On a sunny October day in 1904, the faculty, staff and students of Fairmount College gathered to host the college's first major public event outside of commencement since its founding in 1895; the cornerstone laying of Fiske Hall, the boys' dormitory on campus.

The college president, Nathan J. Morrison, spoke alongside community and student representatives, and the student chorus and band accompanied the event with “Fair Fairmount” and other college songs. The grand master of the Masons of Kansas determined that the cornerstone was well-formed, true and trusty and correctly laid, blessing it with corn, oil and wine.

Graham Foster, the captain of the football team, inspired the crowd when he spoke, saying, “It is not buildings merely that make an institution...[Fiske] marks the beginning of another epoch in our college history.”

As the oldest standing building on campus, Fiske Hall saw the university develop around it. It was a boys’ dorm, a house for army cadets in World War I, an infirmary during the influenza epidemic of 1918, barracks for World War II reserve officers training corps, home to the first campus booster group, the unofficial music building, an administration building and finally home of the history and philosophy departments. Buildings came and went, and the university changed names twice, growing from a small Christian college to a large state university.

And now Fiske Hall is undergoing construction to become the last building on campus to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The construction is adding an elevator and an exit stairwell to allow access to the building.

“It’s a very detailed project – inside and out,” said Larry Maxwell, the project’s general contractor. “I think they’ve made a good effort to make it blend in with the existing building.”

The university stored records of the original stone and brick used to build the hall and was able to get a near exact match for the brickwork on the addition. Arches and architectural elements seen on the building, designed by Normand Patton, are being replicated in the exterior of the stairwell to stay consistent with the building’s original design.

Jeff Minar, the lead architect on the project, said the hardest part is ensuring all the dimensions of the building line up. In 1904, bricks were produced in a smaller size than they are today, and the construction measurements were far less precise.

“It’s challenging and interesting at the same time,” said Minar. “It’s fun to be able to look back on the history of the building and see where some of the materials came from and how construction was different.”

The building is set to be completed mid-May.