Cornell College

Curated by Hannah Robertson '18 and Brad Kane '18 under the direction of Professor Catherine Stewart, History Department

Welcome to Cornell College!

This tour includes the historic buildings of Cornell College’s campus, which is unique in that it is one of two college campuses nationwide included in its entirety on the National Register of Historic Places. Cornell College, originally the Iowa Conference Seminary, was founded in 1853 by Reverend George Bryant Bowman, a Methodist Episcopal minister when Mount Vernon as a town was still quite young. Bowman was known for his steadfast devotion to his pursuits. He had already had a church constructed in the town and was relentless in his ambition to found the school, going door to door to ask for funds for the institution. A 1977 article from the Cornellian publication even states that Bowman was described as “The College Beggar” for these methods of fundraising. For all his dedication, Bowman was somewhat secretive, keeping minimal records and refusing to allow others to see the details of his plans unless it was absolutely necessary.

Finally, classes began in September of 1853, making it the first institution west of the Mississippi to permit both male and female students. Initially, it was a Seminary and preparatory school. It then transitioned to being both a college and a Seminary after its name changed to Cornell College in 1855. The name change was in honor of William Cornell, as the college hoped for a sizable donation from the wealthy cousin of Ezra Cornell. Ultimately the institution did not receive much money at all, nor was the Cornell family consulted in renaming the college. Thus, the name change led to some embarrassment.

Over time the College’s primary education was phased out and it became exclusively a college, adding buildings through the years as it grew. Today, Cornell offers its students a unique liberal arts education, allowing students to immerse themselves in their studies by taking one course at a time.

Old Sem

Old Sem is Cornell College’s first building, with construction beginning in 1852, a year before the College’s founding.[1] Back then, the college was known as the Iowa Conference Seminary and the building was known as the “seminary building.”[2] The…

College Hall

College Hall, also known as Main Hall, was the second building constructed on Cornell’s campus after Old Sem. When construction began in the fall of 1855, architects were so expensive that the Board of Trustees decided to have the hall built by…

Norton Geology/Carnegie Library

In March of 1903, two Cornell College Trustees, acting under the direction of President William Fletcher King, approached philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and convinced him to finance the construction of a library building for the growing college.[1]…

Brackett House

In 1948, Cornell College acquired another building for its use, the Brackett House.[1] Located on the eastern edge of campus, across the street from College Hall, the former residence of William Brackett has been used primarily as a boarding house…

The Van Etten-Lacey House

The Van Etten-Lacey House was formally dedicated as the Center for Literary Arts on October 6, 2012, but the connection between 408 South Third Street and Cornell College goes back much further.[1] As early as 1913 this address had been the location…

South Hall

South Hall is Cornell College’s third oldest building, completed in 1873 at the cost of $10,000. It is the only building constructed as a result of the students’ petition, as the men of the college felt left out because they weren’t given boarding…

BACO House

The Black Awareness Cultural Organization House, also known as BACO House, is located on the southern part of campus, just behind the library and the heating plant and across from Ink Pond. In 1888, when a student came down with scarlet fever during…

William Fletcher King Memorial Chapel

In the summer of 1874, Cornell’s Board of Trustees decided a chapel was needed for the quickly-growing college.[1]The idea was proposed by Rev. E. K. Young, a local Methodist pastor and Cornell alumnus, and the Board quickly approved.[2]They hired…

Bowman-Carter Hall

Three decades after the founding of Cornell College, founder George Bowman felt the college was lacking in having a boarding hall built specifically for women, despite the rooms available to them in Old Sem. In 1884, Bowman urged the Board of…

McWethy Hall

The Cornellian first reported in 1907 that students desired an indoor facility to help student athletes train for their spring season, as many felt the reason for their often poor starts was owing to the lack of proper facilities to begin practicing…

Garner President's House

What is today the President’s House was constructed in 1850 by Mount Vernon banker William Hamilton, because he enjoyed the view.[1] The house was referred to as Hamilton’s folly because it was not only isolated but difficult to heat due to the wind…