Gladys Valley Gymnastics Center, Oregon State University (Corvallis, Oregon)

Title: Gladys Valley Gymnastics Center, Oregon State University (Corvallis, Oregon)
LC Subject: Architecture, American Architecture--United States
Alternative: Oregon State University (Corvallis, Oregon) Mitchell Playhouse, Oregon State University (Corvallis, Oregon)
Creator: Lazarus, Edgar M.
Photographer: Marcusen, Margaret
Creator Display: Edgar Marks Lazarus (architect, 1868-1939)
Description: National Register of Historic Places
View: exterior: view facing southeast
Provenance: Oregon State Historic Preservation Office
Temporal: 1880-1889
Work Type: architecture (object genre) built works views (visual works) exterior views universities (buildings) sports buildings gymnasiums auditoriums
Location: Benton County >> Oregon >> United States Oregon >> United States United States Corvallis >> Benton County >> Oregon >> United States
Date: 1898
View Date: 2007-10
Identifier: pna_30035.jpg
Rights: In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Rights Holder: Oregon State Historic Preservation Office
Type: Image
Format: image/jpeg
Set: Building Oregon
Primary Set: Building Oregon
Is Part Of: Oregon State University (Corvallis, Oregon); Oregon State University Historic District (Corvallis, Oregon)
Institution: University of Oregon
Citation: Oregon State University Historic District National Register Nomination, http://oregondigital.org/u?/archpnw,16894 National Register of Historic Places, http://www.nps.gov/nr/ ear, McNeil, Schneider, Bloodworth, and Hawes. Feasibility Study For Mitchell Playhouse. Corvallis: Oregon State University, 1963. Binder, Doug. “Mitchell Playhouse to be renovated for gymnastics.” The Daily Barometer. 1991.* Newsome, Dan. “Mitchell Playhouse: Past, Present, and Future.” 1989. OSU Archives Memorabilia Collection, Box 29 – Buildings – Mitchell Playhouse Bear, McNeil, Schneider, Bloodworth, and Hawes. Feasibility Study For Mitchell Playhouse. Corvallis: Oregon State University, 1963. Binder, Doug. “Mitchell Playhouse to be renovated for gymnastics.” The Daily Barometer. 1991. Newsome, Dan. Mitchell Playhouse: Past, Present, and Future.” 1989. OSU Archives Memorabilia Collection, Box 29 – Buildings – Mitchell Playhouse
Note: From the National Register Nomination: Description: Alterations: 1899: added bowling alley; 1910: replaced floor, heating system, wiring; 1936: renovated for Horner Museum; 1951: Renovated for Mitchell Playhouse; 1990: condemned for use without major restoration; 1992 added handicapped ramp and elevator; 1992 restored The building was first remodeled in 1906 when the bowling alleys installed in 1899 were removed to provide space for locker rooms. In 1910 military activities were discontinued in the Center, so the building was remodeled again, including new wiring, installation of steam heating, a new floor in the main hall, and new locker rooms and bath facilities in the basement. More changes of the gym occurred in 1915 to remodel the center for the exclusive use of women. In 1936 the building was converted into museum space in both the main hall and the basement. In 1950 it was remodeled again, this time into a theater, including the addition of an auditorium, classrooms, and dressing rooms. The building remained largely unchanged until a major renovation in the early 1990s converted the space to a modern gymnasium. Landscape: The Gladys Valley Gymnastics Center site on the east side of OSU campus, just east of Valley Library. The land slopes dramatically from the building’s front to back. Setting: The building is on the east side of OSU’s main campus, in sector C. History: The Gladys Valley Gymnastics Center has served a variety of functions on the OSU campus since its construction in 1898. Appropriately named the Armory-Gymnasium Building, it was used for those activities, and was a social gathering point and center for O.A.C. commencement. In 1910 the new McAlexander Fieldhouse became the armory, so the Center was renamed the Gymnasium Building and served exclusively as a gym until 1927. When the men’s gym was completed in 1915, the Center’s name changed to the Women’s Gymnasium and was used for gymnastics, basketball, and indoor baseball. The building’s names and uses continued to change. After the new Women’s Building was completed in 1927, the Center was used for Cadet Band practice, as well as concerts and assemblies. In 1936 the building was converted into the Museum Building, housing the Horner Collection. The Center was converted to a theater in 1951 and served in this capacity for forty years. As a theater, it was first called the College Playhouse and was renamed Mitchell Playhouse in 1961. In 1990 the building was condemned barring major restoration, leading to another remodeling in 1992. With this renovation, the building returned to its original use as a gym. It is called the Gladys Valley Gymnastics Center and houses the practice facility for the OSU women’s gymnastics team. Teague, Edward H. "Introducing Edgar Lazarus, The Architect of Vista House," Vista House Views, FOVH Newsletter, Spring 2011, p. 1-2, 7, 9, 10-11. This image was included in the documentation to support a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, a program of the National Park Service. The image is provided here by the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office and the University of Oregon Libraries to facilitate scholarship, research, and teaching. For other uses, such as publication, contact the State Historic Preservation Office. Please credit the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office when using this image.