Goodbye, Harrison Hall

For students who came back to campus this semester, one could not miss the fact that Harrison Hall was no longer standing in the place it used to be. Named after the founder of Vincennes University, William Henry Harrison, Harrison Hall was one of the seven main residence halls on campus. 

“Harrison Hall was the oldest dorm we have on campus. It was built in the mid sixties.” Director of Architectural Services and Facilities, Andrew Young, commented. “With the amount of damage it sustained in the storm, it was decided that the investment required to rebuild the dorm to its former condition was not the best direction for the university.”

Keeping the fact of the ongoing pandemic and winter weather conditions in mind, it can be easy for these variables to put a stop in the scheduling of current construction on campus. 

“[The demolition of] Harrison Hall is moving along well with most of the major demolition being complete already. The basement area will be filled in and final grading [will be] done in the next week or so, weather pending. The process of the demolition has not been difficult,” Young said. 

The growing question on many people’s minds is knowing what will be built next in the vacant area where Harrison Hall once stood. 

“The exact function/purpose for the new facility is yet to be determined, but we are excited about the prospects and the location. With the site being in the middle of campus, it has great potential to have a positive impact on the campus and student life on campus,” Young noted.

Only time will tell for what the future holds for a place on campus that has so much history wrapped into it. 

“It is never easy having to let go [of] a structure that has so much history and has been on campus [for] so long,” Young stated.

One thing is definitely for certain and that is that Harrison Hall will be missed by many students who had the opportunity to reside in it.