Willis Hall (Carleton College)

Willis Hall--Carleton College
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Willis Hall viewed from the southwest
Location	College Street, Northfield, Minnesota
Coordinates	44°27′38″N 93°9′21″W / 44.46056°N 93.15583°WCoordinates: 44°27′38″N 93°9′21″W / 44.46056°N 93.15583°W
Built	1868–72
Architect	D. C. Hill
Architectural style	Second Empire
NRHP Reference #	75001026[1]
Added to NRHP	June 13, 1975

Willis Hall is a historic building on the campus of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[2]

Willis Hall was the first building specifically built for the college. The first students started attending classes at the former American House hotel in Northfield in 1867, but the building had some serious mechanical problems. The president of the college, James W. Strong, traveled to New England in 1870 for a fundraising tour. After Strong was injured in a railroad accident and subsequently recovered from his injuries, benefactor William Carleton donated $50,000 to the college to insure its survival. His wife, Susan Willis Carleton, donated $10,000 to help finance the first permanent building. The building was named Willis Hall in her honor.^[3]

References

1. National Park Service (2008-04-15). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. Nord, Mary Ann (2003). The National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Society. ISBN 0-87351-448-3.
3. "About Carleton: Our History". Retrieved 2012-10-01.