Switzler Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Switzler Hall
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | Columbia, Missouri |
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| Built | 1867 |
| Architect | Morris Frederick Bell |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Late Victorian |
| Part of | Francis Quadrangle Historic District (ID73001036) |
| Added to NRHP | December 18, 1973 |
Switzler Hall is an important building at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. It's an academic hall, which means it's used for classes and learning. The building was finished in 1872. You can find it on the west side of the David R. Francis Quadrangle.
Switzler Hall is very old! It's the oldest building used for classes on campus. It's also the second oldest building overall, right after the Chancellor's Residence. The hall is named after Colonel William Franklin Switzler. He was a newspaper editor and a big supporter of the University. Today, Switzler Hall is home to the Department of Communication. It also houses Women's and Gender Studies, and the Special Degrees Program. This historic building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site.
The Switzler Hall Bell Tower
One cool part of Switzler Hall is its bell tower. The bell inside the tower was a gift to the University. It was given by Major James S. Rollins. The bell has a special message carved into it. The words are "Nunc occasion est et tempus." This means "Now is the occasion and the time."
The bell used to ring every day for classes until 1936. Now, it rings only for special events. These events include Tap Day and the Mizzou 39 ceremony. It also rings to honor people from the University who have passed away. When the bell rang for classes, students sometimes played a prank. They would steal the bell's clapper. The clapper is the part that hits the bell to make noise. If the clapper was gone, the bell couldn't ring!
The Mysterious Silo of Switzler Hall
Switzler Hall also has a very mysterious part inside it. There is a three-story "silo" that goes through the middle of the building. This silo is round and made of brick. It is about 8 feet wide. It goes all the way from the basement up to the roof.
Inside the silo, there is a solid wooden structure. It looks like a kind of dumbwaiter or a ladder. This wooden structure also goes up to the attic. No one is completely sure what the silo was originally for! People have many ideas. Some think it was a way to get to the roof. Others believe it was part of an old heating and cooling system. Some even thought it might have been used by physics students. They could have used it as a "drop tower" for experiments. Another idea is that it was a way to vent chemicals from labs on the lower floors. The true purpose of this silo remains a secret!
