Ohio University Campus Green Historic District

Ohio University's College Green in Athens, Ohio, is the core of a campus district covering parts of eight city blocks. The green was first laid out in 1804 as two tracts of 3.6 acres each, and the Hitching Ground was added in 1896 on condition that it be kept seeded and well maintained. Cutler Hall, built in 1816 in the Federal style, stands at the high point of the green and is described as the oldest building for higher education west of the Appalachians. Wilson and McGuffey Halls, built in 1836, flank it. Later buildings, many by architect Frank L. Packard, are mostly Georgian Revival and include Ellis, Gordy, Lindley and Bentley Halls. Older houses around the edges, a Civil War soldiers' monument and a replica campus gateway add to the setting. Several landmarks, such as Tupper Hall, the old chapel, and the McGuffey Elms, have been lost. Newer buildings are classed as intrusions.