Kalamazoo College Upper (Williams) Hall

Abstract

Kalamazoo College's Upper Hall (Williams Hall), sometime before the fire of 1916. Bowen Hall, built in 1902, can be seen at the far left. Construction was completed in 1849 on Upper Hall, a four-story men's dormitory. It consisted of 36 study rooms, 36 double bedrooms, a chapel, and six recitation rooms. A fire, apparently caused by faulty wiring, broke out in the attic on March 17, 1916. The fourth floor was so badly damaged by fire and water that it had to be torn down. The decision was made to repair the building as a three-story structure, with a new and different roof style. In 1924, Upper Hall was renamed Williams Hall after beloved Dean Clarke Benedict Williams, who, along with his wife, died in the 1923 Yokohama earthquake. The photographer is not identified.