Morrill Hall, Ithaca

Morrill Hall, located on Cornell University's main campus, is one of the institution's most historic and architecturally significant buildings. Constructed in 1866 as "Building Number One," it was later renamed in honor of Senator Justin S. Morrill, a key proponent of the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act of 1862, which facilitated the university’s founding. This National Historic Landmark originally served as a multi-functional facility, combining dormitories, classrooms, laboratories, and administrative offices.

Its Second Empire and Italian Renaissance architectural style reflects the university's early aspirations, with the building becoming a cornerstone of the campus. Morrill Hall, along with McGraw Hall and White Hall, forms part of the historic "Stone Row," which faces Libe Slope—a design choice later altered by shifting construction priorities on campus.

Initially, Morrill Hall was divided into three separate wings. This segmentation included a southern residential wing for students, a central wing for academic use, and a northern wing for offices. Movement between these sections required exiting and re-entering the building until the partitions were removed during renovations in 1897. The building's layout was further altered in 1973 to align its primary entrances with the eastern face, which now opens onto the Arts Quadrangle. As a result, what was originally designed as the building’s front now functions as its back. Despite these changes, Morrill Hall remains a vital part of the university, housing departments such as Romance Studies, Russian Literature, and Linguistics.

Morrill Hall is deeply tied to the legacy of Cornell as New York State’s land-grant institution. Its construction symbolized the university's commitment to education and accessibility, aligning with the ideals of the Morrill Act. The building played a central role in Cornell’s early history, often described as a bustling hub of activity. Together with Lincoln Hall, which was added to the Arts Quadrangle in 1888, Morrill Hall represents the dynamic and sometimes contentious decisions that shaped Cornell’s architectural identity.