Torrey Hall: University of Vermont Campus

In today’s video, I am continuing my University of Vermont series. Torrey Hall is the subject today. It used to stand where Williams Science Hall is now.

“Torrey Hall: Past and Present
by Sarah L. Farley
University of Vermont
December, 1999

     The history of Torrey Hall is one that spans more than 130 years.  In that time the building has served the University of Vermont as its first library, as a museum, and as a meeting place for classes.  It has relinquished its location on the University green and been left to rest on a more obscure site.  And, it has survived several additions as well as a major renovation.  Despite the fact that Torrey Hall is no longer in a position of prominence on the campus, its history is colorful and is worthy of investigation.

    In a large part, Torrey Hall owes its existence to Joseph Torrey, who served the University as a professor and as its ninth president.  In its early days, business and education at the University of Vermont were conducted in one main building.  Consequently, it was here, too, that the University’s literary holdings remained.  However, in 1824 fire consumed this building and all but 125 of the books in the University’s collection.1

    After funds were allotted for the replacement of the books, Joseph Torrey, then a professor of philosophy, was tapped by the administrators to travel to Europe with the goal of purchasing much needed books for the University.  Professor Torrey made his voyage in 1835 and returned to Vermont with 7000 volumes.2  In 1862 a new library was built and named in his honor;  Torrey Hall remained the library until the completion of the Billings Library in 1885.

    Due to its importance as a library, as well as the University’s second major liberal arts building, Torrey Hall originally occupied a prominent location on the University green.3  However, the University continued to expand and in 1895 Torrey Hall was relocated in an effort to create space for the construction of Williams Hall.4  Today, the building rests nestled between Billings Center and Votey Hall.

    Over time, the size and shape of Torrey Hall evolved as well.  Originally constructed with a wood frame and clad in brick, Torrey Hall stood two stories tall and covered an area of 2400 square feet.5  In 1873, the third story and mansard roof were added and the building became home to the Park Gallery of Arts.  Circa 1898, a gentleman by the name of Henry LeGrand Cannon funded the addition of a two-story wing to the east side of the building; just a year later he added a single-story west wing to house the art collection he bequeathed to the University.6  Following the construction of the Fleming Museum in 1931, the Engineering College assumed the use of Torrey Hall.  In 1942 the building became a studio art center and was used for photography instruction, print making and art education classes until 1973.

After nearly a century of serving the University of Vermont, Torrey Hall underwent major renovations in 1974 (Fig. 1).  The firm of Wiemann- Lamphere Architects, Burlington, designed the plans for the revisions.7  Originally, a small flight of stairs on the south façade provided the only entrance to the building and a single central staircase connected the three stories.  In addition, a plan of the original structure (as illustrated by Wiemann and Lamphere and submitted with the renovation plans) shows that the building’s rooms were very small and that the staircase consumed a considerable amount of space.

    The work on Torrey Hall resulted in new heating, power and lighting systems, new floor plans for each story and significant exterior modifications.  Following the renovations, an elevator provided access to all floors and the central staircase occupied considerably less space.  In addition, asphalt shingles replaced the slate which previously covered the roofs, a fire escape was removed from the north façade, a chimney was removed from the north elevation of the east wing, the single flight of stairs on the south façade was enlarged and concealed behind a brick wall and the roof edge on the main block was extended.8  Additionally, the design plans show that a ramp was to cover the approach to the entrance of the building; however, if the ramp was added, it no longer remains a feature of the structure.  These extensive modifications resulted in a modern academic building designed for ease of use and economy of space.  Following renovation, the Pringle Herbarium was moved into Torrey Hall where it remains today.  Presently, the building is home to two classrooms as well as the Thompson Natural History Collection and the Churchill Library. 

While no longer a prominent feature of the University of Vermont campus, Torrey Hall continues to serve the academic community.  The care with which the University has maintained the building is a testament to its historical significance.  Additionally, its presence among many grand and modern buildings causes it to stand out and insures that while the evolution of the University of Vermont campus continues, its roots will not be forgotten.”-http://www.uvm.edu/~campus/torrey/torreyhall.html

Fresher information:

“Torrey Hall Renovation

Fire!

On August 3, 2017, a spark from a welder’s torch set the roof of Torrey Hall ablaze. To onlookers, the top floor appeared to be engulfed in flames. Firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading inside, however, where the Pringle Herbarium’s collections stayed safe in their brand-new cabinets. Only the few thousand plant specimens in active use suffered water damage from the half million gallons needed to put out the fire.

Thanks to an outpouring of support by the herbarium’s community of friends—nearly 100 volunteers showed up to help—most of the affected specimens dried within one day, many in the Marble Court of the Fleming Museum of Art next door. The rest were sent to a special archival recovery facility in Massachusetts. On Torrey’s lower floors, the zoological collections escaped unscathed. But water damage had compromised the building’s interior. Within one week of the fire, all the natural history collections were relocated to temporary quarters elsewhere on campus.

Restoration

Torrey Hall opened in 1863 as the University’s new library and museum, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. In 2016, the University began a major exterior renovation, in part to restore the multi-colored slate mansard roof added to the building in the 1870s. The fire interrupted this project, but the renovation was nonetheless completed on schedule in April of 2018.

Vision

Because of the fire, we now have the opportunity to reenvision Torrey Hall as a building fit for our 21st-century museum. A team of architects is working closely with museum staff to design a fully renovated interior, including more space for collections growth, much improved access for those with disabilities, and state-of-the-art freezing facilities for better collections care. The gem of the new Torrey Hall will be a dedicated public exhibit hall where we can proudly display our collections and forge a new connection with our Vermont community.”-https://www.uvm.edu/vtnaturalhistory/torrey-hall-renovation