Waddel Hall – UGA 41 (1821, Category 2). Waddel Hall was built in 1821 to the southeast of Old College. It is the second oldest surviving building on campus.
Built in the Federal style with little in the way of ornamentation, Waddel was originally known as Philosophical Hall. In the 1950s, it was renamed Waddel Hall in honor of Moses Waddel, president of the university between 1819 and 1829. It has served as a classroom building, gymnasium, and boardinghouse. The agricultural college moved into the building in the 1870s. The building has also served as a faculty and staff residence. It was later renovated to accommodate the Dean Rusk Center for International and Comparative Law. Today it serves the Office of Special Events. Waddel Hall is listed as a contributing building of the Old North Campus Historic District.
Waddel Hall is a simple, two-story Greek Revival building with its gable end facing the quadrangle in the same way as the Greek Revival porticos of the Chapel and Phi Kappa Hall. The building’s brick walls have been painted, probably for their protection, as both the brick and mortar appear subject to deterioration. Former windows on the rear facade have been bricked in.
Modern metal replacement windows have been installed in the building, set in wood frames that do not appear to be original. One significant original feature is the arched transom over the front entrance door, which is heavily worn but significant. It is significant for its age, character, and simplicity. Waddel Hall generally retains integrity and is assessed as a Category 2 resource.
