Old Main, Almira College

Hogue Hall is the original main building of Almira College in Greenville, Illinois. Construction began in 1855, the partly finished building was occupied in 1858, and work ended in 1864. Stephen Morse and John White founded the college, and it was named for Morse's wife, Almira. The brick structure measures 48 by 160 feet, rises four stories and originally held seventy-two rooms. Its architect is unknown, and its rectilinear massing, stubby end towers and central tower are hard to match with other 1850s styles, though the tall narrow and round-headed windows suggest Italianate inspiration. Mansard roofs were added later, and in 1892 cement bands covered the original brick stringcourses. Interiors have been renovated into offices, but the third floor keeps wooden Greek Revival doorframes. Almira College served about 3,000 students between 1855 and 1890 and became coeducational Greenville College in 1892. The building is listed for its architecture and its role in early higher education for women in southern Illinois.