Old Main can easily be described as one of the, if not the, most historic building on campus. It’s a building that’s hard to miss. It started off as the one of the only buildings making up the campus. It’s been through a lot in the past few decades. But nonetheless, it’s still Old Main.
Now, the Old Main we all know today opened in 1930 and became the home of the university’s administration. However, while it takes up the same layout as it’s predecessor, this Old Main is not the original Old Main.
The original Old Main was designed in the 1850s by a trustee named Hugh McAllister and completed in 1863. It was the only building until 1880, when other structures began to occupy the campus. But it was the main building and thus earned the nickname, “Main Building” later transforming into it’s current name in the 1900s.
The original Old Main had not only the President’s office, but classrooms, a chapel, labs, libraries, dining halls, museums, rooms for student organizations, and up rooms for up to 400 students. And with all of these uses, Old Main started to fall apart. It needed to be renovated. But in 1929, architects said those needed renovations were impractical. With that said, the original Old Main was torn down.
And with the original limestone blocks and bell tower clock, the current Old Main was built. The original Old Main’s bell however, is still on display towards the southwest corner of the new building (sort of in-between Old Main and where the Willard Preacher infamously lectures students). This new Old Main was intended to be used in the same way the current Heizel Union Building (or the HUB) is used. There were rooms for clubs and organizations to meet, there were lounges, dining areas, and even a ticket office for campus events. However, after World War II enrollment at the university increased quickly and in 1955 the current HUB was constructed.
Through my research of Old Main, I came upon an interesting thing. On one of the Penn State websites, there is a list of myths about the university. The myths range from the sundial in front of Old Main represents the geographic center of the state to claiming that there are no sorority houses on campus because they could be constituted as a brothel because of the number of women in one house due to some old Pennsylvania law. While both of those are untrue, there is also a myth about Old Main. The myth claims that at one time, Old Main had burned down. Old Main did not burn down. It did, however, catch fire in 1892. The fire only destroyed the roof. The destruction of the roof led to the remodel of the bell tower as well as the upper floor.
The construction of Old Main also led to the development of an informal mascot, Old Coaly. Coaly was a mule used during the construction to haul the limestone blocks to the site. When the building was complete, the university wanted Coaly for his work capabilities and reliability. So they bought him for $190. And for thirty years Coaly did many different jobs on campus and the farms surrounding the campus. He soon became a student favorite and the unofficial mascot of the university. He passed away in 1893 and his preserved skeleton had many resting places including the basement of Watts Hall, a wildlife museum in the original Old Main, the Agricultural Admin building, the Ag Arena, the old Penn State veterinary hospital. Eventually though, it made it’s way to the HUB where thousands of prospective students are told his story on their campus tour.
Next week, I’ll either be looking at the Willard Preacher and trying to figure out the mystery behind him or I’ll be looking at the history of Beaver Stadium. Or if there is anything or anyone from Penn State that you guys wanted to know more about, let me know and I’ll look into it!
Sources
http://www.psu.edu/ur/about/oldmainhistory.html
https://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/digital/pshistory/landmarks.html
http://www.psu.edu/ur/about/myths.html
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/33/cd/5c/33cd5c5cf18dce68bcd440b0ed7debf9.jpg
http://www.psu.edu/ur/about/markers/others/coaly.html
Kara Fesolovich says
This is an incredibly interesting post! I agree with Pragnya, I walk past the building everyday and admire it so it is nice to get some insight on the background of it. Thanks for sharing!
Sylvia Joy says
You have to write about the Willard Preacher!!! If there is any information!
Lawrence Green says
Great post! I actually never knew that this Old Main was not the original Old Main so that was a cool thing to read about. Likewise, I didn’t know what that other bell was doing there because I didn’t know there was a former bell tower so I just kind of ignored it. I don’t think I’ve seen Coaly’s skeleton on display… I’ll have to go look for it. Great post nonetheless!
Joe Wong says
I always thought the history behind some of the older buildings on campus is interesting especially Old Main. I did not know that it was not the first Old Main building so I was surprised seeing the picture of the original Old Main at the top. Also are Coaly’s skeleton still in the HUB today? if so where?
Pragnya Prabakaran says
This post was enlightening because I walk past Old Main and admire it every day, but I never learned about the history behind it. I think that it’s interesting that the previous Old Main was torn down and the one we know so well was rebuilt in its place. I also liked how you related the building’s history to PSU’s unofficial mascot, Old Coaly. I actually didn’t know about him either! And as for next week’s post, I think either one would be a great option, although I would really like to learn about the Willard Preacher. Great job!