Buildings Most of the buildings on today's Culver–Stockton campus have been built since 1937. Much construction and complete renovation of the major buildings on campus have taken place since 1980.
Henderson Hall The first building on Culver–Stockton Campus was
Old Main, known today as Henderson Hall. Construction began in 1853 and was completed in 1855. The building was destroyed by fire on March 23, 1903. In keeping with a tradition that carries on today, students didn't miss one day of school. Officials organized classes in local churches. College President Carl Johann resolved to rebuild; and within 10 days of the fire, the citizens of Canton raised $15,000 for a new building. The college collected $8,000 from insurance and salvaged $4,000 worth of stone and brick from the old building. The new building was completed and occupied by May 15, 1904, at a final cost of $42,000. Since funds were still short to complete payment, orator and three-time presidential candidate
William Jennings Bryan spoke on campus on August 24, 1904, to help raise funds. It is a two-story red brick structure with a full basement. Styled in the Neo-Classical manner, the building is dominated by a colossal, tetrastyle Ionic portico and crowned by a dome. Since the original building had a dome, a dome also was part of the new construction. The dome on Henderson Hall continues to be an important symbol of the college to this day. Henderson Hall originally housed science laboratories, men's and women's gymnasiums, a museum, a dining room, a "commercial" department, library, administrative offices, classrooms, an assembly hall that seated about 600 with a rolling door at the rear that could be opened to add 400 more spectators, and three meeting rooms for student groups. As educational activities were dispersed to other buildings, Henderson Hall continued to serve, as it does today, as a primarily administrative and classroom building. The new building was named for D. Pat Henderson, one of the founders and first president of the board of trustees. Henderson was a church leader, an editor and publisher of religious publications, and a tireless public servant. He was instrumental in the founding of Eureka College and Columbia College in addition to Culver–Stockton. He served in several governmental social service capacities during and after the Civil War. He was an outspoken advocate of education for women. Henderson Hall was named to the
National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Johnson Hall Johnson Hall originally was called
Culver–Stockton Hall when it was built in 1912 as a "co-educational" residence hall. It was built by W.R. Oder and designed by J. Hal Lynch. The building was shaped in an elongated T with the girls housed in one arm of the T and the boys on the other side. There would be 44 rooms, each housing two students. A superintendent's office was built in the middle to maintain no communication between the sides. Culver–Stockton historically considered the physical fitness of the student body a high priority, so a 50 x 79 foot gymnasium 25-foot high ceilings occupied the main floor of the center section. A swimming pool measuring 20 by 58 feet was located in the basement, along with a dining hall and laundry. The hall represents an early collaboration between important pioneer donors, Mary Culver and Robert Stockton, each of whom contributed $25,000. The dormitory wings of Johnson burned in a spectacular fire on the night of Jan. 9, 1924, but they were rebuilt to house 100 women. Male students moved to another building. A new gymnasium building with a swimming pool was constructed on a nearby site, and the old gymnasium and swimming pool area was remodeled into parlors, classrooms, meeting rooms, practice rooms and a YWCA room. A $250,000 renovation of Culver-Stockton Hall was part of a development drive called Project Renaissance in 1979. Trustee Reynold Johnson took up the challenge and donated $200,000. Student rooms were improved, and plush carpet, new lighting and furniture was added to the lounge. The Board of Trustees voted in October 1980 to change the name of Culver-Stockton Hall to Reynold C. and Mabel F. Johnson Hall. Today's students still live in Johnson Hall, which was renovated again in 1996. Each suite has two bedrooms and a bathroom, designed to house four students.
Carl Johann Memorial Library The college library had been housed in Henderson Hall until 1947, when the need for a separate library/classroom building became acute. The building was named after
Carl Johann, an important early college president. The original building housed the bookstore/soda fountain, a projection room, a phonograph room, and a museum in the basement. The second floor was used for administrative offices and classrooms. The library and the headquarters of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society were on the third floor. Administrative offices were moved back to Henderson after renovations were completed, and offices in Johann were remodeled for faculty.
Ellison A. Poulton Memorial Stadium The
Ellison A. Poulton Memorial Stadium was dedicated at Homecoming in 1953 to Ellison A. Poulton, a Canton native. While a student at Culver–Stockton, he played on the football team. He graduated from Culver–Stockton in 1919 and Harvard Law School in 1922. When Poulton died in 1945, he left an unrestricted bequest of $200,000. Culver-Stockton officials announced in 1946 that a science hall would be named after Poulton, but four years later, school officials no longer felt a science building was needed. Instead, the football stadium was named after him. The first football game was played in Poulton Stadium on Sept. 18, 1948, when Monmouth College defeated the Wildcats 12–6. The stadium was not dedicated until the centennial homecoming on October 17, 1953.
Roy D. Wilcox Memorial Pressbox, named in honor of a C-SC alum, was added in 2003, replacing the original one-room press box built in 1953. It contains several rooms, including separate rooms for each coaching staff, a media room, a room for game-day personnel, a private room for special guests and a VIP room on the upper level.
Carla Rifkind Warsaw Memorial Chapel of All Faiths Required daily chapel was a ritual of academic life at Culver–Stockton from the beginning. In the 1960s one focus of student unrest was required chapel. Ultimately, required chapel services were eliminated. Voluntary chapel service continued reflecting the historic affiliation with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the mission of the college. Services were held in an assortment of places including an outdoor chapel on the northeast corner of campus. In 1970 the college began planning the new
Gladys Crown Student Center named for the wife of Col. Henry Crown, prominent businessman and philanthropist. Connected to the east wing is the
Carla Rifkind Warsaw Memorial Chapel of All Faiths. The chapel contains centers for worship and meditation for Protestant, Catholic and Jewish students. Rabbi
Louis Binstock of Chicago led the dedication service in 1972. Long-time art professor, Grant Kenner created the All Faiths Frieze encircling the chapel interior in 1973–1976. The frieze displays an original ecumenical emblem designed by Prof. Kenner and 44 other symbols representing the great religions of the world. In 2002, Professor Kenner created stained glass and metal doors for the chapel.
Herrick Foundation Center The
Herrick Foundation Center, renovated in 1983 from the
L.L. Culver Gymnasium, built in 1925, was named for the
Herrick Foundation which contributed funds toward the building. A center for business and art, the building features classrooms, offices and seminar rooms, a 125-seat auditorium, five art studios, a general computer lab and a graphic arts lab, and the Mabee Art Gallery, located in a two-story gallery that hosts several professional art exhibitions are planned annually as well as faculty and student art shows.
Robert W. Brown Performing Arts Center The
Robert W. Brown Performing Arts Center was added to
Alexander Campbell Auditorium in 1990. It is named in honor of
Robert W. Brown, president emeritus. The state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center houses all three of Culver–Stockton's performing spaces. The
Alexander Campbell Auditorium, which was built in 1966, is a 900-seat proscenium theatre used for musicals and larger theatre productions.
Mabee Little Theatre is a flexible seating "Black Box" experimental theatre, used for theatre department productions and student-directed productions. The Performing Arts Center also houses practice and rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, a costume shop, orchestra pit, the music computer lab, piano lab, faculty studios, and classrooms.
Science Center Opened for classes in 2002, the
Science Center is Culver–Stockton College's newest academic building. The facility houses the college's science, mathematics and computer information systems academic departments. The Science Center features the John A. Sperry Jr. Astronomical Observation Platform, Carolyn L. Brown Lecture Hall, a computer lab, several science laboratories, classrooms and faculty offices.
The "Hill" Throughout the college's history the "Hill" has been an enduring symbol of the college. In 1964, after much discussion, a roadway was built connecting Lewis Street and Henderson Hall. The site was named after
Ada Wallace Roberts, a long-time English professor and administrator. At the base of the hill was placed a memorial with the names of those alumni who had given their lives in World War II. ==Academics==