Monmouth College to rededicate Grier Hall on Dec. 4

by Duane Bonifer

Monmouth, IL (11/29/2018) — Monmouth College will rededicate one of its oldest residence halls on Dec. 4.

The rededication ceremony for Grier Hall will be held at 4 p.m. in the lounge of the building, which is located at 320 N. Ninth St.

Grier Hall was closed at the end of the 2017 fall semester to undergo a top-to-bottom upgrade. New amenities added to the three-story, 25,000-square-foot building include private bathrooms, new furniture and dimmable lighting. The renovation, which took less than a year to complete, preserved the residence hall's historic character.

Up to 90 students will return to the renovated residence hall in January.

The project, which was the first phase of a thorough renovation of the oldest residence halls on the campus's east side, was paid for by funds donated to the College's capital improvement fund.

Built in 1940 and named after James Harper Grier, the College's fifth president, Grier Hall was the third residence hall to open on campus. The Georgian-style brick structure was designed by noted New York City architect Arthur O. Angilly.

Although it has always housed women students, Grier Hall was temporarily converted early in its life to a barracks for male Naval cadets and officers. From 1943-45, the historic building served as quarters and sick bay for a World War II Naval Flight Preparatory School and a Navy Academic Refresher Unit.

The St. Louis architectural firm Hastings + Chivetta was responsible for the renovation's design, which was carried out by Pepper Construction of Chicago.

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