CSU Buildings and Grounds History

South Hall, 1962

From CSU's Sense of Place:  A Campus History of Colorado's Land-Grant University, by James E. Hansen, Gordon A. Hazard, and Linda M. Meyer.  Fort Collins, CO:  Colorado State University, 2018.

Architect – United States Government

During the summer of 1946, arrangements were made with the United States Government to acquire the structure to be known as South Hall.  This was a large, H-shaped, two-story wood-framed barracks building at the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant near Parsons, Kansas.  It would have the distinction of being the first men’s dorm on the Aggie campus according to Vice President Harry L. Dotson in 1953.

It was built in Kansas as a WAC barracks during World War II, but never had any occupants.  The building was dismantled, shipped in pieces to Fort Collins and reassembled by the end of November 1946.  Featuring hardwood floors, its 160 rooms housed 320 male students.  Since it lacked any kitchen or dining room, the residents ate their meals at Braiden Hall beginning in the fall of 1948.  It was quickly nicknamed “Hazard Hall” by the first residents, some say because of “H” shape of the building.  Later nicknames included “South Hole” and “South Hell”.  Most of these first residents were military veterans who had resided in similar buildings before enrolling at the College.

While awaiting the opening of South Hall, 224 single male students lived in the Field House where temporary walls and floors had been installed.  The State Armory across the street on South College Avenue was home to about 45 men.  The 1918 vintage “Biltmore” near the Oval housed 26 men.  Even the third floor of the Civil and Irrigation Engineering Building on the Oval was set up to house 32 men.  The Housing Office purchased at a low price military surplus beds, mattresses, and pillows to use for the extra residents.

The Housing Office asked the Fort Collins community to identify rooms that returning military veterans could rent at an affordable price.  They had hoped to get 550 rooms but only got 50.  It was rumored that many local landlords were looking to charge as much as they could get knowing that housing was so scarce in town.  Somehow everyone found a place to live when the fall 1946 registration took place.  Some students got very creative such as coming to town with small vacation house trailers in tow, living in remodeled barns on outlaying farms, and even renting tourist cabins at the Sylvan Dale Ranch outside of Loveland.  A trailer court for veterans was established on the campus in short order.

During the spring and summer of 1954, a utility tunnel was built to provide steam heat to the building from the Central Heating Plant.  According to an article in the October 29, 1954 issue of the Rocky Mountain Collegian, South Hall was being remodeled into classrooms and office space.  Now that the modern new Green Hall was open, it was decided to no longer use old South Hall as a residence hall.  The Department of Forest and Range Management as well as the History, Government and Sociology departments had offices created for their faculty and staff in South Hall.  Business classes in typing, business machines and stenography were also held in South Hall.  This “temporary” WWII building was now ready for two more decades of service to the Institution.

South Hall was demolished during the last two weeks of November 1973. The site was cleared by the first week of December.  The December 6, 1973, issue of CSU Comments shows a photograph of the demolition in progress.  The site was used as a lawn area until the Natural and Environmental Sciences Building was constructed on the site in 1994.