During the German 203 class graduate student Trish Bronte teaches, students were taking a test Wednesday, but all they could hear was a constant thumping from outside. The banging came from the construction workers who have covered Friendly Hall with scaffolding, metal, and wood, and have even introduced a crane as they proceed to renovate the exterior of the building.
The renovation to Friendly is funded in part by the $2.9 million the University received this spring from the state stimulus package the legislature passed in February. The renovation costs $575,000. Of that, $300,000 came from state stimulus money.
The project is one of several the Oregon University System approved to receive stimulus money during January and February. Projects had to be ready to start as soon as the money was received, University spokesperson Heidi Hiaasen said.
The Friendly Hall project currently involves re-glazing the windows, replacing gutters and insulation, removing asbestos, repainting wood trim and replacing mortar between bricks, Project Manager David Mason said. The goal of the entire project is historic preservation, he said. “Historically speaking, it’s going to flash really nice,” when it’s finished in early September, he said.
Friendly was built in 1893 and was one of the first co-ed dormitories in the country. That lasted only a year, however, and it housed only male students until 1929 when Straub Hall, a new residence hall, was built and Friendly stopped housing students.
Today the building houses various College of Arts and Sciences offices and classrooms, particularly languages, including Romance, East Asian, Germanic and Russian.
Several additions have been made, and the prominent dormer windows were added in the 1960s, Mason said. Some people want those replaced during the current renovation, but Mason said he has no intention of doing that.
The construction team will replace Friendly’s roof this summer, Director of Campus Construction Darin Dehle said. It will be covered with cedar shakes because the contractors must stay true to the historic nature of the building. Cedar shakes can be a fire hazard, Mason said, so they will be sprayed with a flame retardant chemical.
Dehle said the roof was last replaced in the 1980s and had reached the end of its life span. Small leaks were already occurring, he said, but no one had reported major ones.
Assistant Professor of Spanish Pedro Garcia-Caro, whose office is on the top floor of Friendly directly beneath the roof, said he’s never noticed any leaks. He said the construction hasn’t bothered him, although he’s noticed it. Garcia-Caro said he appreciates the contractors maintaining the historic appearance of the hall.
“I think it’s a beautiful building,” he said. “I hope the structure is integrally kept.”
Bronte said she wished more than the structure had been maintained. She lamented that a tree in front of the building had been cut down.
“I’d include that in historic preservation,” she said, “so it’s a shame they can’t keep it.”
Mason said he admires Friendly’s history as well. “I’m really honored to be working on this building as part of the Old Campus quad,” he said. “It’s one of my favorite buildings.”
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Friendly Hall face-lift preserves historic image
Daily Emerald
April 29, 2009
Kate Clark
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