This tag was created by Edward Harthorn. The last update was by Andrea Davis.
Buildings Safety & Accessibility
By 1961, it was quite apparent that the campus of Arkansas State had outgrown its facilities. A report of that year to the Arkansas Legislature argued that "the need for building construction on the campus of Arkansas State College is critical." It went on to point out that "In the total history of the institution, the State has contributed less than $200,000 to the building funds of Arkansas State. This amount would not be sufficient to replace a single major building which stands on the campus today." It was no longer possible to push the issue aside any longer: the campus enrollment had increased 395% since class space had been constructed, and outside groups were taking notice. The college's accreditor had demanded that a new library building must be under construction before their spring 1961 visit, and it was noted that "inspecting officials of the ROTC program are most unhappy with the present facilities" [1].
In the report, it was stated in no ambiguous terms that while new buildings were needed, the existing buildings on campus were in disrepair and even safety hazards. With the destruction of the previous administration building by fire only thirty years prior, a fear of flames still loomed large. Wooden buildings were seen as especially dangerous: "While educational consultants have admired the audacity of converting a barn into a fine arts building, they have, nevertheless, found this half-century old building to be a structurally unsound firetrap [original emphasis]." The report adds that especially on the second floor, "This situation is particularly dangerous considering the inflammable materials with which art students work, and the weight of pianos.... The structure should be demolished at the earliest possible date" [2].
The dorms were not excused from the wrath of the report either. It was noted that the arts-and-crafts-style Barnhart Hall had "...a single central stairway built of wood and structurally dubious.... Fire escapes are home-made wooden ladders." While Danner Hall was "designed to house a maximum of 128 students, it currently houses nearly 200." This overcrowding only aggravated built-in safety concerns: "there are no drains in the bath and toilet room[s] in the upper part of the structure, and, as a result, there is evidence of water seepage in the ceilings of the first floor." In another campus building, the report went as far as to say that "the sanitary facilities have been declared wholly inadequate for civilized habitation" [3].
As new buildings went up across campus, they were therefore markedly different from their predecessors in layout and construction techniques as well as appearance. Older landmarks such as Wilson Hall were derided as "architecturally, the kind of structure to be avoided in future planning," and the construction of University Hall in 1961 marked the arrival of the first elevator on campus. For many of the new buildings, lighting was paramount, and both expansive windows and bright florescent lights were introduced. By contrast, it was noted that in the older buildings "present artificial illumination levels are most inadequate for educational pursuits or safety" [4].
Over the next several decades, the costs of both renovations and construction increased substantially, and it was sometimes hard to determine what option was in the university's best interest. A 1997 master plan emphasized renovations, but only one of the six recommendations ever took place-- the renovation of the Chickasaw Building into classroom and office space for the nursing program. Many other proposed renovations fell to the wayside, including renovating Delta Hall, renovating 5 floors of Twin Towers for faculty/admin use; renovating the old physical plant for use by the College of Fine Arts; renovating the business building for use by the liberal arts program; and renovating the nursing building for the College of Business [5].
While many of the older academic buildings have been kept, residential facilities have not been so lucky. Three generations of dorms have been demolished: first the 1910s era structures of Barnhart and Lewis Halls, then the mid-1930s structures of Danner and Caraway Halls, and even more recently the destruction of Delta Hall and the Seminole Twin Towers. The demolition of the Twin Towers was especially dramatic, as pyrotechnicians were brought in to oversee a controlled implosion [6].
The debates over the fate of A-State's Kays House, former home of the first president, are emblematic of the broader challenges of balancing the needs of accessibility and preservation in public structures throughout the country. In 2012, it was announced that the building would be demolished to make way for sorority housing, but after public outcry it was decided to keep the structure and eventually renovate it for some future use. The first stages of ADA retrofitting and deferred maintenance repairs have been completed, funded by a $200,000 grant and $80,000 in private donations [7].
Yet, even much newer buildings on campus have been subject to accessibility-minded renovations. Little more than a decade after they were built, the Village Apartments have been retrofitted with ADA ramps and handicap-accessible units, and power-assisted doors have been added across campus. A-State Disability Services offers a convenient list of the status of current building modifications, and includes a map of ADA routes as well.
[1] "Building Needs of Arkansas State College: A Report to the Sixty-Third General Assembly of the State of Arkansas," 1961, Archives & Special Collections, Dean B. Ellis Library, Arkansas State University, 3, 8.
[2] Ibid., 4, 12.
[3] Ibid., 13-14, 5.
[4] Ibid., 11.
[5] Stuck Associates, "Campus Design Study: Site Analysis and Goal-Setting Workshop Report, ASU," May 1997, Archives & Special Collections, Dean B. Ellis Library, Arkansas State University, 14.
[6] ASU News, "Seminole Twin Towers implosion marks end of era at ASU," Astate.edu, May 27, 2008, http://asunews.astate.edu/TTEndofEra08.htm.
[7] ASU News, "Governor Beebe, Arkansas State Announce Plans For Gubernatorial Archives, Campus Sites," Astate.edu, September 20, 2014, http://www.astate.edu/news/governor-beebe-arkansas-state-announce-plans-for-gubernatorial-archives-campus-sites.
