Elliott Hall

Elliott Hall is the oldest building on the Ohio Wesleyan University campus, completed in 1833 and one of the earliest surviving examples of Greek Revival architecture in Ohio. The white-painted structure with its columned portico sits at the north edge of campus, looking much as it did when it was built nearly two centuries ago.

The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It currently serves administrative functions within the university and is not generally open to the public, but the exterior is easily viewed from the street and makes a rewarding stop for anyone interested in early American architecture.

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A story
Elliott Hall was built in 1833 — nearly a decade before Ohio Wesleyan University itself was officially chartered. It was constructed as the home of William Little, one of the town's early settlers, and the university acquired it as its first campus building. The Greek Revival style was already becoming fashionable for public buildings when it was built; in a small Ohio town in 1833, it must have looked startlingly formal.