Whitby Hall: Building Overview
Today Whitby Hall is home to the humanities and nursing department along with the Jeanne d’Arc Auditorium. The building was the third building on campus, originally called College Hall until it was renamed. The building features many original architectural elements, the thick molding around doors and windows is particularly noticeable. However, the original hexagonal tiles have been carpeted, to protect them and also to create a cleaner entrance as the tiles became particularly dirty during the winter months. The light fixtures have also been replaced, however even with these few changes Whitby Hall seems rather true to its original functions. It still today is a classroom setting for students and houses many departments and professors’ offices. Students no longer live here but that seems to be for the best as there are better facilities available.
Of all the buildings on campus, Whitby is by far my favorite and this building has inspired this project. As a student, I feel far more connected to Whitby than Derham or other buildings, as a history major my classes are housed here and I spend much of my time in the building. Whitby is unique because of the footprints of the past, in some places, it is clearly apparent that a room wasn't always used for the same function in others it is hard to see what was here. Whitby uniquely stands between the past and present in a way that the other buildings simply cannot. This stance between past and present makes the spaces peculiar and the memories more accessible.
