Hall Center invites community to celebrate 20 years in historic KU home
LAWRENCE — The Hall Center for the Humanities at the University of Kansas will celebrate 20 years in its historic home at 900 Sunnyside Ave. with an open house from 3 to 6 p.m. Nov. 13.
The Hall Center’s current location has a robust history that stretches back to the beginnings of KU. Designed by noted Kansas architect John Haskell, it is the oldest remaining purpose-built structure on Mount Oread. Originally constructed in 1887, the building served as a three-story powerhouse that supplied energy to the campus and allowed engineering students to get practical experience. A fire in 1898 caused severe damage, and for most of the next century it served as a storage facility for sand and gravel, taking on the name “the Gardener’s Shack” and falling into obscurity. In the 1990s, another fire ravaged the building, leaving little between the old powerhouse and the wrecking ball.
However, through the advocacy of local preservationists and the support of the Hall Family Foundation, the structure was finally restored in January 2005 and transformed into the Hall Center’s permanent home, retaining its iconic stone arch façade, now immortalized in the Hall Center’s logo.
Giselle Anatol, director of the Hall Center, said she hopes the Lawrence and KU communities will come together to celebrate not only the Hall Center, but an important piece of history.
“This building reminds us what the humanities are all about — keeping ideas alive and connecting people across time and disciplines,” Anatol said. “From a powerhouse to a humanities hub that generates an entirely new kind of energy, it’s been amazing to see a building that was once nearly forgotten become a lively space for new ideas and community.”
The 20th Anniversary Open House is free and open to everyone. Guests can enjoy refreshments, light hors d’oeuvres and cake while touring the building and reflecting on two decades of scholarship and conversation within its historic walls.
The celebration marks the beginning of two milestones for the Hall Center in the 2025-2026 academic year: the 20th anniversary of its residence at 900 Sunnyside Ave. and the 50th anniversary of the center’s founding in 1976.