{"nrhp_refnum":"85000636","name":"Slocum Hall","other_names":["Slocum Library"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"OWU Main Campus, Sandusky St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Delaware","county":"Delaware County","state":"OH","lat":40.29605541500007,"lon":-83.06696490899998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-03-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Slocum Hall (originally Slocum Library) is a three-story limestone former library on the Ohio Wesleyan University campus in Delaware, Ohio, built in 1898 to designs by architect S. R. Badgley.","why_significant":"The nomination finds it significant for its Renaissance Revival architecture and for its role in the development of education and library science at the university. Built as the second university library, it marked a shift from libraries as archival storage toward student use for independent research and study.","narrative":"Slocum Hall is a three-story limestone building on the Ohio Wesleyan University campus in Delaware, Ohio. Completed in 1898 as Slocum Library, it was designed by architect S. R. Badgley, who reportedly visited college libraries in the east to gather their best features. The Renaissance Revival exterior has a pedimented pavilion and portico, a Palladian window motif and round-arched windows. Inside, a large elliptical reading room is lit by a stained glass skylight, with a balcony above. The building replaced Thomson Chapel, part of the earlier \"Doric Front\" group of buildings. It was the university's second library, succeeding Sturges Library, and was built during a major expansion under President Bashford. Its generous light, air and space reflected a move toward student research and study, and it became a center of student life. It served as the library until 1966 and later housed classrooms and offices. A south wing, possibly added early, matches the main facade.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"S. R. Badgley (architect); builder unknown","architectural_style":"Renaissance Revival (classical)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Exterior recently cleaned and in excellent condition; the 1974 inventory lists present use as classrooms and offices. It served as the college library until 1966.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.691288-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/85000636.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85000636/fd1c3eee8f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85000636/fd1c3eee8f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Phillip M Kukelhan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Slocum_Hall,_Ohio_Wesleyan_University_(September_2012).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Phillip M Kukelhan</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Slocum_Hall,_Ohio_Wesleyan_University_(September_2012).jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"82001373","name":"Sandusky Street Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/ohio/sandusky-street-historic-district-82001373/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71984747","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112690171"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/delaware-county/slocum-hall-85000636/"}