Fernald Hall

Fernald Hall is an academic building at University of Massachusetts Amherst featuring four floors of brick construction with stone trim and a classical revival style. Its H-shaped layout contains faculty offices, classrooms, laboratory spaces, and a main lecture hall throughout its floors.

The building was completed in 1910 and designed by Boston architect C.P. Hoyt, later named in 1921 to honor entomologist Charles H. Fernald. This naming reflected the structure's growing importance as a center for insect research at the university.

The second floor displays an extensive insect reference collection with specimens from different regions arranged in glass cases. This collection reflects the building's deep connection to entomology and scientific study.

The first floor holds faculty offices, class laboratories, and the main lecture hall, while basement research facilities support scientific work on campus. Keep in mind that the third floor is currently closed to the public due to building codes.

The third floor, currently sealed to the public, contains a historic photography studio with a darkroom once used to document insect specimens. This hidden space reveals how the building supported early scientific photography practices at the university.