Converse Hall 1914

A photograph of Converse Hall looking southwest. A telegraph pole can be seen standing to the left of the hall. The dirt road of 13th east dominates the foreground and an embankment of dirt is runs alongside the road. A small portion of Ferry Hall can be seen at the very left.The photograph is in good condition with some signs of aging. Written along the bottom, in black ink, is: "Converse Hall (Westminster College) from 13 East looking S.W." On the back, written along top, in black ink, is: "Westminster." Converse Hall was the first permanent structure to be built on the present campus of Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah); it has also been the most enduring. The hall was constructed from August 1906 to July 1907 thanks to a generous donation to Westminster College's then building program fund from John Converse, a wealthy Presbyterian businessman whom was the President of the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia. After completion, Converse Hall sat vacant due to lack of funding to supply a heating plant and adequate boarding for current and potential students. It was during this time that the college endured one if its many financial hardships during the colleges tumultuous history. While the newly built hall sat vacant it suffered a number of vandalisms and br