"Old Main"
Original Watercolor
Framed size: 34" x 27"
Giclee Reproductions Available in various sizes. CLICK HERE
Old Main, originally called the "Main Building", is Penn State's first building of major significance. It took six years to build and was completed in 1863. The limestone used to build the structure was quarried from the land directly in front of it. After being deemed structurally unsound in the 1920's, the building was raised in 1929 and rebuilt in 1930. The new building, occupying the same footprint as the previous structure and incorporating some of its limestone, was christened "Old Main". The bell in the tower was a gift from the 1904 graduating class, and Westminster chimes were added as a gift of the 1937 class. The original chimes remained in use until the late 1970's when the university replaced them with a mix of mechanical and electronic bells. These bells eventually gave way in 1993 to the digital chimes which ring over the campus today. Currently, Old Main serves as the administratiive center of Penn State, housing the offices of the president and other officials.
