Roger Heineken, local historian, presents about green spaces at ESU. Currently, ESU’s campus is 234 acres
Emporia state’s campus was founded in 1863 and at the start there was only one building. Now Emporia’s campus stretched to 234 acres.
More than 60 buildings fill the campus, along with outdoor facilities according an ESU informational pamphlet.
These facilities include green areas that are used for many sports from football to soccer, as well as paths and trails that can be used by all on campus.
“They (students) also used (green areas) for rallys and events and even today we have concerts on Morse Hall lawn… Before we had the Welch stadium where the Science Hall is and Cremer Hall is that is where they would play football,” said Roger Heineken, local historian.
When classes first started in 1863, to stay cool during the warm weather, professors would take students outside and teach under the shade of the trees when it was too hot to stay inside, according to Heineken.
Today, students can be found hammocking in front of Plumb Hall. Overthe years the growth of campus green areas has coincided with the student body.
“They start with the small tract of land, one or two buildings, and then as they have more students, they needed more space and they enact land, and then a campus,” Heineken said. “Why not make it beautiful by having the lawns, having the trees, having the shrubs, flowers whatever to make it a pretty place to study.”