John W. Cook Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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John W. Cook Hall
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John W. Cook Hall
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | Illinois State University, US 51, Normal, Illinois |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1896 |
| Architect | George H. Miller |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000268 |
| Added to NRHP | February 20, 1986 |
John W. Cook Hall, often called Cook Hall, is a unique building at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. It looks a lot like a castle! This historic building is located on the university's main Quad.
Cook Hall is named after John Williston Cook, who was the fourth president of the university. Since 1986, Cook Hall has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical building in the United States.
A Castle on Campus
Cook Hall is one of several buildings known as "Altgeld's castles". These buildings were designed during the time John Peter Altgeld was the Governor of Illinois. Governor Altgeld was born in Germany. He really liked a style of building called Gothic Revival.
Gothic Revival architecture makes buildings look like old European castles or cathedrals. They often have tall windows, pointed arches, and sometimes even towers. Cook Hall shows many of these cool castle-like features.
Its Changing Uses
When Cook Hall was first built in 1896, it was called the "Gymnasium". It was used as a gym for students. Over time, the university built bigger and newer gyms.
Because of this, Cook Hall was changed to be used for other things. Today, this historic building is home to the School of Music at Illinois State University.
