Phoebus in Hampton, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Robert C. Ogden Auditorium

A Premier Acoustical Setting

— Hampton University —

Robert C. Ogden Auditorium Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, February 25, 2021

1. Robert C. Ogden Auditorium Marker

Inscription.

Robert C. Ogden Auditorium. A Premier Acoustical Setting. , For many years the community has gathered in Hampton University Robert C. Ogden Auditorium for musical performances, concerts, conferences, formal gatherings, convocations and university assemblies. This building , located at the center of the Hampton University campus, is fully equipped to accommodate many types of stage productions, from opera to motion pictures., Ogden Auditorium, also known as Ogden Hall, is widely hailed for being one of the premier acoustical settings on the East Coast. It is also the home of the Hampton University Musical Arts Society and seats approximately 1,300 people for a variety of events. The Hollis Burke Frissell Memorial Organ, given by the Palmer Fund through Mr. George Foster Peabody in memory of Hampton’s second principal, is also located in Ogden Hall., Ogden Hall was built in 1918 as a memorial to Robert Curtis Ogden, at the estimated cost of $200,000. Funds were received from friends of Mr. Ogden, and other appropriations were made from unrestricted legacies to construct this building. This two-story structure was built by the Whitney Company of New York. It also contains a basement, stage, balcony and vaulted ceiling., Mr. Ogden, served on the Hampton University board of trustees from 1874 to 1914, and served as board president for 40 years. His devotion and stewardship made Mr. Ogden a great asset to Hampton University. His connections with the Southern Education Board, General Education Board, and Union Theological Seminary brought distinction to the work of the school., In 2007, the Ogden Hall Circle of Nations was constructed. The circle of grass in front of Ogden Hall is surrounded by 24 flags, which represent the countries of currently enrolled undergraduate students. The flags of the United States and Hampton University are located in the middle., (captions) , Robert C. Ogden was a Northern merchant in the clothing and retail trade. He became interested in the of public education in the South during Reconstruction and joined the then Hampton Institute as a trustee. Courtesy of Hampton University Archives , The interior of the Robert C. Ogden Auditorium was renovated in 2005. -Courtesy Hampton University

For many years the community has gathered in Hampton University Robert C. Ogden Auditorium for musical performances, concerts, conferences, formal gatherings, convocations and university assemblies. This building , located at the center of the Hampton University campus, is fully equipped to accommodate many types of stage productions, from opera to motion pictures.

Ogden Auditorium, also known as Ogden Hall, is widely hailed for being one of the premier acoustical settings on the East Coast. It is also the home of the Hampton University Musical Arts Society and seats approximately 1,300 people for a variety of events. The Hollis Burke Frissell Memorial Organ, given by the Palmer Fund through Mr. George Foster Peabody in memory of Hampton’s second principal, is also located in Ogden Hall.

Ogden Hall was built in 1918 as a memorial to Robert Curtis Ogden, at the estimated cost of $200,000. Funds were received from friends of Mr. Ogden, and other appropriations were made from unrestricted legacies to construct this building. This two-story structure was built by the Whitney Company of New York. It also contains a basement,

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stage, balcony and vaulted ceiling.

Mr. Ogden, served on the Hampton University board of trustees from 1874 to 1914, and served as board president for 40 years. His devotion and stewardship made Mr. Ogden a great asset to Hampton University. His connections with the Southern Education Board, General Education Board, and Union Theological Seminary brought distinction to the work of the school.

In 2007, the Ogden Hall Circle of Nations was constructed. The circle of grass in front of Ogden Hall is surrounded by 24 flags, which represent the countries of currently enrolled undergraduate students. The flags of the United States and Hampton University are located in the middle.

(captions)
Robert C. Ogden was a Northern merchant in the clothing and retail trade. He became interested in the of public education in the South during Reconstruction and joined the then Hampton Institute as a trustee. Courtesy of Hampton University Archives
The interior of the Robert C. Ogden Auditorium was renovated in 2005. -Courtesy Hampton University

Erected 2010 by Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau and the Virginia Civil War Trails.

Topics and series.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, February 25, 2021

2. Robert C. Ogden Auditorium Marker

This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Education. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series list.

Location. 37° 1.22′ N, 76° 20.36′ W. Marker is in Hampton, Virginia. It is in Phoebus. It is at the intersection of Ogden Circle and Armstrong Road, on the right when traveling south on Ogden Circle. The marker is located on the Hampton University campus. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 44 Ogden Cir, Hampton VA 23669, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula

and in Coastal Virginia.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

Robert C. Ogden Auditorium image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, February 25, 2021

3. Robert C. Ogden Auditorium

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Hampton University Museum (within shouting distance of this marker); Wigwam (within shouting distance of this marker); The Academy (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Samuel Chapman Armstrong (about 600 feet away); The Hampton Indian Program (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Ultimate Sacrifice (approx. 0.2 miles away); A National Cemetery System (approx. 0.2 miles away); Hampton National Cemetery (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hampton.

Also see . . .
1. Visit Hampton Virginia. Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau (Submitted on March 1, 2021.)

2. Robert Curtis Ogden. Wikipedia (Submitted on March 1, 2021.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 14, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 28, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 2,117 times since then and 210 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 28, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.