Oxley Hall
When Oxley Hall opened in 1908, it was the first dorm on campus built specifically for women residents. Previously, girls were expected to take rooms with local families or to live in boarding houses.
The building was designed by a woman, who was an OSU alumnus, to boot. Florence Kenyon Hayden was a former OSU student who had studied with then-University Architect Joseph Bradford. Her work was so good that Bradford suggested her to the Board of Trustees as the architect for the women’s dorm.
Construction began on the building in 1907; it was built in the English Renaissance style with a Spanish tile roof, brick exterior and limestone trim. The cost of the original structure is listed as $66,490.85. Residents moved into the building in September 1908 and took a vote on what to name their new home. The Board of Trustees accepted their recommendation, and on November 20, 1908, officially named the building for President William Oxley Thompson’s mother (her maiden name, which is where he got his middle name).
The building served as a dormitory until 1967, when it was decided that it was unsuitable as a residence hall and was leased to the University Research Foundation. The building was remodeled in 1989, and in 1991 the Department of International Affairs took up residence there.
more information:
John H. Herrick Archives: Oxley Hall
