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Old Main

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1898–1899, C. Archibald Pearce. Quincy St. at Dakota St.
  • Old Main (Library of Congress)
  • (Photograph by Balthazar Korab)
  • (Photograph by Kathryn Bishop Eckert)
  • (Photograph by Kathryn Bishop Eckert)

This rugged and somewhat crude Richardsonian building, with its rock-faced reddish-brown Portage Entry sandstone walls, is reminiscent of a medieval castle. In its brooding boldness, robustness, and fortress-like appearance, it conveys an appropriate sense of great strength and tenacity. Altogether, it symbolizes the unity of the Suomi Synod, the endurance of Finnish people against displacement by czarist Russia, and the validity of Finnish culture, tradition, and values in the midst of the American melting pot. The building once housed the president and provided a dining room, classrooms, and assembly rooms. Later it was a women's dormitory.

Born in Maryland and educated in Quebec, Canada, Pearce (1870–1944) worked as a draftsman-architect in Montreal before coming to Hancock.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Kathryn Bishop Eckert

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