Converse Hall Up Close

An up-close west side view of Converse Hall. The hall dominates the entire photograph and the tone is dark. The photograph was probably taken in early afternoon as the sun can be seen reflecting off the southwest side of the building.The photograph is glued to a mat pressboard that is black in the front around the border and white on the back. The overall condition is good; however, it is unknown whether the acidity contained in the mat pressboard will hold future consequences for the photograph. There are no markings on the front to indicate when the photograph was taken, but on the back "21" is written in pencil. A few other markings have been made but with no apparent or significant reason. 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 who 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. It was during this time