McCormick Hall
Hastings College campus, Hastings, NEThe idea for a college in Hastings, Nebraska was conceived by Mr. A. L. Wigton, editor of the "Hastings Journal", who published an editorial in his newspaper on August 19, 1873, expressing his desire that a college is located in the growing frontier community. The townspeople were soon very excited about the idea and presented a proposal to the Kearney, Nebraska Presbytery at the November 1873, meeting. There a planning committee was appointed, but nine years passed before definite steps could be taken. The delay was caused by the drought, grasshoppers, and economic problems of the time.
During the winter and spring of 1881-1882, 93 men contributed $11,050 to the fund to be used for the purchase of a site, construction of buildings, and cost of maintenance for the first year. A tract of 100 acres was acquired one mile east of the center of town; and since financial support was assured, the college was incorporated on May 10, 1882.
The college opened formally on September 13, 1882, with a chapel service in the 1st Presbyterian Church. This first year there was a student body of 44 and three full-time and two part-time faculty members. After the chapel services, the students went to their classes above the post office in downtown Hastings.
The ground was broken on April 25, 1883, for McCormick Hall, the first building erected on the campus. It was named after Cyrus H. McCormick who contributed the initial $5,000 for the building. Construction began in the summer of 1883 and the building was completed and dedicated in October 1884 at a total cost of $14, 703.00. It has remained in daily use since that time.
From 1884 to the mid-1950s, McCormick Hall was the principle classroom building with the departments of English, mathematics, speech, drama, and chemistry inhabiting the structure. & large room on the second floor, which originally housed the college chapel, was later converted into a little theatre. Today McCormick Hall is used by the English, journalism, and speech/ drama departments for their classrooms and offices.
Nearly every student who has attended Hastings College since 1884 has had at least one class in this building. Consequently, it is closely associated in the minds of former students, as well as the townspeople, and serves as a link to their pioneer forebearers on campus.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
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.