PULLMAN — As part of the Library Road construction project, the historic Ferry Hall Cupola was moved last week to a new location in the Alumni Arboretum. Originally created to be a bell tower, the cupola instead spent the last 30 years as the picturesque gazebo in front of Murrow Hall.
According to James Stone, construction engineer with Capital Planning and Development, the cupola will be incorporated into the landscaping and undergo cosmetic touch-ups for potential use as a site for weddings and other social events in the future. The arboretum is located next to the Lewis Alumni Center.
The cupola was a well-known WSU landmark before Ferry Hall was torn down to make way for the construction of Eastlick Hall in the mid 1970s. Stone said they will retain the descriptive plaque that goes with the cupola as well as install a memorial plaque at Eastlick Hall directing visitors to the cupola’s new location in the Arboretum.
The Ferry Hall dormitory, built in 1892, was the first large building to be constructed at the State College of Washington and was a vital part of campus life for over 70 years. Though it burned down in 1897, it was rebuilt two years later retaining the name. Ferry Hall also served as a temporary university hospital during the 1918 influenza pandemic – where a number of unfortunate students died of the flu.
Ferry Hall Cupola being moved by crane. Photo by Shelly
Hanks, WSU Photo Services.
Ferry Hall Cupola situated on pad in Alumni Arboretum. Photo by
Becky Phillips, WSU Today.
Looking south toward Alumni Center. Photo by Becky Phillips,
WSU Today.
