Bartlett Gymnasium

Last updated
Bartlett Gymnasium
Bartlett Gymnasium.jpg
Location5640 South University Avenue
Chicago, Illinois, United States
OwnerUniversity of Chicago
OperatorUniversity of Chicago
Capacity 3,500
Construction
Broke groundNovember 28, 1901
OpenedJanuary 29, 1904
Remodeled 2002
Construction cost1904 $237,984.20 [1]
2002 $13,500,000 [2]
Architect1901 Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge
2002 Bruner/Cott
Tenants
campus dining hall [3]
Center for Leadership and Involvement [4]
Bartlett in February 2016, now a dining hall Bartlett Dining Commons in February 2016.jpg
Bartlett in February 2016, now a dining hall

Bartlett Gymnasium is a former athletic facility on the campus of the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States, that has been converted into a campus dining hall. [5]

Contents

Construction

Construction of the building took place between November, 1901 and January, 1904 on land owned by the university. The cost of construction, however, was covered by Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Company [6] owner Adolphus C. Bartlett. The gymnasium was built as a memorial for A.C. Bartlett's son, Frank Dickinson Bartlett, who died of appendicitis while traveling in Munich, Bavaria, July 15, 1900, at the age of twenty. Upon completion, the Gothic style building was 200 feet by 80 feet with 2 stories and a basement. The top floor contains the main gymnasium measuring 75 feet by 195 feet, [7] that could be utilized for men's physical education courses as well as being the facility for the Chicago Maroons men's basketball team to compete. This gym also includes a 12 foot wide, 1/13 of a mile, running track which is suspended from the roof girders. Additionally, the ground floor contained locker rooms, faculty exercising room, a 60 foot long by 28 foot wide swimming pool, bathrooms and offices. The basement was focused on specialized rooms for athletic teams. [8] In 1932, the team moved into the newly built Henry Crown Field House, and the building became underutilized and fell into disrepair. In 2002, the gymnasium was remodeled to become a full-time dining hall. [9] [10]

Mural and stained-glass

This drawing by Frederic Clay Bartlett was utilized by Edward Peck Sperry while creating the Frank Dickinson Bartlett Memorial Window. Bartlett Stained Glass.jpg
This drawing by Frederic Clay Bartlett was utilized by Edward Peck Sperry while creating the Frank Dickinson Bartlett Memorial Window.

Upon its completion, the gymnasium contained a mural within the front entrance hall created by Frederic Clay Bartlett, brother of Frank. The mural depicts Athletic Games in the Middle Ages with the participants dressed in appropriate attire. The gym also included the Bartlett Memorial Window, presented to the university by William Gold Hibbard. The stained-glass was taken from Walter Scott's Ivanhoe and represents Rowena crowning Ivanhoe at the close of the second day's tournament at Ashby de la Zouch. [11] The window was designed and drawn by Edward P. Sperry, a close friend of Frederic Bartlett as well an associate of Louis Comfort Tiffany. Over 15,000 pieces of glass were used in the construction of the window. The window was placed above the main entrance of the gymnasium, facing Lexington Avenue.

In 2001, during the renovation of the gymnasium, the university removed the stained-glass with a promise to restore and reinstall it. Through an architectural firm, Brunner/Cott Associates, Inc., an art glass conservator deemed the window was in need of extensive conservation work and required its removal in order to complete the task. [12]

Opening ceremonies

On Friday, January 29, 1904, the formal opening of the Frank Dickinson Bartlett Gymnasium took place in front of 1,000 friends of the university, which included members of the faculty, alumni, student body, and university trustees. The dedication ceremony took place immediately following the annual football dinner hosted by President Harper. Addresses to the attendees included: The Presentation Address by Adolphus C. Bartlett; The Acceptance of the Gymnasium on Behalf of the University by William Rainey Harper, President of the University; A Young Man's Memorial by Frank Wakeley Gunsaulus, President of the Armour Institute of Technology; Address on Behalf of the Division of Physical Culture and Athletics by Amos Alonzo Stagg, Director of the Division of Physical Culture; Address on Behalf of the Administrative Board of Physical Culture and Athletics by Eri Baker Hulbert, Dean of the Divinity School; and Address on Behalf of the Alumni and Students by William Scott Bond, Class of 1897. The presentations took place on the second floor of the new gymnasium, with the University of Chicago Military Band located on the running track above the audience. The invocation was given by Reverend Professor Edward Judson D.D., of the Divinity School followed by the previously mentioned speeches. Following the addresses, a reception, hosted by President and Mrs. Harper, was held within the gym. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robie House</span> U.S. National Historic Landmark in Chicago

The Frederick C. Robie House is a U.S. National Historic Landmark now on the campus of the University of Chicago in the South Side community area of Hyde Park in Chicago, Illinois. Built between 1909 and 1910, the building was designed as a single family home by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It is considered perhaps the finest example of Prairie School, the first architectural style considered uniquely American.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Payne Whitney Gymnasium</span> Athletic facility of Yale University

The Payne Whitney Gymnasium is the gymnasium of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. One of the largest athletic facilities ever built, its twelve acres of interior space include a nine-story tower containing a third-floor swimming pool, fencing facilities, and a polo practice room. The building houses the facilities of many varsity teams at Yale, including basketball, fencing, gymnastics, squash, swimming, and volleyball. It is the second-largest gym in the world by cubic feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spalding University</span> Private Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.

Spalding University is a private Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is affiliated with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missouri Valley College</span> Liberal arts college in Marshall, Missouri, US

Missouri Valley College is a private college that is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Marshall, Missouri. The college was founded in 1889 and supports 40 academic majors and an enrollment close to 1,500 students. Missouri Valley College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial Gymnasium (Virginia)</span> At the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

Memorial Gymnasium is a 2,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Charlottesville, Virginia. It opened in 1924. It replaced Fayerweather Gymnasium as home to the University of Virginia Cavaliers basketball team until University Hall opened in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Heurtley House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Arthur B. Heurtley House is located in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. The house was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and constructed in 1902. The Heurtley House is considered one of the earliest examples of a Frank Lloyd Wright house in full Prairie style. The house was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places when it was designated a National Historic Landmark on February 16, 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bynum Hall</span> Historic building at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Bynum Hall is the current home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate Admissions office and was the first home of North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team. At an executive meeting on October 2, 1903, school President Francis Preston Venable announced that former North Carolina Supreme Court justice William Preston Bynum donated $25,000 to have a gymnasium built in honor of his grandson who was a student at the university and had died due to typhoid fever. Architect Frank P. Milburn drafted plans for the structure, which were then approved by Bynum and the university's board of trustees. The building was designed to have a Greek architecture influence and had three stories with an above-ground basement. It originally contained a swimming pool, gymnasium, office spaces, and other rooms for various sports like boxing and fencing. The building started construction by June 1904 and was completed by February 1905.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Gym</span>

The Old Gym is a historic building at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. It currently houses a modern exercise facility featuring cardiovascular, resistance, and strength-training equipment. The building also features a three-lane indoor track suspended above the main floor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial Gymnasium (University of Idaho)</span> United States historic place

War Memorial Gymnasium is a 2,500-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in the northwest United States, on the campus of the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. Opened 96 years ago in November 1928, the venue honors state residents who gave their lives in the service of their country in World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Housing at the University of Chicago</span> Student residential facilities

Housing at the University of Chicago includes seven residence halls that are divided into 48 houses. Each house has an average of 70 students. Freshmen and sophomores must live on-campus. Limited on-campus housing is available to juniors and seniors. The university operates 28 apartment buildings near campus for graduate students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Maroons men's basketball</span> College basketball team

The Chicago Maroons men's basketball team is an NCAA Division III college basketball team competing in the University Athletic Association. Home games are played at the Gerald Ratner Athletics Center, located on the University of Chicago's campus in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George W. Frank House</span> Historic house in Nebraska, United States

The George W. Frank House is a historic mansion located in Kearney, Nebraska, United States. The house was built in 1889 by George W. Frank. Since 1971 the property has been owned by Kearney State College, now the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The university now operates the home as The G.W. Frank Museum of History and Culture. In 1973, the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ida Noyes Hall</span> College, Cinema, Theater in Illinois , United States

Ida Noyes Hall is a three-story, Neo-Gothic building located on the University of Chicago campus in Chicago, Illinois. Designed by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge and completed in 1916, the building features fireplaces, a limestone exterior, intricately plastered ceilings, and elaborate wood paneling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1907–08 Chicago Maroons men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1907–08 Chicago Maroons men's basketball team represented the University of Chicago in intercollegiate basketball during the 1907–08 season. The team finished the season with a 23–2 record and were named national champions by the Helms Athletic Foundation. This was the second straight year that Chicago claimed the Helms national championship. The team played their home games on campus at Frank Dickinson Bartlett Gymnasium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wills Gymnasium</span>

Wills Gymnasium, often referred to as Wills Gym, was a multi-purpose athletic facility on the campus of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, United States. Construction started in 1924 and the building was dedicated in 1925. It was the first dedicated gymnasium on the KSU campus, which had opened in 1913. Before the opening of Wills Gym, physical education classes and the intercollegiate and intramural sports teams used a variety of spaces for games and classes, both on campus in other buildings and off campus. The main gym seated approximately 4,000 people and the basement level included an indoor pool, locker rooms, and bowling alley. At the time, its capacity made it one of the largest facilities in the region. The building served as the primary home of the university's athletic teams and physical education department until 1950, when the Men's Physical Education Building opened. Wills Gym was the first permanent home of the Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team, and was also the original home venue for wrestling, men's swimming, men's and women's gymnastics, women's volleyball, and women's basketball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Crown Field House</span>

Henry Crown Field House is an athletic facility on the campus of the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Construction of the building took place in 1931 on land owned by the university. The cost of construction, however; was covered by Material Service Corporation CEO and philanthropist, Henry Crown. Under the direction of architects Holabird & Root, the field house was built as a replacement for Bartlett Gymnasium to be the home of the Chicago Maroons men's basketball team, as well as an indoor practice facility with a dirt infield that was utilized for football and baseball practices. A track encircled the infield and a raised wood floor that was used for basketball. In 2003, the team moved into the newly built Gerald Ratner Athletics Center, and the building was remodeled to become a full-time intramural facility. The building also contains a fitness center with resistance and weight training equipment, a cardio hallway with 34 cardio machines, a 200-meter indoor track, four multi-purpose courts for basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, and tennis, an Astro-turfed multi-purpose room, five squash courts, and four racquetball/handball courts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adolphus C. Bartlett</span> American businessman (1844–1922)

Adolphus Clay Bartlett was an American industrialist, the president of Hibbard Spencer Bartlett & Company, the company that originated the label True Value.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederic Clay Bartlett</span> American artist and art collector (1873–1953)

Frederic Clay Bartlett was an American artist and art collector known for his collection of French Post-Impressionist and modernist art. Bartlett was committed to promoting the work of fellow contemporary artists and was a founding member of the Arts Club of Chicago, a pioneering organization dedicated to the advancement of modern art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Men's Gymnasium (University of Chicago)</span>

University of Chicago Gymnasium is a former athletic facility on the campus of the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States, that was demolished in 1904.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Side Turnverein Hall</span> Historic structure in Indianapolis, Indiana

South Side Turnverein Hall is a historic social club and gymnasium in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood of Indianapolis, Indiana, affiliated with the city's German-American community. It was built in 1900 by prominent architects Vonnegut & Bohn, whose managing partners Bernard Vonnegut, Sr. and Arthur Bohn were members of the burgeoning German-American community in Indianapolis. The architects were also known for designing the Athenæum, another German-American social club in the city. The South Side Turnverein was an important gathering place for Indianapolis' south side German community until its decline in the 1940s. It was sold to investors in 1978 to be used as an athletic club.

References

  1. The President's Report By University of Chicago, published January 1922
  2. "University of Chicago; Bartlett Commons, Chicago IL" (PDF). Brunercott.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-04-29. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
  3. "UChicago Dining | The University of Chicago". Dining.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
  4. "Bartlett | Center for Leadership and Involvement | The University of Chicago". Leadership.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
  5. The University of Chicago Chronicle, Jan. 10, 2002
  6. "Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co". Encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
  7. The University of Chicago: A Sketch By Nott William Flint
  8. The President's Report by University of Chicago, 1903 pg. 309
  9. University of Chicago Magazine
  10. UChicago Dining Hall Photo Gallery
  11. Bartlett stained-glass removal
  12. The Chicago Maroon, May 15, 2015
  13. University Record; Volume VIII No. 10, February, 1904; pp. 307-319