Grant Hall (Queen's University)

Grant Hall is a landmark on the campus of Queen's University at Kingston in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The building was completed in 1905. It is located on University Avenue, just north of Bader Lane. The building is named in honour of Principal George Munro Grant.

Grant Hall
General information
TypeAcademic building
Architectural styleNeo-Romanesque
Address43 University Avenue
Kingston, Ontario
K7L 3N5
Completed1905
Cost$35,000
Owner Queen's University
Design and construction
ArchitectSymons and Rae

It regularly is used as a symbol of the university. Many ceremonial events, plays, and concerts take place in Grant Hall. Classes rarely take place in the hall but due to the large, open space, exams sometimes are scheduled. All university convocation is done in Grant Hall.[1]

History

Grant Hall was built as part of a broader campus expansion plan from 1902 to 1912. Originally, the building was to be funded and named after the Frontenac County Council. The council withdrew financial support for the building in 1901 however, due to the anti-prohibition stance that Principal George Munro Grant had at the time.[2]

As a result, in 1902 the student population fundraised over $35,000 needed to complete the building. The building was finished in 1905 and named posthumously in honour of George Munro Grant and his 25 year anniversary as the university's principal.[3]

The building was designed by Symons and Rae, a Toronto-based architectural firm that also designed other early buildings on campus.[4]

For a time during World War I it was also used as a military hospital.[5]

Architecture and features

The main exterior of the building is cladded in limestone and features design in the Romanesque-style.

A large, iconic feature is the square clock tower with belfry. In the main facade, the windows are made from stained-glass.[4]

References
  1. "Convocation at Queen's | University Registrar". www.queensu.ca. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  2. "About Grant Hall | University Registrar". www.queensu.ca. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  3. "Grant Hall | Queen's Encyclopedia". www.queensu.ca. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  4. "5". Queen's University Heritage Study: Institutional Buildings. Commonwealth Historic Resource Management Ltd. 1998. p. 23.
  5. "The Crisis in Grant Hall During World War One | STONES". Retrieved 2020-09-14.

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