Morrill Hall

Morrill Hall is a university building in Ithaca featuring Second Empire architecture with a mansard roof, constructed from local bluestone that anchors the Arts Quadrangle. Its design places it among a series of stone structures that together shape the character of the campus courtyard.

The building was completed in 1868 as Cornell's first academic structure, marking the start of campus development in Ithaca. It was initially divided into separate wings until extensive renovations in the late 1800s modernized its interior layout.

The building houses departments of Romance Studies, Russian Literature, and Linguistics, where students move between classes and offices daily. These spaces shape how the university's academic work unfolds in a structure that has served the institution for generations.

The eastern entrances provide direct access to the Arts Quadrangle, where students gather between classes and where entry is most straightforward. The site is easily walkable and well integrated into the campus layout.

The original design required people to exit and reenter the building to move between different sections, an unusual safety precaution for its time. This separation remained until renovations in the 1890s created continuous interior passages.

Location: Ithaca

Inception: October 7, 1868

Architects: Cyrus Kinne Porter, Harlow M. Wilcox

Architectural style: Second Empire style

Part of: Cornell University

GPS coordinates: 42.44861,-76.48528

Latest update: December 11, 2025 11:04