Ferry Hall Gazebo History

Ferry Hall Cupola at its current location near Lewis Alumni Centre

This gazebo memorializes Old Ferry Hall, which burned down in 1897, and New Ferry Hall, dismantled in 1975.

Ferry Hall was one of the first dormitories on campus. Construction of Old Ferry Hall began in February of 1892, one month after the opening of the college. The building was heated with steam and lighted by electricity. The building was named after Elisha P. Ferry, the first governor of Washington state. The original Ferry Hall was destroyed by a fire on November 23, 1897 and New Ferry Hall was built on the site. The building was dismantled in May of 1975. Part of the building still exists on campus in the form of a gazebo that was originally placed at the original location of Ferry Hall near Murrow Hall. The gazebo was then moved near the Lewis Alumni Centre in 2008 when the grounds outside of Murrow were redone. To read more about Ferry Hall see “Who Moved My Cupola?” and “A College Ghost”.

Construction on Old Ferry Hall began in February of 1892, one month after the opening of the college. It was a five-story brick building that cost $45,000. It was 104 feet long with a frontage of fifty-seven feet. The contractors were Taylor and Lauder. Starting about 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 23, 1897, a fire destroyed Old Ferry.

A new Ferry Hall was constructed in 1899-1900, on the same site. It cost $440,000 and the architect was G. Bullard. The hall was first occupied in early February 1900. The building was taken down on May 8, 1975. A last artifact of Ferry Hall, the old bell tower, still exists in the form of the gazebo near the Alumni. To read more about Ferry Hall see “Who Moved My Cupola?” and “A College Ghost”.

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  Old Ferry Hall-1893. Photo courtesy WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections

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  Remains of Old Ferry Hall after the fire-1897. Photo courtesy WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections

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  New Ferry hall-1900. Photo courtesy WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections

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  The men of Ferry Hall in 1914. Photo courtesy WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections