Temporary Post-Fire Buildings

One week after the fire that destroyed Old Main on 2/4/1914, a large building of board-and-batten construction, 126 feet by 40 feet, was ready for use as a temporary kitchen and dining hall. The first meal served was supper on Tuesday, February 10. Within two weeks, the temporary administration building, 150 feet by 40 feet, was completed, containing 14 rooms for recitations, laboratories, library, and offices. In one month, the auditorium, 70 feet by 40 feet, was finished, and had a floor of sawdust. In this building, Cosie Patterson and Fredonia Rowland presented their graduating recital on April 3. Gradually, “everything was quiet with parents and students, and all had settled down to good work”. The three old temporary buildings were torn down and cleared away in May of 1915; the lumber was used to build a large barn and storage room.