FREEMAN HALL

Increasing enrollments of women made necessary additional housing “located in buildings that are entirely under college control.” ¹ Tentative plans for “two additional units to the dormitory for women” were presented to the Board at the February 1915 meeting and at the June meeting of that year the architect was instructed to prepare final plans and specifications. The construction award was made in September. Contracts for heating and plumbing equipment were approved in November.

The contractor went into bankruptcy in March 1916 and work on the building was temporarily interrupted. Construction was then resumed under the direction of Superintendent Sloss who completed work by September.² The building was then named East Hall.

The building “accommodates 93 young women and has a guest room for parents, an accommodation that has been greatly needed.”³ Fire escapes were added in 1918.

East Hall was renamed Alice Freeman Hall by Board action on October 9, 1928.

A major renovation of Freeman Hall was undertaken in 1966-67. The project description states:

Freeman Hall is the second oldest women’s dormitory at Iowa State University, having been constructed in 1916. It is of brick masonry, fire-resistant construction with a slate roof, and structurally is in excellent condition. However, the plumbing, heating and wiring are inadequate; and particularly the plumbing piping has deteriorated to the point where maintenance costs are excessive. This type of work will require considerable patching of plaster after the mechanical work is completed and also complete redecoration.⁴