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The oldest remaining structure on a Louisiana public university campus, Hale Hall, has been demolished (built in 1898). A "new" Hale Hall will be constructed in its place.
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They should sell the bricks!!!
I know I would buy one.
True. But, the bricks are probably in a landfill by now...
I had a studio at Hale Hall back in 1975-76 when I was an architecture major. Spent many, many hours there that year. That place was freezing in the winter and sometimes I'd have to stay most of the night working on a final project. Finally switched to forestry and got a degree. I never set foot in Hale Hall again. I will second the brick thing, I'd like to have one for old times.
This is what the NewsStar said about it:
To commemorate the building, Reneau has taken some slivers of brick and the pine flooring from Hale with a ribbon and card that gives 1898 as a date and given them to some alumni, he said.
"Everybody has a tie to Hale Hall," Reneau said.
I guess mine got lost in the mail. :(
Seriously, though, surely to God they didn't landfill those bricks? I was hoping they'd save the material and possibly use them to build something -- like maybe a plaza in front of New Hale Hall, or perhaps use them to build a 'Tech column' to contiune that theme. Much the same way that the leftovers from Old Main were used to build the original columns. (For what it's worth, personally, I'd like to see those columns erected in some form at Joe Aillet, and possibly at all entrances to Tech.)
Who would know?
I still can't believe they tore it down. Kind of sums up higher ed. in Louisiana -- the oldest structure in the state and we can't get funding to keep it standing.
I thought they tore it down because it wasn't feasible to rennovate and it was dangerous. Besides, I thought it was on the register of national landmarks. They couldn't have torn it down otherwise based on my understanding.
Listing on the National Register is honorary only. It does nothing to prevent the owner of an historic building from altering or destroying it. Now ... if the demo project used any federal $$$, then a review process kicks in that can stall a demolition & advise against it. But the owner of structure still has the final say.
I garauntee you that the folks at the State Historic Preservation Office in BR are having fits over this. It's a dang travesty.
All I can say is it was a piece of junk 27 years ago when I had a studio there. I don't know how the thing was still standing. The sad thing is there was probably a point somewhere in the past when it could have been salvaged and nothing was done until it was to late.
To renovate the existing structure would have required a complete gutting. Basically, demolishing and rebuilding is doing the exact same thing. I do agree that a some point in the distant past, this building could have been saved.
When the new Hale Hall is constructed, I think we will all be very impressed and proud.
I have acquired a Hale Hall brick. Just an interesting fact.
How do others go about acquiring a brick or three?
Maybe they should use these bricks to do something with the hill in the south endzone, maybe build the "Tech columns" along it or something? After all, its FREE building materials! That would be cheaper than the blue footballs!
I wouldn't mind have a brick from Hale Hall. My grandfather lived there in the early 1940's.
I also like the idea of the "Tech columns" on the hill, maybe on each side the walkway from the fieldhouse to the field... next to the Spirit of '88?
Heck yeah, man! Waaaay better than blue footballs, no?Quote:
Originally Posted by EJ
I know where the bricks are. Tech is tryiong to get as many of them as possible that are still in good shape and sell them...