John Sutton Hall is the Old Main building of

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) is a public research university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. As of fall 2021, the university enrolled 7,044 undergraduates and 1,865 postgraduates, for a total enrollment of 9,009 students. The univ ...

. Constructed between 1873 and 1875, the building was the first constructed for the Indiana Normal School. In 1903, the building was named after John Sutton, the first president of the school's Board of Trustees. Sutton Hall was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1975.

History

John Sutton, a merchant from

Indiana, Pennsylvania Indiana is a borough in and the county seat of Indiana County in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The population was 13,564 at the 2020 census, and since 2013 has been part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. After being a long time par ...

, purchased land to establish a

normal school A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...

to train women to become teachers. In 1873, construction of the building began. The Main Building was designed by James W. Drum, who also designed the original Indiana County Courthouse and the St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church. Construction was completed in 1875 with a final cost of $141,115, including furnishings. In the school's early years the building functioned as the entire school, containing classrooms, dormitories, an infirmary, a dining hall, and a gymnasium. In 1903, the building was officially named after Sutton. That same year, the north and south wings were extended to the west, and Thomas Sutton Dining Hall was added adjacent to the main building.Guidebook, pg. 3 In 1920, the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Maryl ...

assumed control of the school. The name was changed t
Indiana (PA) State Teacher's College
in 1927. It became Indiana State College in 1959. The college achieved university status in 1965 and became Indiana University of Pennsylvania. As more buildings at the school were constructed, activities were decentralized from Sutton Hall. Sutton Hall was originally scheduled for renovations in the 1970s, but the

Pennsylvania Department of Education The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with publicly funded preschool, K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are directed by ...

advised that available funds would be insufficient to support the renovation and the $16 million library the university was planning. The decision to demolish the building was made in 1974. The Committee to Save John Sutton Hall was organized and funded a

feasibility study A feasibility study is an assessment of the practicality of a project or system. A feasibility study aims to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of an existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats pr ...

by Landmarks Planning, Inc. of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, who specialized in the restoration of old buildings. The study concluded that the building could be restored and continue to benefit the university economically. On September 19, 1975, the President of the Board of Trustees received a letter from the Director of the Office of Historic Preservation stating that Sutton Hall had been included on the

on September 17. Inclusion on the Register made

grants Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama *Grant, Inyo County, C ...

available for the renovation project. Just weeks later on October 3, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to preserve Sutton Hall.Restoration, pg. 4

Gallery

Works

*
A Guidebook to John Sutton Hall
'. Indiana University of Pennsylvania *Busovicki, John F.
Indiana County
'. Arcadia Publishing, 2003. *
John Sutton Hall — A Victorian Restoration
'. Foundation for Indiana University of Pennsylvania

References

External links

* National Register nomination {{Indiana, Pennsylvania Indiana, Pennsylvania University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Indiana University of Pennsylvania School buildings completed in 1873 Italianate architecture in Pennsylvania Buildings and structures in Indiana County, Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Indiana County, Pennsylvania 1873 establishments in Pennsylvania University and college academic buildings in the United States