Tina Weedon Smith Memorial Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Tina Weedon Smith Memorial Hall
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(2008)
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 805 S. Mathews Ave. Urbana, Illinois |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1917-20 |
| Architect | James M. White George E. Wright |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000097 |
| Added to NRHP | February 29, 1996 |
Tina Weedon Smith Memorial Hall is a historic building at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is located in Urbana, Illinois. People often call it Smith Hall. The building is near the main campus quad. It is also close to Foellinger Auditorium. Smith Hall was built between 1917 and 1921. It was designed in the beautiful Beaux-Arts style by James M. White and George E. Wright.
Smith Hall was special because it was the first building on campus paid for entirely by one person. Captain Thomas J. Smith donated the money to honor his wife, Tina Weedon Smith. Today, Smith Hall is used for many things. It hosts university classes, especially music lessons. It is also a place for speakers and musical performances.
In 1996, Smith Memorial Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois. This means it is recognized as an important historical site.
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Building History
On August 14, 1913, Captain Thomas J. Smith decided to donate money to the University of Illinois. He wanted to build a music hall to remember his wife, Tina Weedon Smith. Captain Smith had been a leader on the university's board from 1897 to 1903. He gave land and money to pay for the building. This generous gift made the new hall possible.
Construction on Smith Memorial Hall started on November 9, 1917. Captain Thomas J. Smith himself helped lay the first stone. Workers used a lot of stone, brick, metal, and limestone to build it. The building was designed in the Beaux-Arts architecture style. This style was chosen by James McLaren White and George E. Wright. White was a professor at the University. The building was finished in 1920.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
The Daily Illini newspaper reported on the groundbreaking ceremony for Smith Memorial Hall. It happened on October 24, 1916. Captain Thomas J. Smith and University President James helped start the building work. They used a special spade to break the ground. The spade was decorated in the University of Illinois colors. It was given to Captain Smith after the ceremony.
Captain Smith gave a speech to everyone who came. This included students, teachers, and members of the Glee Club. He explained why he wanted to build the hall. He said he wanted to create a building to honor his wife. He hoped it would help music students and bless many people. After his speech, the University Glee Club performed.
A company called Wager & Company of Champaign-Urbana was hired to dig the land. They were supposed to finish this part of the work within 30 days.
What's Inside Smith Hall?
Smith Memorial Hall has many rooms for music. There are places for performances and for practicing. The biggest room is a large performance hall. It can seat 650 people on the main floor and 450 in the balcony. This hall is designed to sound great for music.
The building also has many practice rooms. On the first floor, there are seven studios and two classrooms. The second floor has 11 more studios and 49 practice rooms. There is also a lecture room on the second floor that can hold 200 people. The third floor has another 47 practice rooms.
Smith Memorial Hall also has a beautiful recital room. It can hold 900 people. This room has detailed mahogany wood. It is home to a large organ made by Casavant Frères.
The Memorial Room in Smith Hall is a very fancy room. It has crystal chandeliers. This room is often used for small musical performances. Students also use it for their recitals.
How Smith Hall is Used Today
Today, Smith Memorial Hall is still a busy place for music. It is used for practices and recitals. The large lecture rooms are used often for classes. University musicians use the smaller rooms for teaching and practicing.
Many musical performances happen in the hall every year. These include harpsichord recitals and performances by jazz bands. Students working on their Doctor of Musical Arts degrees also perform here.
