University, Hayes and Orton Halls
Also known as: See Also:University, Hayes and Orton Hall (Boundary Decrease
Why it's listed
Three early buildings on The Oval at The Ohio State University in Columbus mark the beginnings of Ohio's land grant college, founded in 1870 under the Morrill Land Grant Act. University Hall, built in 1873 to designs by J. Snyder of Akron, was the first permanent university building. It was a four-story brick High Victorian structure with a Mansard roof and a bell tower, and it housed all administrative and instructional work until 1879. Hayes Hall, built in 1893 in French Romanesque Revival style by architects Yost and Packard, was the first Ohio college building designed exclusively for manual, domestic and technical instruction. Orton Hall, also built in 1893 by Yost and Packard, is a Richardsonian Romanesque Revival building that was the first fire-resistant structure on campus and the first in Ohio built mainly for museum and laboratory teaching. University Hall was slated for demolition at the time of listing and was later demolished in 1971.
Significance in brief: The three buildings are presented as the surviving architectural and historical symbols of the state's land grant college, founded in 1870 under the Morrill Act. University Hall was the university's first permanent structure, Hayes Hall was the first Ohio college building designed for manual, domestic and technical instruction, and Orton Hall was the first Ohio building designed for museum and laboratory teaching.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 70000492, listed July 16, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | The Oval, Ohio State university, Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | July 16, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000492 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1873-1893 |
| Architect / builder | University Hall: J. Snyder of Akron, Ohio; Hayes Hall and Orton Hall: architects Yost and Packard |
| Architectural style | University Hall: High Victorian with Mansard roof; Hayes Hall: French Romanesque Revival; Orton Hall: Richardsonian Romanesque Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Form describes condition as good. Hayes Hall is in excellent condition; University Hall was slated for demolition, with a rear auditorium addition described as unsafe. Notes added later record University Hall's demolition in October 1971. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.00141, -83.01447 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 70000492.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7894475
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.