I was looking through scans from Mother’s college scrapbook when I saw what must have been the snowstorm of 1940 or thereabouts. This shows the terraces south and east of Academic Hall. Click on the photos to make them larger. I looked but didn’t see anybody sledding down the hill.
Albert or Leming Hall?
This might be Leming Hall, but I’m going to let someone else make the call. A Missourian story said Albert Hall and Leming Hall were almost identical in appearance and layout. Another picture in the scrapbook labeled Albert Hall, taken at a different time, showed steps leading up to screened-in porch.
A Frony photo showing a city crew putting cinders on Normal Avenue in front of Leming Hall shows a screened-in porch and no columns.
A photo from 1960 showing students moving out of Albert Hall before it was razed shows the columns and no porch. Maybe the screening was taken down in the winter, which would explain the difference.
Unknown location
I don’t know where this photo was taken, but considering how much snow there is, I have to think it was taken around the SEMO campus. I can’t imagine Mother would have been able to make it back home to Advance given the condition of roads back then.
I believe that the second picture is of front of Albert Hall. I think the BACK porches of Leming and Albert Halls were screened in. That being the case, if this building was Leming Hall, we would see Kent Library to the left rather than the small frame (residential?) building.
A sign above the door reads Albert Hall.
Note that the number of terraces on Academic Hill were far fewer than today, and the current sidewalk that traverses the hill was no where in sight.
See comments at John’s Junk Yard related to the conditions that caused these late 60’s-early 70’s additions.
This is Albert Hall. My grandmother was the housemother there for many years. The dining room was in the basement and there were rooms on that level for the kitchen staff, as well as the “boiler room”. The back door to the kitchen level was electric – to keep the bugs out! Spent many days of my childhood playing at “the dorm”, much to the chagrin (I’m sure) of the college girls!