Memorial Hall – UGA 670 (1911, 1924; Category 1). Memorial Hall was completed in 1925 to honor the forty-seven University of Georgia men who died in World War I. It was designed as an expansion of Alumni Hall, a one-story structure that contained a swimming pool and gymnasium. It has housed a variety of student activities, such as a ballroom, billiard room, campus bookstore, and housing for foreign students.
Memorial Hall stands at the geographical center of the University between North and South campuses. The building had offices, a library, and an assembly hall on the first floor; offices and lounges on the second floor; dormitory, dining, and dressing rooms on the third floor; and the swimming pool with lockers and a gymnasium in the basement.330 From the 1950s until 1983, it served as the University’s only student center.331 Today Memorial Hall serves as the Office of the Vice President, Division of Student Affairs.
Memorial Hall is a large complex building with its primary facade facing east to the quadrangle on Lucas Hill and the mass of the building stepping down the west slope toward Sanford Drive at the building’s rear. The building’s exterior is comprised of tan brick and painted stone with elaborate masonry detailing.
Symmetrical and solidly within the Beaux-Arts tradition, the primary facade features a large stone and brick entrance portico with concrete steps. The rear of the building features an open porch and glass windows at its top level with an Italianate wood roof overhang.
The front of the building retains its original wood double-hung windows at the first floor level which have been fitted with exterior storm windows. Second floor windows appear to have replacement sash. Side entrances have been modified and modern doors and windows installed. A modern rear entrance and egress stair addition has been constructed off of Sanford Drive.
Memorial Hall retains a high degree of historic integrity and may be individually eligible for listing in the National Register. It is assessed as a Category 1 resource.
Landscape Resources
The quadrangle is an important landscape feature that unifies the collection of buildings and provides opportunities for students to gather. The central quad is a cohesive landscape of turf, plantings, and paths that affords a sense of positive contained space. Other landscape features associated with the character area include access roads leading into the space from East Campus Road, and a large parking area south of Payne and Milledge halls. To the north of Memorial Hall is a drop off area and entry plaza edged by walks and plantings.
Memorial Hall Quadrangle (1921, Category 2). The Memorial Hall Quadrangle is formed by Memorial Hall to the west, Reed Hall to the south, and Milledge Hall to the east. The northern edge is formed by a path and plantings that parallel Hooper Street to its south. Paths edge and span the quadrangle space, which is also edged by tree and shrub plantings. Memorial Hall Quadrangle retains integrity and appears to contribute to a National Register-eligible historic district. It is assessed as a Category 2 resource.
Milledge Halls Courtyard (1939, Category 2). Payne and Milledge halls, both U- shaped buildings, are sited to form a second quadrangle within their center. A single path extends through the quadrangle between the buildings, while the interior is marked by a circular path edged by plantings. Milledge Hall Courtyard retains integrity and appears to contribute to a National Register-eligible historic district. It is assessed as a Category 2 resource.
