This may have been discussed, but I didn't see anything in a quick search around . . .

It seems like what is now called the State Chemists Building (whether it always has or not I don't know, but I don't think so, it is/was next to Butler, near the Trigon and Psychology buildings) had a date across the top of it which was in the 1900's, I think 1909. If that's true then it would put it right at 100 years old. When I was in school, a few years ago, the building was painted yellow, top to bottom and look to be in pretty bad repair. Does anyone know anything more about the building because I can' think of another structure still standing on campus which can claim the 100 year mark? I looked on Cushing's website and it apparently has the old red brick facade under the paint. Here's a link to the picture:

http://cushing.tamu.edu/collections/images/Pages/viewtext.php?s=browse&tid=369&route=browseby.php&category=31&by=category&s=browse

I'm a pretty adamant preservationist and think this is one that should be on the radar if not already (and hopefully it's still there as I haven't been in about a year and a half)seeing as it has an uncanny ability to avoid destruction unlike some many other buildings on campus.



[This message has been edited by Kiros Kid (edited 9/15/2008 10:16p).]

Yeah too bad there aren't too many old buildings left. I cried when the English annex was torn down. Although the tears were very small, archeologically boring and no one noticed them.

As to your building, for the life of me I can't remember it, though I had classes in the Psychology building, Trigon and I lived for a semester in Hart Hall. I must have walked past it at some point.

That's honestly why I think it is still there. It is painted yellow, back behind a couple of trees and completely in the shadow of the Biological Sciences West Building. I think so many people are distracted by that monstrosity they don't notice the old one sitting right next to it. I think it was still there a year ago, and it shows up on the maps of campus so it still has a chance.

Kiros:

It's still there but in bad shape and now painted a horrible yellow-tan color. I remember in the 70s it was un air conditioned and had a screen door that slammed as people went in and out.

There is a historical marker on one of the oaks out in front of it that I believe that indicates it is a hybrid created by one of the profs at the turn of the last century and one of the first A&M experiments in plant genetics or something like that.

I remember that old building from back in the early 60's. Never had a class in it though. It is really hard for me to get my bearings on the campus now with all the new buildings.

Tonight, after football practice I promised my 9 year old grandson that we were going to go to a football game as soon as I could arrange it (before I'm too old to go!). I think I can find my way around if my old dorm (Leggett Hall) and the MSC is still there.

[This message has been edited by oldvalleyrat (edited 9/16/2008 10:36p).]

Is this it?

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=college+station&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=30.615282,-96.339237&spn=0.00223,0.003455&z=18&iwloc=addr

It was the Agronomy Building until about 1976 when the new Agronomy Building was built on the West Campus.




[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 9/17/2008 7:51a).]

That's it and the big tree in front is the one I was talking about.

I'm glad it's still there. It would be a great building to restore, especially to reveal the old brick color as soon many of us only know the tan on all the existing buildings. I know it would be very expensive, but I really can't think of an older building on campus.

The building you are referring to is correctly named the "State Chemist Building," its original name. Over the years it has also been called "The Analytical Services Building" and the "Agricultural Experiment Station."

It was built in 1909 in the construction mode of campus buildings constructed before that time. Nagle Hall was also built in 1909 and was the first fireproof building on campus built with reinforced concrete. The State Chemist Building, to the best of my knowledge, was built in the earlier standard of a timber interior framework with plank walls and floors with a triple layer of brick external veneer.

The Nagle Building was the first building on which buff colored brick were used (the standard from 1909 on.) The State Chemist Building was the last building on campus that used Whiteselle Cherry Red Bricks from a quarry at Corsicana. The Cherry Reds were the standard brick for all buildings constructed before 1909.

Doctor Samuel E. Asbury was the first State Chemist to occupy the building. His primary duty was to provide chemical analysis of fertilizers and other chemicals for agricultural use. But in A&MC legend, Doc Asbury was the source of a large volume of humerous anecdotes well into the '50s. He was a music composer, the original hippie on campus, and famous for his invitations to parties at his house "The Old Hyena is Going To Howl Tonight." One day in the 50s while riding his bike on campus he ran into a tree and it messed the old feller up. He asked a bystander, "Which way was I going?" The bystander pointed the direction. The old Doc said "Good, I must have been on the way to the office." (Otherwise he would have been going home to lunch.) And off he rode.

By the 1930s most of the older cherry red brick building had been demolished so someone got the bright idea to paint the State Chemist building buff colored to be in vogue with its neighbors.

The State Chemist Building is located on Coke Street, immediately north of Butler Hall (formerly the Agronomy Building.) When the Chemist Building was built, the building next door to the north on that street was the first Agriculture and Horticulture Building constructed in 1900. The Ag and Hort Building was renamed Science Hall in 1922. Science Hall was demolished in 1963 ... and later became the site of the new Biological Science Building.

Thanks for the information. The building sounds more significant that I originally thought. It sounds like it has both architectural as well as historical significance. I bet they can get that paint off of it if they really wanted to. Does anyone know the plans for this building? Given its unique status on campus as the last survivor of another era it's worth saving.

Someone said there was a historic marker in front. . . does anyone know if that is a state or school marker and does it just apply to the work that went on there? This building seems to warrant and actual state marker reading almost verbatim what Fossil just recited (that is referencing its significance as the last of the old construction).

Fossil is right, the Agronomy building is the next one to the south.

Walking through it's parking lot one day, I noticed a car with a parking sticker belonging to Eli L. Whiteley. After his WWII service and MOH, he eventually returned to A&M and was on the faculty in the Agronomy Department.

Unfortunately, I never met him or took any of his classes. Don't know if he had retired by the time I switched to Agronomy or what.

On a campus map dated 1912 (link below) the State Chemist Building is labeled simply "Experiment Station."

Have fun touring the 1912 campus on the map linked below. It is in Google Map format. If you get lost or confused, ask for directions here.

http://www.maplib.net/fullmap.php?id=1773&legend=1

Do not be concerned about the street names on the map. In 1912 campus officials had not gotten around to naming the "streets" on campus. The names on the map were applied by the mapmaker for fire insurance underwriter purposes.

[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 9/18/2008 10:32a).]

Fossil Ag:

That is way cool.

The link to the photo of the Shirley Hotel is dead do you have a picture of that somewhere else?

BQ78

BQ78

quote:

---

1906. The Shirley Hotel was constructed to serve as a social and entertainment nucleus for faculty members and guests on campus. The name of the new facility was chosen with a drawing from names submitted by club members. Little Shirley Lomax, the daughter of Professor John A. Lomax of the English Department, was the lucky name and thus was born the Shirley Hotel. The building itself was a large frame structure with a classic columned front. It was owned and operated as a private corporation by faculty members until 1922 at which time the Faculty Club disbanded. The Shirley Hotel and the Shirley Annex which stood just north of it were demolished in 1929 to make the site available for Walton Hall which was built at the location.

---

[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 9/18/2008 11:34a).]

fossil:

That's an old Sanborn Insurance map. In the environmental consulting field, we still consult these maps today to document the previous development history of specific parcels of land. You can often spot historical environmental problems on or adjacent to a property on these maps...things like fuel service stations, heating oil tanks, factories, railroad/pipeline rights-of-way, etc. The maps usually specify the construction type and use of buildings and other facilities.

You can find a key to the Sanborn symbology and abbreviations here:

http://www.edrnet.com/reports/key.pdf

John in San Antonio

DogCo84

I am generally familiar with the Sanborn map collections although I have dealt with only the one dated 1912 which was linked by a poster on another thread a couple of years ago.

Just for curiosity I played around with the map linked, using the max enlargement then using the arrow cursors to move the images back and forth and up and down with a bit of overlap and printing from the screen. Afterward I trimmed the prints and using rubber cement put all the printed pages together into about 36"X40" map of the 1912.

That resulting map has a world of information about the layout of the original campus. For example, spur tracks were built to the vicinity of buildings under construction to transport materials. In addition, this map shows where the first water mains were positioned in 1912 to provide water from the Artesian well located northeast of the Academic Building to the rest of the campus. Such finds as the first laundry plant and first ice plant locations were first revealed. Even the location of the first Mechanical Engineering building and shops (built 1892, burned 1920) were established. Much more information ... and points to ponder ... were discovered.

A good exercise that I recommend for folks with a bit of time on their hands.

While on campus this weekend, I took a couple of pics of the building for yall.


The big tree.


The plaque on the tree


Current sign for the building


1909 Experimental Station Sign


Current building front


Front of building

The Texas Agricultural Experiment Station came under the purview of A&M College in 1888 under provisions of the Hatch Act. (The operative term is no longer Texas Agricultural Experiment Stations but AgriLife Research.

[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 9/20/2008 4:22p).]

I had my PSYC204 lab in there in 2006, and it was a miserable experience. Leaks, no air conditioning besides somewhat functional wall units, and broken water fountains. Desperately in need of renovation.

I have about 2000 or so of the Whiteselle Cherry Red Corsicana Bricks i am interested in selling. If anyone is interested, feel free to contact me.

Being born and somewhat raised in Corsicana, I found this very interesting. Corsicana's downtown had all brick roads. I didn't realize that they had supplied the bricks for so many campus buildings. I did notice, however, that in the small entrance to the Chicken (between the front door and the saloon doors that those are Corsicana bricks. I guess that goes to show what I did in college...

A lot of old towns had those brick streets, particularly those - like Corsicana - that were near brick factories.

Many of these towns - Corsicana and Stephenville are two great examples - just paved asphalt over the bricks and years later realized that the bricks were cool and tore up the asphalt in places and went back to brick.

In my days that building served as the Entomology and Soil Sciences classroom and laboratory complex. 1965-69.

Poultry science and agronomy also.

Yes it is over 100 years old

Valley rat when did you live in Legett?

I think it is imperative tha ALL former students take time off a day or so and walk the campus to learn more about the history of our university. As a fish in the Corps I learned a lot sometimes under duress. My four years at A&M was a blur just trying to survive. Now that life has somewhat slowed down we should all go back and learn these little jewels that we didn't appreciated or have time to appreciate.

I spend many many hours in the Chemistry building and to go back and see the art in the entrance is unreal. The old Chemistry building was brand new and was shown in the movie We've Never Been Licked.