Main hall
Main Hall
History:

With the exception of Old St. Joseph Church, Main hall is the oldest building on campus. Construction was begun in the fall of 1901. The cornerstone was laid March 19, 1902, and the dedication as held April 22, 1903. Presiding at the dedication was Bishop Sebastian G. Messmer of Green Bay. It was Messmer who invited the Norbertines of Berne Abbey in Holland to the Diocese of Green bay in 1893. Assisting at the dedication were Prior Bernard H. Pennings, O. Praem., and about 50 Norbertines and priest from the Diocese.

Although unfinished, students occupied the building in November 1902. It contained classrooms, a study hall, a one-floor dormitory, and six private rooms. An auditorium, a small one-room library, a kitchen and dining room, and a basement recreation room were additional features.
The building itself was four stories high and 116-by-64 feet in size. It served nearly all administrative, classroom, and residential needs until Francis H. Boyle Hall was completed in 1917. Originally called "St Norbert's College", and at various times "The Administration Building" and "Old Main," it is home to many administration offices and Is officially known as Main Hall.

Main Hall

In 1956, a major remodeling of the first floor and revision of other areas were completed at a cost of $60,000. In the summer of 1979, Human Resources, the Business Office, and the Registrar's office were moved from the first and second floors of Main to the first floor of the Dr. John R. Minahan Science Hall.

Another renovation of Main Hall was begun in the Late 1980's. The central utility boiler was updated in the fall of 1988 with the primary renovation in August 1989. The building's heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical systems were updated. The "new" Main Hall received a partial new roof, energy-efficient windows, extensive repairs to the foundation, tuck pointing, and repainting of wood surfaces. The mailroom, campus bookstore, ROTC offices, and Career Services were relocated to other sites on campus. Estimated cost of the renovation was $2,993,800 of which $2,269,136 was a loan from the U.S. Department of Education.
Main Hall

An interesting item about the cornerstone, located just to the right of the east entrance, is the lettering D.O.M. about the date 1902. This inscription is found on some cornerstones but not too often seen. It is an abbreviated for DEO OPTIMO MAXIMO, "To God the Best and the Greatest."

Main Hall was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior on the basis of its age, architectural significance, and its importance to the history of the community and higher education.