ENGLISH OFFICE BUILDING

This building was designed originally to provide offices for the President, Secretary and Treasurer and to include a fireproof vault.

Respecting the necessity for this building, we have only to say that the college books and vouchers, embracing fifteen years, are exposed to constant danger from fire. Moreover, the continually increasing business of the College has far outgrown the capacity of its present office.¹

The contract for construction amounted to $2990.00. Other expenses, including $119.60 for the architect brought the total cost to $3,117.10.

Requests for funds for an addition were made from year to year between 1887 and 1891 when an appropriation was made for this and other buildings. Five bids were received in June 1892. Cost of the addition was $3970.54.

During the next few years rooms in the office building were rented to staff personnel. Various repairs were undertaken. A new furnace was installed in 1904.

In 1905 the Public Grounds Committee recommended “the removal of the old Office Building and Emergency Hall; Definite steps should be taken to clear away both of these buildings as it will not be possible to complete the grading [for Central Building] satisfactorily with them standing where they are.”² That recommendation was never carried out for the Office Building.

In 1908 the college book store was given the use of the first floor and the custodian and Head of the Military Department were quartered on the second floor.

The building was connected to the central heating system in 1914, at which time it was the headquarters for the Buildings and Grounds department, and two rooms on the second floor were rented to the YMCA for their food service employees.

Some time later the Music Department was allocated space in the building until the end of 1928 when they moved into their new quarters in the Maples (Music Hall). In 1929 the second floor was converted into office space for the English Department, and in 1940 the name of the building was changed to English Office Building.

In 1973 all English and Speech offices were relocated to other buildings and the old Office Building became the headquarters for International Education Services.