Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.)
Unknown

English, Swedish

Certain materials under the Hanson Hall of Science are restricted until 2025.

Architecture
Buildings
College Campuses
Campus Planning - Illinois
Blueprints

Julia G. Westblade, 2012. Updated 2013.

Augustana College Special Collections
Thomas Tredway Library
639 38th Street
Rock Island, Illinois 61201
309-794-7643
specialcollections@augustana.edu

The materials in this collection represent various buildings and structures on the Augustana College campus. For more historical information about Augustana College, refer to Augustana…A Profession of Faith: A History of Augustana College 1860-1935 by Conrad Bergendoff and Coming of Age: A History of Augustana College 1935-1975 by Thomas Tredway. For a more detailed history of buildings at Augsutana College, refer to An Historical Survey of the Augustana College Campus by Glen E. Brolander.

Augustana College moved to its present location in Rock Island, Illinois in 1875. The oldest still-standing building is Old Main which was constructed in the 1880s. Several other buildings have been either torn down or repurposed over the course of the school's history.

In the early 1920s, Zion Hill was leveled to make room for several new seminary buildings including the Seminary dorm, the Seminary Library (now the Swenson Hall of Geosciences), and Founder's Hall.

Other buildings have been repurposed as the college's needs have changed. In the late 1970s, the former College Union became the Biology Building. Similarly, when the Thomas Tredway Library was built in 1991, the Denkmann Memorial Library was turned into a classroom building for foreign languages. In 2013, the Thomas Tredway Library was renovated and became the Center for Student Life.

In 1970, the John Deere Planetarium recieved the honor of being selected as a winner of the design competition sponsored by the national publication Colleges and Universities as one of the "16 outstanding examples of campus design for the '70's."

The Augustana College Buildings and Grouds collection measures 5 linear feet and is comprised of the following series:

The Augustana Memorial Ampitheater contains plans from 1953 for the building of an outdoor ampitheater to memorialize fallen soliders. It also contains correspondence relating to fundraisers and development plans as well as photographs and articles from the Augustana Observer.

The Center for Student Life series contains an invitation to the 2012 groundbreaking ceremony.

The Fine Arts series dates from 1953-1957 and 2002 and contains materials and pamplets regarding the building of the Bergendoff Hall of Fine Arts and Centennial Hall, the auditorium and concert hall.

The Gymnasiums series contains four subseries: The 1895 Gym, the 1916 Gym, Carver Physical Education Center, and the Pepsico Recreational Center.
The 1895 Gym subseries contains two bricks from the building located in the realia section at the end of the collection.
The 1916 Gym subseries consists of documents from the Priester construction company pertaining to the 1960 building remodel as well as newspaper articles and copies of the Augustana Alumni Bulletin.
The Carver Physical Education Center subseries dates from 1968-1975, 1985 and consists of pamphlets and dedication programs as well as news artciles about the building and Augutana Athletics. This subseries also contains blueprints of the parking lot.
The Pepsico Recreation Center dates from 1995 and contains a dedication program as well as a large picture of the building.

The Library series is divided into two subseries: Denkmann Memorial Library and Thomas Tredway Library.
The Denkmann Memorial Library dates from 1909, 1967-1969, and 1991. It consists of news articles and floorplans as well as documents and blueprints from the Priester construction company. It also contains undated keys labeled "library" and "archives."
The Thomas Tredway Library subseries dates from 1991 and 2003 and contains programs from the dedication and naming of the building as well as floorplans.

The Old Main series dates from 1884-1893, 1959-1960, 1983. It contains a brick and invitations to events in the building as well as information about Cable Hall. It also contains blueprints from the 1959-1960 remodel.

The Residence Halls series consists of the following subseries:
The Andreen Hall subseries dates from 1969, 1972, 1976-1979 and consists of dorm policies and blueprints.
The Carlsson Hall subseries dates from 1921, 1997-1999 and consistes of fundraising brochues and information about the 70th Anniversary Celebreation as well as the dedication of Evald Lounge.
The Immanuel Hall subseries dates from 1959 and contains a dedication program.
The Erickson Residence Center dates from 1966 and consists of a dedication brochure and policy manuels.
The Naeseth Town House subseries dates from 1996 and contains a dedication program.
The Westerlin Hall subseries dates from 1957 and contains a dedication program.
The Upper Campus subseries contains development plans from 1955.

The Sciences series is divided into the following subseries:
The Wallberg Hall of Sciences subseries dates from 1923-1935, 1947-1949, 1955, 1961, 1979-1980, 1985. It contains materials relating to science classes and the contents of the cornorstone time capsul. It also contains information and photographs of the 1955 fire that consumed the 4th floor and the subsequent renovations. It also contains papers written by students and Fritiof Fryxell along with information on the 50th Anniversary celebrations. There are also blueprints from the Priester construction company and a slideshow by Mel Peterson.
The John Deere Planetarium subseries dates from 1958-1959, 1969-1975. It consists of news articles and dedication programs, miscellanoues events, and architectural awards, as well as a sample of the copper used to renovate the roof.
The Science Facilites subseries consists of devlopment plans as well as documents and blueprints from the Priester construction company for various science building upgrades in 1967.
The Swenson Hall of Geosciences subseries dates from 1979 and consists of blueprints and documents from the Priester Construction Company relating to the remodeling of the building.
The Biology Building subseries dates from 1977-1980 and contains items and papers removed from a three-ring binder. These papers relate to the plans and the equipment purchased as well as an open house.
The Hanson Hall of Science subseries consists of images and floorplans dating from 1996-1998. There are also undated pictures located in Oversize Box 13.
The F.W. Olin Center for Technology subseries contains a dedication program from 1998 and an undated picture.

The Theological Seminary series contains information relating to multiple buildings of the former Augustana Seminary and also consists of the following subseries:
The Founder's Hall subseries dates from 1967-1969 and contains a dedication program as well as blueprints.
The Ascension Chapel subseries contains information about the dedication of the organ in 1981.

The Student Unions series dates from 1945-1997 and consists of the follwing subseries:
The Student's Union subseries dates from 1945-1946 and contains bills and invoices relating to the construction of the building as well as news articles.
The College Union subseries dates from 1959-1979 and consists of informational brochures and ne ws articles as well as information about the Hammarskjold Room.
The North Hall subseries consists of a press release from 1973.
The College Center subseries dates from 1978-1979 and contains news articles and informational brochures.
The Betsey Broadahl Student Services Building subseries contains dedication information from 1997.

The Miscellaneous series contains information about various buildings and locations on campus and consists of the following subseries:
The Bell Tower subseries contains information written in 1983 about the College Bell.
The Black Culture House subseries contains an undated informational brochure about the purpose of the house.
The East Hall subseries dates from 1976 and consists of information about the history of the building and bricks located in Box 12 at the end of the collection.
The Ericsson Field subseries consists of a paper written about the creation of the athletic field.
The House on the Hill subseries contains informational brochures as well as paperwork for the National Register of Historic Places.
The Multiple Building Information subseries dates from 1959-1962 and contains blue prints and floorplans for several buildings on campus as well as information compiled by Conrad Bergendoff about early water supplies to Augustana buildings and typewriten information for a walking tour of the Augustana campus.
The Physical Plant subseries contains floorplans from 1962.
The Student Health Services subseries contains informational brochures from 1970 as well as undated brochures.
The University of Illinois subseries contains a brick from the university in Springfield where Lars Paul Esbjorn, Augustana's first president, taught Scandanavian studies before Augustana College and Theological Seminary were organized.
The Walter Gale House subseries contains documents relating to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Realia series contains objects and physical items relating to other series in the collection including bricks and keys as well as a copper roof sample.

The Blueprints series contains blueprints from renovations and construction projects by the Priester Company.

The Augustana College Buildings and Grounds collection covers a broad time period and many different subjects. The various buildings and locations are grouped into series according to the subject of its use. The series are arranged in alphabetical order and within each series, the subseries are arranged in chronological order.

All documents from the Priester company and blueprints are maintined in original order.