Great Hall
Also known as: College Commons
Why it's listed
Great Hall is a brick building faced with squared and coursed rubble stone on the Heidelberg College campus in Tiffin, Ohio. Built in 1925-1926 as College Commons to a Modern English Gothic design by Miller, Pullenwider, and Dowling, it has a one-story center section flanked by two-story end sections, a gabled terra cotta tile roof, and a main entrance with a Gothic arch and quoins. Before it opened, women students ate in their dormitories and men used a separate facility on Greenfield Street. Gifts from the people of Tiffin and Seneca County paid for the new dining hall. It served that purpose until Hoernemann Refectory opened in 1966, after which it was renamed Great Hall and became part of the Campus Center. A addition called The Castle was attached to the west side in 1971. The building is included among Heidelberg College resources that illustrate the college's growth since 1850.
Significance in brief: It is nominated as part of a thematic group of Heidelberg College buildings that trace the institution's growth since its founding in 1850. It served as the college's dining hall and later became part of the Campus Center. Its Modern English Gothic design contributes to the group's range of architectural styles.
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 79002777, listed February 12, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 44 Greenfield St., Tiffin |
|---|---|
| County | Seneca County |
| Listed | February 12, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002777 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1925-1926 |
| Architect / builder | Miller, Pullenwider, and Dowling |
| Architectural style | Modern English Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good (interior) and very good (exterior); in use as part of the Campus Center. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.11824, -83.16772 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 79002777.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138673382
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.