Historic Ferry Hall Cupola Saved

At the end of July, I was treated to an inspiring sight while walking to my office on the Pullman campus of Washington State University. For the last 30 years, WSU’s historic Ferry Hall Cupola has had a rather quiet life as a small gazebo tucked under shade trees in front of Murrow Hall. However, the Library Road construction project, which connects Terrell Mall with an extensive pedestrian mall transecting the north and south side of campus, required that the Ferry Hall Cupola be moved.

Capital Planning and Development contacted the WSU Arboretum and Botanical Garden Advisory Committee in spring, 2008, to determine whether the structure could find a home in the WSU Alumni Arboretum adjacent to the Lewis Alumni Centre. Not surprisingly, the answer was a resounding, yes!

The WSU Alumni Arboretum is a relatively young arboretum site on campus and other than a winding path, a seating area, and young trees and garden plots, it lacks any significant architectural structure. However, because it is next to the Lewis Alumni Centre and close to the central part of campus, the two-acre arboretum site is an important green space on campus. Many campus visitors enjoy such scenic attractions for photo opportunities and it is common for the Alumni Centre to receive inquiries about whether weddings can be held on campus. The historic Ferry Hall Cupola offered a perfect solution for both needs.



On July 30, 2008, the Ferry Hall Cupola was moved from the Murrow Hall site to the WSU Alumni Arboretum. As the crane carefully lowered it onto a new foundation, it was apparent that the Cupola would have a dramatic visual impact on the arboretum.

The WSU Arboretum and Botanical Garden Advisory Committee will now work with students and faculty to undertake landscaping projects during the next several years to compliment the Ferry Hall Cupola and make it a distinctive scenic attraction on campus. And for the first time, the Lewis Alumni Centre may be able to accommodate some requests for weddings by allowing the Ferry Hall Cupola to be used for future outdoor wedding ceremonies and photos during spring, summer, and early fall. A policy for use of the Cupola is currently being drafted and it is likely that a reservation fee will be used to provide funds to help maintain the historic structure in the arboretum.

The Ferry Hall Cupola provides an interesting lesson and window into the early history and landscape of Washington State University. Ferry Hall was the first large building constructed at the then, State College of Washington, in 1892. Ferry Hall was a dormitory with men and women living on separate floors. In 1897, a kitchen fire quickly spread throughout the structure and destroyed it.

A new building with a Georgian facade and a distinctive bell tower was constructed two years later and given the same name, although it was sometimes called the “New” Ferry Hall. The New Ferry Hall was also a dormitory and was one of the major buildings on campus until the mid-1970’s when it was taken down to make room for new buildings. However, the bell tower was saved and became the Ferry Hall Cupola or Gazebo.

Ferry Hall was involved in what is known as the “Influenza Epidemic of 1918 at WSU” that tragically claimed the lives of 42 students. Nearly 700 WSU students developed influenza and the State Epidemiologist ordered a complete quarantine of the Washington State College. Students who became ill were kept in the campus hospital, but also the Gymnasium, Wilson Hall, Ferry Hall, and the Mechanical Arts Building.

According to historical information from the WSU archives collection, “Miss Agnes H. Craig, head of the College of Home Economics, along with the entire home economics faculty, aided by sixty-two women students, prepared special diets for the ill students. When the epidemic was at its worst, they prepared over 900 meals per day, and by the end of it all they had served over 17,000 meals.”

Some historical photos from the WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, as well as current photos of the Ferry Hall Cupola as it begins its new life in the WSU Alumni Arboretum are shown below. These photos also illustrate the dramatic transformation of the bare WSU campus that began with landscaping accompanying these “new” buildings in the late 1800s.



[Photo from Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections: Ferry Hall in 1893 after construction. Note the complete lack of trees and shrubs on the campus landscape. Only a fire hydrant and electrical power lines are visible.]




[Photo from Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections: Ferry Hall on bare hilltop after construction. Men are tending a cabbage patch.]



[Photo from Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections: Ferry Hall in 1895. Note the first small trees and shrubs.]



[Photo from Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections: Ferry Hall in 1897. A fire started in the kitchen and quickly consumed the entire structure.]



[Photo from Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections: The “New” Ferry Hall in 1900. Note the bell tower on top of the building.]



[Photo: The Ferry Hall Cupola in its previous location on the lawn in front of Murrow Hall.]




[Photo: The Ferry Hall Cupola after being moved to its new location in the WSU Alumni Arboretum adjacent to the Lewis Alumni Centre.]



[Photo: The Ferry Hall Cupola has been placed on a solid new foundation in the WSU Alumni Arboretum.]



[Photo: The Ferry Hall Cupola is now just a short distance away from the Lewis Alumni Centre (in background).]



[Photo: The Ferry Hall Cupola and the surrounding WSU Alumni Arboretum will soon be used for special alumni events by the Lewis Alumni Centre.]



[Photo: The Ferry Hall Cupola is constructed of wood and will require ongoing maintenance for preservation.]



[Photo: The historic bronze plaque that recognized some of the residents who first contributed to originally saving the Ferry Hall Cupola will be mounted for display at the new site in the WSU Alumni Arboretum.]



[Photo: The Ferry Hall Cupola will now be landscaped and will undoubtedly be used for summer weddings and other events in the WSU Alumni Arboretum adjacent to the Lewis Alumni Centre.]



[Photo: Bronze plaque on the pathway wall in the WSU Alumni Arboretum at the Lewis Alumni Centre.]