Fisher Hall
a.k.a. Boy's Dorm,Coronal Institute;Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity House
1132 Belvin St., San Marcos, TXFisher Hall is a handsome structure, typical of institutional buildings of the early 20th century. Set back from the street, the regularity of its lines makes a bold design statement. It is the only building remaining from Coronal Institute and has filled many community needs since its construction in 1906 as a boys' dorm.
The building's name honors Rev. Sterling Fisher, Coronal's president from 1903 to 1916. From the dorm, the boys walked five blocks to the Institute. Coronal closed in 1919, but the dorm housed the Normal School Army Training Corps members during World War I. Nineteen twenty-three saw the building opened to the community as "The Soldiers and Sailors and Marine Hospital". Various individuals and groups had contributed to the dorm's outfitting as a hospital. Records even detail the items collected at a linen shower held in a local home. Other fund-raising events included a party and a motion picture benefit. "Soldiers and Sailors" remained open until a new hospital was built in 1960. The American Legion bought it and leased it to the San Marcos Baptist Academy as a junior cadet dorm. Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity is the present occupant.
Bibliography
San Marcos Record, June 6, 1963.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks files, Texas Historical Commission, Austin.
Interview with Alberta Smith, June 11, 1982.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.