Carnegie Hall

Built as the College’s first library, Carnegie Hall was constructed in 1908-1909, and was dedicated on February 18, 1909, the same day as Chase Hall and Lyman Gymnasium. Whitfield and King of New York designed the building, and W. P. Richardson & Co., of Jacksonville, completed the construction. At an estimated cost of $19,000, the 8,354-square-foot building was not ready for use until after the completion of Chase Hall. Among the financial contributors, Andrew Carnegie donated $20,000, and L. A. Chase gave $10,000. In the latter part of the 1900s, Rollins became one of the recipients of massive grants from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, which targeted the development of art and culture in various colleges and universities throughout the nation.

Study area in Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall has served many functions throughout its life, such as the college library (1909-1951), administrative offices and post office (1909-1946), news bureau (1960-1961), bookstore, and admissions office (19?-2003). Additionally, in the early part of the twentieth century, various campus organizations, such as the Young Women’s Christian Association and Kappa Epsilon sorority, made use of the facilities of the building.

Carnegie Hall serving as a library  

The external structure of the two-story building is made of Florida sand-lime bricks with cement stone trimmings, and red clay tiles on the roof. The floors of the rooms are made of Indian red cement, and the decorating structures of the rooms are made of wood. Inside the hallway, a bronze portrait of Andrew Carnegie could be seen in the stairwell of the main entrance.

Carnegie Hall in 2000