Edward Orton, once a geology professor at Ohio State, remarked to faculty and students that he would like to be buried in the tower of Orton Hall someday.
Orton, the building’s namesake and OSU’s first president, spent many hours in the tower in an attempt to escape the smoldering summer and autumn heat. The coal oil lamp he used while working long after sunset left black marks on the walls of the tower that are actually still visible today.
Although Orton was not buried in the tower – he’s in Columbus’ Greenlawn Cemetery – his legacy still continues at OSU.
Orton Hall still stands on the South Oval 110 years after its completion, housing the Orton Memorial Library of Geology and the Orton Geological Museum, along with research and teaching facilities.
On the right-hand side of the hall’s vestible hangs a plaque that reads: “A teacher beloved by students and faculty … A scholar devoted to science and its applications to economic problems … As first president he laid the foundation, outlined the policy and gave character to the university … This building erected in 1892 under his guidance and dedicated to his memory is named Orton Hall.”
The building’s construction is geologically a representative of Ohio, which must have pleased Orton. Forty kinds of stone were used to build the hall, and they are arranged as they are found in Ohio’s bedrock. The older rocks make up the lower part of the building, while the younger rocks are found toward the top. The floor tiles in the building’s entrance are made of Ohio’s very own clay.
Orton Hall features Richardsonian Romanesque style architecture, which was popular at the time it was built. This type of architecture accounts for many of the hall’s most distinctive elements – massive blocks of stone, a steeply-pitched roof made of red clay tiles, round arches and bay windows.
Twenty-four hand-carved gargoyles, modeled after prehistoric animals once found in Ohio, adorn the hall’s bell tower – arguably the building’s most well-known feature. The bells ring every 15 minutes and can be heard across the Oval. In April 2003, two new bells were installed – a G sharp and an A sharp – expanding the bells’ repertoire. The 12 original bells play in the key of E flat and were a gift from the classes of 1906 through 1914.
The hall has undergone many restorations and renovations over the years. One of the most drastic overhauls took place from 1979 to 1980 – central heating and ventilation, modern plumbing, electrical systems and facilities for the physically impaired updated the building.
Despite the many changes the building has experienced, a strong sense of historical significance has endured.
