Eliot Hall (Reed College)

A. E. (Albert Ernest) Doyle (American Architect, 1877-1928)

Eliot Hall (Reed College)

1912-13

3202 SE Woodstock Boulevard

Gothic Revivial, Collegiate Gothic Style

Selena Hasan, Medieval Portland Capstone Student, 2020

Eliot Hall is one of Reed College’s oldest buildings. The college was first established in 1910, and the Hall's construction began in 1911. The architect, Albert Ernest Doyle, was mainly concerned about the “beauty of the buildings, with soundness of construction and functional adaptability,”[1] and he took inspiration from St. John’s College at Oxford. Eliot Hall originally opened in 1912. However, the chapel was not fully completed until 1913. The building was dedicated to Thomas Lamb Eliot in 1935. Today, it is one of the best examples of Collegiate Gothic architecture at Reed College and in the Pacific Northwest.

Before it was named Eliot Hall, the building was originally the Arts and Science building, intended to be the main academic building of the campus.[2] It initially housed the “administrations offices, lecture rooms, laboratories, a museum, the library, and a chapel” and contains seven entrances and four floors to accommodate staff and students alike.[3] In addition, it was used to host various activities and events, such as art exhibitions and orchestra practices. However, as more buildings were added, many departments were relocated. 

Eliot Hall incorporates many Collegiate Gothic features, including the use of stone, pointed arches, and bay windows along wide open and grassy areas. Since the purpose of the Collegiate Gothic was to bring a sense of unity and beauty to the campus, it is believed that the style took inspiration from nature. This could be why red brick was chosen. The mix of colors gave the building a lively appearance and was possibly meant to invoke the colors of redwood or canyons. Seven-eighth-inch thick joints were also added to give the walls more texture and a one-quarter-inch pea gravel was mixed in with the joints’ mortar to prevent compression and to make everything aesthetically pleasing. This even extended to the landscape. Many of the shrubs and trees surrounding Eliot Hall have been preserved to maintain a sense of balance and charm between the building and nature. This was originally achieved by utilizing vines, which could preserve the building’s color suggestion and carry the vegetation line higher than shrubs, similar to buildings found in Oxford and Cambridge. Eventually, however, the vines grew out of control and had to be removed. Features such as the small windows at the top of the building are based on the fleur de lis, to honor Thomas Lamb Eliot’s alma mater, and several coats of arms honor other, more longstanding universities.

The idea of geometric uniformity is most prominent in Reed’s chapel. Since colleges were originally connected to the church, many of them contained chapels or other places of worship. The chapel is arguably Eliot Hall’s most important feature. Most of the third and fourth floors are dedicated to it, and it occupies most of the west wing. The rows of Gothic arched windows on each side, together with the light colors of the room, contrasted against the dark wood capture the bright light, while at the same time maintaining the dark rich colors Gothic style is known for. 

Notes

[1] History of Reed College to 1920 by Dorothy Johansen’33, 1984, Archives
[2] Melnick, Robert Z. Reed College Heritage Master Plan
[3] Melnick, Robert Z. Reed College Heritage Master Plan

Bibliography

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Johansen, Dorothy. Typescript of manuscript History of Reed College to 1920 by Dorothy Johansen’33, 1984, Archives, Special Collections and Archives, Eric V. Hauser Memorial Library, Reed College. Accessed Apr 28, 2020
https://rdc.reed.edu/c/reedhisttxt/s?s=1d3ea56abc1710e0abeb07e9dd2270d6117259c3&=1&pp=20

Melnick, Robert Z. Reed College Heritage Master Plan, Portland, OR: Fletcher Farr Ayotte Inc. Architecture Planning Interior, Portland OR: Mayer/Reed Landscape Architecture, 2006. Accessed May 12, 2020
https://www.reed.edu/facilities_services/assets/downloads/hertiage-master-plan-pdfs/final/1.0_Historic%20Resources.pdf

Olsen, Beatrice. Typescript of article Under the Green Tiles by Beatrice Olsen, XR14 .O4 and XR9.2 .G85 1922, “Portland: Reed College, 1922” and in Reed College Griffin, 1922, pp.11-18. Special Collections and Archives, Eric V. Hauser Memorial Library, Reed College. Accessed Apr 28, 2020
https://rdc.reed.edu/c/reedhisttxt/s?s=1d3ea56abc1710e0abeb07e9dd2270d6117259c3&=1&pp=20

Patton, Glenn. "American Collegiate Gothic: A Phase of University Architectural Development." The Journal of Higher Education 38, no. 1 (1967): 1-8. Accessed Apr 22,
2020.
www.jstor.org/stable/1980176. 

Ritz, Richard E. Typescript of manuscript A History of the Reed College Campus and its Buildings, 1990, Archives - Reed Publications, Special Collections and Archives, Eric V. Hauser Memorial Library, Reed College. Accessed May 12, 2020
https://rdc.reed.edu/c/reedhisttxt/s/r?_pp=100&query=arts%20and%20science&s=6b75ea545a5f15a59582db7a69e82daddd68e991&p=135&pp=1&part=2&text

Scott, Robert A. "What Is the Gothic Look?" In The Gothic Enterprise: A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral, With a New Preface, 103-20. University of California Press, 2011. Accessed Apr 22, 2020.
www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctt1ppvrz.12.

Worsley, Giles. "The Origins of the Gothic Revival: A Reappraisal: The Alexander Prize Essay." Transactions of the Royal Historical Society 3 (1993): 105-50. Accessed Apr 22, 2020.
www.jstor.org/stable/3679138

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