Valparaiso in Porter County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Music Hall Bench
Photographed by Daniel Barriball, February 28, 2026
1. Music Hall Bench Marker
This stone sat above pillars at the main entrance to the Music Hall, constructed in 1906 on the site of the original, and intentionally temporary, building of the Valparaiso Male and Female College. It is all that remains from a devastating fire in May of 1970.
Music Hall was renamed Kinsey Hall in 1959 in honor of Oliver Perry Kinsey, co-owner of Valparaiso University with Henry Baker Brown.
The construction of Wesemann Hall in 1986 absorbed the original site, requiring the relocation of the stone.
Erected by Valparaiso University.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Disasters • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.
Location. 41° 27.737′ N, 87° 3.237′ W. Marker is in Valparaiso, Indiana, in Porter County. It can be reached from the intersection of Freeman Street and College Avenue, on the right when traveling east. This marker is attached to the upper left corner on the top of the Music Hall bench just north of Heritage Hall on the campus of Valparaiso University. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 510 Freeman
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Regionally, this marker is in Northwest Indiana and in the Calumet Region. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, 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 territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Founders' Rock (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Founders' Rock (within shouting distance of this marker); Victory (approx. Ό mile away); Almira Fifield, M.D. (approx. 0.4 miles away); Porter County Memorial Hall (approx. 0.4 miles away); Historical Society of Porter County Old Jail Museum (approx. 0.4 miles away); Porter County (Indiana) Veterans (approx. half a mile away); Site of the First School House in Valparaiso 1837 (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Valparaiso.
Also see . . . Student protesters ignite Kinsey Hall.
Photographed by Daniel Barriball, February 28, 2026
2. Music Hall Bench Marker in context
The marker is the gray plaque attached to the upper left corner on the top of the Music Hall Bench.
The striking students remained outside Kinsey Hall, and at about 4:20 a.m., a fire broke out in the basement, triggering an alarm. The fire department was called and fought the fire for more than two hours. Whe the fire had been extinguished, officials found extensive damage in the basement and on the first and second floors. The cause of the fire was widely believed to be arson caused by the protesting students.(Submitted on March 1, 2026, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 1, 2026, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. This page has been viewed 42 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 1, 2026, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
