Clemson in Pickens County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Hardin Hall

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 6, 2021

1. Hardin Hall Marker (side A)

Inscription. The oldest remaining academic building on campus, Hardin Hall was completed in 1891 to serve as the Chemistry Building. It is named for Mark B. Hardin, the first chemistry department chairman who served terms as acting president in 1897, 1899 and 1902. As one of the original campus facilities, Hardin Hall was constructed by a predominantly African-American state convict labor crew using local materials, including bricks they made from nearby clay soil and granite foundations reclaimed from the demolition of the slave quarters used on the Fort Hill plantation prior to the Civil War. It was added to the National Register of Historic Buildings in 1990.

Completed in 1891 as Clemson's original Chemistry Building, Hardin Hall quickly outgrew its space and was expanded with a large addition in 1900. A third addition was constructed in 1937, and the entire complex was renovated in 1946 and 2002. The 2002 renovation included the complete demolition and redesign of the interior while preserving and rehabilitating the exterior. As a result what was once a single, two-story facility now stands in three parts with building materials from three different centuries.

Established
1891

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Erected by

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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Education • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1891.

Location. 34° 40.716′ N, 82° 50.225′ W. Marker is in Clemson, South Carolina, in Pickens County. Marker is at the intersection of Calhoun Drive and Fort Hill Street, on the left when traveling south on Calhoun Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 403 Calhoun Dr, Clemson SC 29634, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. First Woman Graduate (a few steps from this marker); Walter T. Cox, Jr. (within shouting distance of this marker); Trustee House (within shouting distance of this marker); Quercus lyrata (Overcup Oak) (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Outdoor Theater (Amphitheater) (about 400 feet away); Fort Hill (about 400 feet away); Tillman Hall (about 400 feet away); Integration with Dignity, 1963 (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Clemson.

Regarding Hardin Hall. Excerpt from the National Register nomination for the Clemson University Historic District II, which includes Hardin Hall:

Hardin Hall (1890): This L-plan, brick, two-story building was constructed in
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 6, 2021

2. Hardin Hall Marker (side B)
three major building phases. The 1890 portion — originally rectangular in plan — features single and double, one-over-one and two-over-two, double-hung sash windows with transoms at the second floor and stone lintels, which have drip moldings at the first story. Two-story, brick pilasters articulate the bays. The original principal entrance at the north elevation is a round arched portico featuring decorative terra cotta work and the 1890 date of construction in the tympanum, Corinthian pilasters, and the inscription "Chemistry." There is a shed roof secondary entrance with paired collonettes and decorative terra-cotta work at the west elevation. The 1900 addition, which gives the building its L-plan form, although larger than the earlier section is the same height. The brick work on this section is more decorative. Two-story, paneled, brick pilasters articulate the bays, which are composed of double, one-over-one, double-hung sash windows. At the second story, the windows are round headed and set between brick pilasters and encompassed by a semi-eliptical brick arch. Other decorative features are quatrefoils in the spandrels and pilasters separating the windows. The principal entrance is a one-story pedimented portico supported by pilasters and the date 1900 inscribed in the tympanum. The present roof is flat built up, but original roof was a slate hip roof destroyed by fire in
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 6, 2021

3. Hardin Hall Marker
1946. An undistinguished rear addition was constructed in 1937.

Also see . . . Asset Detail | Clemson University Historic District II. National Register nomination (PDF) and photographs (PDF) submitted for the district, which includes Hardin Hall. (Submitted on November 8, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Additional keywords. Forced labor; penal labor

Unknown via Clemson University Libraries/Fair use, circa 1948

4. Hardin Hall

Credits. This page was last revised on November 8, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 429 times since then and 152 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 8, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on November 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3, 4. submitted on November 8, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.