The Bluffton Alumnus magazine published an article on the new residences hall in 1922, touting it as a great benefit to the students. “Each of the 58 rooms will be well lighted by the double window, provided with two separate closets, furnished with beds, book stands and other equipment quite necessary to the students.”
The new residence hall, named after U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, was constructed in 1923. In the foundation of the building, a cornerstone acted as a time capsule.
In 1923, the building received a donation of $200 from a Mennonite group in the Netherlands, Algemene Doopsgezinde Sociëteit, or the General Mennonite Society, to help fund the construction of Lincoln Hall.
Lincoln Hall finished construction in 1924. The original purpose of the building was to be a men’s residence hall. Pictured is a 1923 edition of The Witmarsum anticipating its opening.
Residents of Lincoln Hall pose for a picture in 1981
Lincoln Hall closed its doors following the 2011-12 school year. Pictured is Lincoln Hall in 2000.
In December 2018, Buildings and Grounds prep for the deconstruction of Lincoln Hall by removing furniture.
Over winter break, Lincoln Hall was torn down to prepare for the Austin E. Knowlton Science Center. The new building is set to open in 2020.
