Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / March 28, 1963, edition 1 / Page 3
Part of Meredith College Student Newspaper / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
March 28, 1963 THE TWIG Page Three Johnson Hall Steps, Frame Classroom Buildings Are a Part of Meredith’s Architectural Past By ANN RIVERS A surprising number of changes have taken place on the Meredith campus since it moved to its present location. Some of the most interest ing of these changes have occurred in the physical appearance of the campus. Undoubtedly, the most familiar building at Meredith is Johnson Hall, which is usually first to be seen as students come up the drive from Hillsboro Street, This sight, the facadc of Johnson Hall, is quite different now from its earlier ap pearance, for it was first constructed with outside steps leading up to the second floor. These steps were the scene of several traditional events. Students sang there on Commence ment Day. On Class Day each class stood on the steps and sang her class song. The seniors, who stood on the top rows, moved down the steps for each successive class to move up, symbolizing the rise of each year’s class. At the end of Class Day, the daisy chain, forming the numerals of the graduating class, was left on the steps. Stepsinging also took placc in the afternoon before Stunt Night and after Palio, which was a day of out door games and merry making. The old Johnson Hall steps, once an integral part of Meredith tradition, arc presently located be hind the college, just off the road % X & i r Former gradiialcs of Meredith pose »n stups In froiil of Johnson Hall. Mary Lou l>avis, Jane Lawrcncc, and Anne I’opc iiivvbliKulc steps taken from llie I'ront of Johnson Hall during reniodelinf;. to Ridgewood. The interior of Johnson Hall has also undergone a transformation. Previously it had a rotunda, or en closed area, in the center, with a rccessed floor. This enclosed place was sometimes known as the “fish bowl” or “dry swimming pool” and was used for vespers, meetings, and senior dating. Before Joyner Hall, the present liberal arts building, was con structed, a long one-story building with classrooms on each side of a single hall was used. This structure was apparently never very satisfac tory t«cause the walls were so thin that lessons going on in neighbor ing rooms could be overheard, and buckcts had to be placed in the rooms during rain to caich water from a leaking roof. Some people may not be aware of the fact that Meredith has a natural amphitheater located in the grove, which is no longer used, in addition to a natural stage, rustic benches were used. Vespers, May Day and Commencement services were held at this site, and on Class Day, the sophomores carried their daisy chain there. Near this area, two rustic, pagoda-style summer houses used to stand — one on each side of the drive. An uproar must have been created one year when a crook was found hiding under one of these. Hunter Hall, one of the newer additions to the campus, replaces a long, one - story science building, which was removed during the late I950’s. The old auditorium and music building was abandoned with the construction of Jones Auditorium in 1949. The old auditorium was a large frame building with bare raft ers and wooden seats which are still used for outdoor programs. The low rear part of this structure, which had contained music theory class rooms, was allowed to remain and became a part of the present- day Bee Hive. The first student supply store had been located in a small room in one of the dormi tories (then known as A, B, C, and D), and was later moved to a farm worker’s house which had been on the farm land bought for the site of Meredith College. Dr. Mary Yarbrough Franccs Rogers, a former chemislry major, move from old science buildiog. I Former Meredith students enjoy refreshments from tb« old supply store. Students make daisy ciialn in summer house before it was removed. Interior of Meredith cbapci before it was replaced.
Meredith College Student Newspaper
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 28, 1963, edition 1
3
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75