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

Mell Hall

Nell Hall Marker (side A) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 6, 2021

1. Nell Hall Marker (side A)

Inscription. Mell Hall was constructed in 1938 as a post office, one of many built under the Work Projects Administration during the 1930s. As the town's only post office, it was a place where students and local residents, black and white, crossed paths regularly. It was here that Clemson cadets received their draft notices, life-changing moments captured in the statue “And Then There Was War” in front of Mell. The University bought and renovated the post office in 1973 and named the building for Patrick H. Mell, president from 1902 to 1910. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Buildings in 1990.

Mell Hall was funded through the federal Work Projects Administration, one of dozens of agencies established during the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to create jobs and fuel an economic recovery from the Great Depression. The WPA was the largest and most ambitious of the New Deal agencies, employing millions of people, mostly unskilled men, to carry out public projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads.

Established
1940
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Erected by Clemson University.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture

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• Charity & Public Work • Communications. A significant historical year for this entry is 1940.

Location. 34° 40.916′ N, 82° 50.242′ W. Marker is in Clemson, South Carolina, in Pickens County. Marker is at the intersection of Old Greenville Highway (State Highway 93) and College Avenue (State Highway 133), on the right when traveling east on Old Greenville Highway. Marker is located in Reunion Plaza. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: 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. And Then There Was War (within shouting distance of this marker); Holtzendorff Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Clemson Cannons (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Godfrey Hall (about 400 feet away); Clemson Military Heritage (about 600 feet away); Military Heritage Plaza (about 600 feet away); Integration with Dignity, 1963 (about 800 feet away); Thomas Green Clemson (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Clemson.

Regarding Mell Hall. Excerpt from the National Register of Historic Places nomination for Clemson University Historic District I, which includes Mell Hall:

Mell Hall (1939): In 1938 Clemson College sold the parcel of land now
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 6, 2021

2. Nell Hall Marker (side B)
occupied by Mell Hall to the United States government for a post office to serve both the college and the community. The building was completed in 1939 and Postmaster General James A. Parley presided over its dedication the next year. The Clemson University Post Office was not only an excellent example of public architecture of the period, but also featured a large interior mural. In 1973 the university and town of Clemson built separate post offices and this building was returned to the university. It was renamed Mell Hall in memory of Patrick H. Mell, president of Clemson from 1902 to 1910, and its renovation was one of the university's first successful rehabilitation projects.

Mell Hall Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 6, 2021

3. Mell Hall Marker

The statue titled "And Then There Was War" is in the background.

And Then There Was War image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 6, 2021

4. And Then There Was War

Commissioned by the Class of 1944 for its fiftieth anniversary, the Mell Hall Memorial was dedicated on Feb. 9, 1993. The project grew out of conversations that sculptor T.J. Dixon had with Clemson men who had served in World War II. “How can I make you understand?” said one veteran. “We were boys, mere boys, and then there was war and half of us were dead or wounded.” Together with James Nelson, Dixon captured this life-changing experience by depicting a carefree student sitting back-to-back with a weary soldier version of himself. Beneath the men, on either side of the veteran’s haunting words, are two plaques listing the fifty-three names of members of the Class of 1944 who were killed in the war. — Clemson University

Patrick H. Mell image. Click for full size.

via Clemson University/Fair use

5. Patrick H. Mell

He was the first Clemson president to restructure the organization and give more power to the president. He also pushed for more strict admission requirements and less preparatory classes. His main efforts were focused on changing Clemson from strictly a military college to a higher education research institute. — Clemson University

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 355 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 8, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.