What's the Big Deal about Eldred Hall Reopening?

Built in 1898, Eldred is one of the older buildings around CWRU, and is named after Henry B. Eldred, a local minister and friend of the university, following his donation of $15,000. It is actually one of the few remaining structures from the former Adelbert College of Western Reserve University, where it served as a spiritual center of student life.

For the past several decades, it housed the Theatre department,  who subsequently moved to the Maltz Performing Arts Center. This left Eldred as an open unused space for over a year.

The University Media Board (UMB) advocated for the space to Arlet Wright, then Director of Thwing Center. Arlet & UMB took the idea to the Student Presidents' Roundtable (SPR) and they made a formal proposal to President Kaler. President Kaler approached Lou Stark, then Vice President for Student Affairs, about opening this space, but having it decorated culturally. This would accommodate requests he had received from students from UDC groups who had voiced interest in culturally decorated spaces on campus. In the Spring of 2022, Lou turned to Arlet to make it happen.  

What you will see today in Eldred is a space transformed through decor into one that highlights CWRU's underrepresented groups: African Americans, Latine, Indigenous/Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders. While it is beautiful today, it is not 'completed' as it will continue to have more features added as time goes on. Student Centers will have formal responsiblity for the building and renting out the spaces in a manner similar to Thwing, and OMA will have ongoing responsibility for the decor.

Plase join us for the Grand Re-Opening Friday at 12:45pm. But prepare to come back again and again. We think you'll find that this is a place that will take more than one visit to truly appreciate. 

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