The first building on the campus of SDSU was started in 1883 but was not completed until 1885, after College President George Lilley supplied funds for its completion.  The Central building was soon followed by the Extension building and the North building.  In the 1890's, a few more buildings were added, including the original gymnasium.  For the most part, however, campus consisted of wide open spaces and a few buildings scattered on the horizon.

This view of campus was taken around 1887.  None of these buildings is still standing.  Old North and Old Central, two of the earliest campus buildings, were torn down in 1962.  The Extension Building, also known as South, was moved in 1918 to make room for the Administration Building.  It was eventually razed in 1980.

Central, as its name implies, was the center of campus for much of its existence.  The first building on campus, it was originally known as College Hall.  It was completed only after President George Lilley donated 1/3 of his salary ($500.00) to complete the building.  It  served the college in every capacity: dormitory, dining room, library and museum, as well as housing for classrooms and offices.  It was torn down in 1962 to make room for Shepard Hall.

The Agriculture Experiment Station, also known as the South Building, had many functions during its existence.  In addition to housing the library and classrooms, it also served for a while as the girls dormitory.  A dining hall was also housed in the basement, as was a gymnasium.  In 1917, the building was moved, on railroad tracks, to make room for the North wing of the Administration Building.  It was torn down in 1980.

North was the third building constructed on the SDSU campus.  It was completed in 1887, and through the years housed a number of college departments and served as a dormitory.  A distinguishing feature was its clock tower, which was donated by the Senior Classes of 1922 and 1923. This donation was prompted by the complaints of men who brought their dates home to the dormitory late because they didn't know what time it was. The original clock faces, saved when North was razed to make room for Shepard Hall in 1962, are preserved in the clock bell tower in the courtyard of the Tompkins Alumni Center.

The photograph to the right was taken soon after SDSU President Lewis McLouth built Woodbine Cottage in 1887.   After McLouth left SDSU, the Cottage passed into private hands until money was raised to purchase it for the College.  It was used for a women’s dormitory and a music building until SDSU President James Chalmers moved in around 1903.  Except for a short stint as an infirmary during the flu epidemic of 1918, the house has been home to all the SDSU presidents since.  The photograph to the left shows students taking part in compulsory military training on campus.  Woodbine Cottage is to the left.

Until 1969, male students were required to take part in military training for at least their first two years at State.  Females were required to take physical culture or physical education classes.  These compulsory classes took place either outside or inside this building.  It also hosted concerts, plays and other extracurricular events.  When “The Barn” was built in 1918, farm engineering classes took over the building.  By the time it burned down in the winter of 1957, it was known as the Agricultural Engineering Building.

The Dairy Husbandry building was constructed in 1899.  It was originally intended to house all the agriculture departments.  The growth of the college, especially the agricultural departments, soon meant that more buildings were necessary.  By the 1920's, buildings specific to fields of agricultural study had been built, and the dairy building was used mainly for dairy science related work.  The building was the site not only of regular classes, but also the Dairy Short Courses.  These courses, which met for anywhere from two to twelve weeks, were highly successful and very well attended by the general public for the 52 years of their existence.

From about 1961, when the new Dairy Microbiology building became fully functional, to 1993, the Dairy building housed the Wildlife/Fisheries Department and was known as the Wildlife Fisheries Building.   It was finally torn down in 1993 when the Northern Plains Biostress Laboratory was completed.

1901-1925

Between 1901 and 1925, SDSU grew a great deal.  The student body grew from 500 students to 1331.  In addition to collegiate courses, students were able to take the equivalent of high school courses in both the Preparatory School and the School of Agriculture.   To accommodate the growing number of students, new buildings were necessary.  The first buildings designated solely as dormitories appeared during this time, as did a new gymnasium, administration building and a number of buildings devoted to particular subjects.

This aerial view of campus was taken around 1925.  This interesting photo shows the main section of campus before the Campanile and Lincoln Library were built.  The Administration Building appears at the bottom of the photo. Note the circular driveway leading up to the Central Building.

Solberg Hall was built in 1901.  Originally, it housed both the Physics and Engineering departments.  In the 1930’s, a 3rd floor was added to the building, slightly changing its appearance.

In 1989, the upper floors of Solberg were condemned.  The Visual Arts Department, Engineering labs and the Ritz Gallery remained open on the first floor.  In 1998, the structural problems had grown so much that the first floor of the building was condemned.  The Visual Arts Department and the Ritz Gallery were moved to Grove Commons.  Some engineering labs remain in use in the annex, but the fate of the building is uncertain.  Many people hope it will be refurbished.

The Botany/Horticulture building is one of the few buildings on campus that still stands.  Today it houses the Agriculture Communications Department. It was the setting for many of Professor Niels E. Hansen's important experiments during his 1895-1950 tenure at SDSU.

Wenona Hall was built in 1909 to house female students.  Increased enrollment led to the building of the dorm, which was followed in 1915 by Wecota Hall.  Before the building of the dorms, female students lived with local families, although Woodbine Cottage served as a dorm for a short while.  Men, for the most part, lived in rooming houses until East Men’s Hall was built in 1921.  Today, Wecota Hall is still used as a dormitory.  It also houses the Residential Life offices.  Wenona Hall houses the College of Education and classrooms.

The Administration Building was begun in 1912 with $100,000.00.  The North Wing of the building wasn’t completed until 1918, when the Agricultural Extension building (to left) was moved to accommodate it.  Through the years, the Administration Building has housed not only the college administration, but also many faculty offices, classrooms, and currently, the Computing Services Department.  Doner Auditorium is also located in the building.

STOCK PAVILION ~ (AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE MUSEUM) (1918)

Built in 1918, the Stock Judging Pavilion was an instructional center for stock judging and meat science. The building was best known as the home for an agricultural exposition, the "Little International."  The original structure featured an earthen showring used for animal shows and exhibits. In 1925, an addition provided classroom space on the  main floor and a meat science laboratory with  coolers, freezers, abattoir, and meat processing areas in the basement.  Since 1977 the building has housed the StateAgricultural Heritage Museum.

The Intramural Building, known to most students as “The Barn,” was built in 1918.  Until 1973, it served as a gymnasium, and was the site of many dances, concerts and banquets.  Until 1942, it also served as a training ground for the ROTC and military on campus.  Today, it is used for intramural sports, concerts and extracurricular functions.

EAST MEN’S HALL (1921)

East Men’s Hall was built in 1921 as the first building devoted solely to house male students.  It was located on Medary Avenue across from the Campanile.  It was declared a fire hazard and was torn down in the 1970’s to make room for the Family Resources Management Center and the Tompkins Alumni Center.

1925-1953

Between 1927 and 1955, State continued to grow.  Although the Great Depression caused a drop in the number of students, new buildings cropped over campus with the help of the federal Works Project Administration.   A library, student union and men's dormitories were added.  New buildings were placed alongside the older buildings, almost doubling the  number on campus.  These new buildings helped State meet the needs of the large influx of students at the end of World War II, and continue to aid the growth of the next decade.