In order to preserve the history of the campus, as well as make it more accessible to the students of Emporia State, the map associated with this article has been constructed showing the changes of the 1200 block of Commercial St. from 1873 to 1940. There is not any known maps of Kansas State Normal School (KSN) (1863-1923) or the Kansas State Teachers College (KSCT)(1923-1974) that have survived the test of time.
KSN was founded on March 7, 1863. Classes were held in the “old stone building” which was located between Congress and Constitution Street on 6th Avenue. KSN soon outgrew this location and moved to the present location of ESU’s campus, the 1200 block of Commercial Street.
The old main building
The first building on KSN’s campus had no recorded name; The Kodak refers to the building as the “old main building.” Built in 1873, the building was used for all administrative and educational purposes associated with the school.
Kellogg Library
In 1897, KSN reached nearly 2,000 students, according to The Sunflower, and KSN had to expand. Kellogg Library, named after the first and only professor at the time, was constructed as the school’s first expansion.
The Training School
The term “normal school” refers to an institution where students learn how to become teachers. In 1904, KSN built The Training School, which had model classrooms where students could practice their teaching method.
Norton Science Hall
In 1905, Norton Science Hall was built with chemistry laboratories, a botanical laboratory, a psychology classroom and a museum, according to The Emporia Gazette. The building was named after Henry B. Norton, the second teacher at KSN.
Hospital (not shown on map)
KSN built a student hospital. “Hundreds of students met here during the smallpox “frolic” this spring,” according to the Sunflower in 1918.
Physical Training Building
Built in 1910, the physical training building is where physical education classes were taught, students could exercise and basketball games were played. There was a full basketball court with bleachers, a running track on the top floor of the building, and a swimming pool in the basement.
Athletic Field
Located where the Science Hall is today, the KSN athletic field was where all field sports were played. During this time, KSN had men’s football, baseball and track and field, and women had field hockey.
Music Hall
In 1910, KSN acquired the Eskridge Mansion to house the music classes. The mansion was owned by C. V. Eskridge, a politician who served as the lieutenant governor for Kansas. The town of Eskridge, Kansas, is named in his honor.
Plumb Hall
With the old main building deteriorating, KSN replaced the building with Plumb Hall. In 1917 construction finished and the old main building was demolished. The fourth floor of the building was Roosevelt High School.
The Sunken Garden
When the old main building was demolished in 1917, a hole was left from the basement. A sundial was left in the center of the garden in memorandum of the building,
Cafeteria
Prior to 1917, there were no food options on campus. In 1917, the cafeteria, also called The Rendezvous, was built. The building was able to hold 500 people.
Abigail Morse Hall
Constructed in 1924, the hall was the first dormitory on campus to house only women. Every room had a bathroom and every floor had communal showers. Abigail Morse (the building’s namesake) was a professor and the Dean of Women at KSN in 1873.
Memorial Union
In 1919, the union was built to honor the KSN students that lost their lives in the line of duty. In 1925, the Memorial Union opened but it wasn’t complete because KSTC ran out of funds. The ballroom was added later.
Morse Hall Annex
In 1926, KSTC acquired the land for a new music hall. A house was already occupied on the lot, so instead of tearing it down, it was moved to the bank of Lake Wooster, close to where the South wing of Singular Hall is located. This building functioned as an extra dormitory for women.
Beach Music Hall
In 1926, KSTC built a new music hall due to an increase in enrollment. In 1956 the building was named after Frank A. Beach, former head of the music department.
Elementary Training School
Built in 1929, the building’s gymnasium was where prospective teachers would practice. Since this left the Training School vacant, the building was renovated and Roosevelt High School moved from the fourth floor of Plumb Hall to The Training School building.
Football Stadium
In 1936 a new football stadium was built. The first home game was played in 1937, yet the structure was not completed until 1938.
Silent Joe
Silent Joe was constructed in 1939 with materials leftover from the construction of the football stadium. The bell inside the tower is the original bell from the old main building.