Westerville in Franklin County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Towers Hall
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 25, 2024
1. Towers Hall Marker
The University's main building, pictured here, was destroyed by fire on a January night in 1870. Towers Hall replaced it in the same year and was positioned to be the focal point of College Avenue entering campus from the Uptown.
Towers Hall once housed literary societies for men and women. These were the forerunners to fraternities and sororities. Philomathean Hall on the third floor is preserved including elegant doors, windows and woodwork designed by noted Columbus architect Frank Packard as part of a remodel in 1891.
The interior of Towers Hall has been modified over the years as new needs evolved. One significant change to the footprint was the 1954 replacement of the chapel, pictured here, with a two-story library addition at the rear. Centennial Library was later outgrown and the space repurposed.
Towers Hall has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places as has the Packard-designed former Carnegie Library across the street at College and Grove.
Erected by Uptown Westerville Inc.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.
Location.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Scioto Valley and in the Columbus Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Civil War (within shouting distance of this marker); Reverend Bishop William Hanby / Benjamin Hanby, Class of 1858 (within shouting distance of this marker); Otterbein College (within shouting distance of this marker); United Brethren Church (about 300 feet away); The Home of Benjamin R. Hanby (about 400 feet away); Temperance Row Historic District (about 500 feet away); Old Westerville Society (about 500 feet away); William Hanby, Freedom Crusader (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Westerville.
Another marker is no longer nearby. In Memory of Benjamin R. Hanby (was about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Also see . . . Towers Hall, Otterbein College (PDF). National Register nomination for the building, which was listed in 1971. (Prepared by Richard M. Griffith, Otterbein College; via National Archives) (Submitted on June 2, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 25, 2024
2. Towers Hall Marker
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 25, 2024
3. Towers Hall
Credits. This page was last revised on April 8, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 2, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 284 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 2, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
