical village at the University of Virginia. Built between 1921 and 1924 for about $300,000, it honors the university students and alumni who died in World War I. Fiske Kimball supervised a team of architects that included Walter Dabney Blair, John Kevan Peebles and R.E. Lee Taylor. The red-brick building draws on Roman baths, with giant engaged Corinthian columns, large thermal windows and a six-column Ionic portico. It contains a basketball court, an indoor track and a swimming pool. On June 10, 1940, a rainstorm moved the university's graduation ceremony here from the outdoor amphitheater, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his \"dagger in the back\" speech, pledging material support to democracies fighting Germany and Italy. That event, together with the building's classical design, underpins its listing. It remains in use for intramural sports.","period_of_significance":"1924-1954","architect_builder":"Kimball, Fiske, et. al.","architectural_style":"Beaux Arts Classicism","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Described as in good condition, retaining historic integrity, and still used for intramural sports and recreation by the University community.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:03.007095-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/9/6801/41680109/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/04001291.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04001291/2687bd8762-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04001291/2687bd8762-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Greenstrat","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Memorial_Gymnasium,_University_of_Virginia_-_2006.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Greenstrat</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Memorial_Gymnasium,_University_of_Virginia_-_2006.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41680109","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Gymnasium_(Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14712831"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/charlottesville/memorial-gymnasium-04001291/"}