New+Hampshire+College

=Thompson Hall=



Thompson Hall was constructed in 1892, the first building erected on the Durham Campus of the [|University of New Hampshire]. It is a signature building for UNH and is currently listed on the [|National Register of Historic Places] (1996). The building is architecturally significant as an excellent example of the use of [|Romanesque Revival Style] in the late 19th century academic building type, and as the design of a prominent Concord, New Hampshire architectural firm, Dow and Randlett, at the end of the nineteenth century. Thompson Hall now houses the offices of the University President and all five Vice-Presidents.

Founded in 1866 as the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts, the University of New Hampshire was one of the early land-grant institutions established to serve the sons and daughters of farming and laboring families.

First situated in Hanover in connection with [|Dartmouth College], New Hampshire College moved to its Durham campus in 1893 after Benjamin Thompson, a prosperous farmer, bequeathed land and money to further the development of the college.

Benjamin Thompson was born in Durham on April 22, 1806. He inherited his father's residence in Durham village, with neighboring lands, and the so-called "Warner Farm" originally a part of the 500 acres granted to Valentine Hill. By strict economy and good management in the course of half a centruy he increased his property to over $400,000. He taught school two terms in his youth and never married. He served as auditor one year. He died in Durham on January 30, 1890. ¹

In 1893, Thompson Hall was completed, built with native granite and state-manufactured brick. That fall, with 37-year-old, former minister Charles S. Murkland at its helm, the College opened its doors in Durham. In his inaugural address, President Murkland spoke of the “full freedom of the highest intellectual fellowship,” committing the College to also embrace the liberal arts.

Through the years, Thompson Hall has housed the faculty post office, a women’s gymnasium, and classrooms for English, foreign languages, and mathematics. In the early days, a couple of students even lived in the bell tower. By 1919, the College enrolled 607 students. In five years, that number doubled to 1,230. By 1923, the College, by state legislative decree, changed its name to the University of New Hampshire. ²

More Universities with Sites on the National Register

 * [|University of Minnesota], Minneapolis, MN: An impressive 13 buildings on the campus of the University of Minnesota are on the National Register of Historic Places. Click [|here] to learn about these sites.
 * The [|Thomas Hickman House], [|University of Missouri Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center in New Franklin, MO]
 * The [|University of Florida Campus Historic District], Gainesville, FL (also see this [|link]): 19 buildings on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville are on the National Register.
 * [|Stetson University, National Register Historic District], DeLand, FL
 * [|University of Utah's Historic Buildings], Salt Lake City, UT



1. From: __History of the Town of Durham New Hampshire__, by Everett S. Stackpole, Lucien Thompson, and Winthrop S. Meserve. Published for the Durham Historic Association by Peter E. Randall Publisher, Portsmouth, reprinted 1994. pp 298-299.

2. http://www.unh.edu/unhedutop/briefhistory.html

//**Primary author for this page: Yvette Couser**//