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Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota

Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota

Creator:
Contributor: Minnesota Historical Society Press
Source: Minnesota History 62, no. 1 (Spring 2010): 3
Pillsbury Hall
The front exterior of Pillsbury Hall, June 6, 2005.

Since opening its doors in 1889, Pillsbury Hall has been home to a variety of University of Minnesota departments. It seems fitting that mineralogy and geology were among those disciplines, because the hall resembles a large, multifaceted specimen of rock wrested from the earth and awaiting scientific study.

The building was, in fact, constructed from locally quarried Minnesota stone, much of which retains a rough-hewn character. But the facades also reveal the artistry of the craftsmen who skillfully transformed the hard material into delicate carvings, gargoyles, and polychromatic patterns.

Designed by Leroy Buffington and Harvey Ellis in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, Pillsbury Hall also offers lessons in the forces of nature. The large rusticated stones on the lower portion of the building are undeniably anchored by the earth's gravitational pull, and the squat columns of the arcade appear to have narrowly escaped being drawn by that force into the ground. The massive arches of the entrance compress and narrow as they recede, exerting a visual magnetic pull on anyone who ascends the stairways.

The structure, one of the university's oldest extant buildings, stands in the heart of the National Register-listed Old Campus Historic District, once the heart of the land-grant school. In the early twenty first century, the district is only a small sector of the sprawling campus, which boasts stunning newer buildings by many of the stars of the architectural firmament. Although they may be newer and shinier, this crop of turn-of-the-twenty-first-century buildings has done little to diminish the aesthetic and textural charm of the historic hall; in fact, they only serve to counterpoint its beauty.
Cite
Hession, Jane. "Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota." MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society. https://www3.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/structure/pillsbury-hall-university-minnesota
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First Published: November 23, 2011
Last Modified: April 15, 2025

Related Resources

Primary

Pillsbury, J.S. An address delivered by Hon. John S. Pillsbury before the alumni of the University of Minnesota at the West Hotel, Minneapolis, June 1st 1893: being a sketch of the growth and development of the University for the thirty years in which he has been a regent. [Minneapolis]: Alumni Association, University of Minnesota, [1893].

A/.P642j
John S. Pillsbury and Family Papers, 1833–1934
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
Description: Financial and legal records relating to John S. Pillsbury's various business enterprises. There is also a little information on family history, Minneapolis civic affairs, and Pillsbury's role as governor and as a member of the board of regents of the University of Minnesota.

Secondary

Castle, Henry A. Minnesota: Its Story and Biography. vol. 1. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1915.

Johnson, E. Bird. Forty Years of the University of Minnesota. Minneapolis: The General Alumni Association, 1910.

Landscape Research. The University of Minnesota Preservation Plan. St. Paul: Landscape Research, 1998.

University of Minnesota Board of Regents. John S. Pillsbury, "Father of the University." Resolutions adopted by the Board of Regents and memorial addresses delivered on commencement day, June 5, 1902. [Minneapolis]: University of Minnesota, 1902.

Web

The Minnesota Historical Society's National Register Properties. University of Minnesota Old Campus Historic District.
http://nrhp.mnhs.org/NRDetails.cfm?NPSNum=84001463

Related Images

Pillsbury Hall
The front exterior of Pillsbury Hall, June 6, 2005.
Pillsbury Hall
Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota campus, c.1900. Photographer: James Methven.
Pillsbury Hall
Pillsbury Hall, back of building, 1890–1899. Photographer: Frank T. Wilson.
Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota
Close-up of entrance to Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota campus, 1893. Photographer: Ralph D. Cleveland.
Pillsbury Hall
Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota campus, c.1900. Photographer: Sweet.
Pillsbury Hall Jones Hall to the right

Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota campus, c.1900. Jones Hall is under construction to the right.

Pillsbury Hall

Pillsbury Hall

The front exterior of Pillsbury Hall, June 6, 2005.

Public domain

Articles

More Information

Pillsbury Hall

Pillsbury Hall

Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota campus, c.1900. Photographer: James Methven.

Public domain

Holding Location

Minnesota Historical Society

Articles

More Information

Pillsbury Hall

Pillsbury Hall

Pillsbury Hall, back of building, 1890–1899. Photographer: Frank T. Wilson.

Public domain

Holding Location

Minnesota Historical Society

Articles

More Information

Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota

Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota

Close-up of entrance to Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota campus, 1893. Photographer: Ralph D. Cleveland.

Public domain

Holding Location

Minnesota Historical Society

Articles

More Information

Pillsbury Hall

Pillsbury Hall

Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota campus, c.1900. Photographer: Sweet.

Public domain

Holding Location

Minnesota Historical Society

Articles

More Information

Pillsbury Hall Jones Hall to the right

Pillsbury Hall; Jones Hall to the right

Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota campus, c.1900. Jones Hall is under construction to the right.

Public domain

Holding Location

Minnesota Historical Society

Articles

More Information

Related Articles

Turning Point

Named in honor of John S. Pillsbury and designed by Leroy Buffington and Harvey Ellis in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, Pillsbury Hall on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis opens its doors in 1889.

Chronology

1889
Pillsbury Hall opens as a science building, part of the first major expansion of the University of Minnesota.
1984
Pillsbury Hall is placed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the University of Minnesota's Old Campus Historic District.

Related Resources

Primary

Pillsbury, J.S. An address delivered by Hon. John S. Pillsbury before the alumni of the University of Minnesota at the West Hotel, Minneapolis, June 1st 1893: being a sketch of the growth and development of the University for the thirty years in which he has been a regent. [Minneapolis]: Alumni Association, University of Minnesota, [1893].

A/.P642j
John S. Pillsbury and Family Papers, 1833–1934
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
Description: Financial and legal records relating to John S. Pillsbury's various business enterprises. There is also a little information on family history, Minneapolis civic affairs, and Pillsbury's role as governor and as a member of the board of regents of the University of Minnesota.

Secondary

Castle, Henry A. Minnesota: Its Story and Biography. vol. 1. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1915.

Johnson, E. Bird. Forty Years of the University of Minnesota. Minneapolis: The General Alumni Association, 1910.

Landscape Research. The University of Minnesota Preservation Plan. St. Paul: Landscape Research, 1998.

University of Minnesota Board of Regents. John S. Pillsbury, "Father of the University." Resolutions adopted by the Board of Regents and memorial addresses delivered on commencement day, June 5, 1902. [Minneapolis]: University of Minnesota, 1902.

Web

The Minnesota Historical Society's National Register Properties. University of Minnesota Old Campus Historic District.
http://nrhp.mnhs.org/NRDetails.cfm?NPSNum=84001463