Traditions

Campus Buildings

Illustrated campus map

Many buildings on campus are named after the counties in our service area: Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou, Shasta,Éstom Jámani, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo, and Yuba Halls. A few are named after their primary function or activity: the Center for Regional and Continuing Education, the Performing Arts Center, the Physical Sciences Building, the Student Health Center, and the University Housing and Food Service.

One residence hall is named after Mt. Whitney (because it's the tallest and next to Shasta and Lassen Halls), and three halls after the local Indian tribes of Esken, Konkow, and Mechoopda.

Several buildings and places are dedicated to faculty, alumni, or friends of the University. These individuals contributed significantly to the history and traditions of our campus.

25 and 35 Main Street

25 and 35 Main Street

In 1999 and 2002 the University purchased the 35 Main and 25 Main Street buildings to ease the campus space shortage. They house the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Foundation projects, including KCHO North State Public Radio, the Center for Economic Development, Education for the Future, Resources for International Studies Education, and a number of curriculum projects, as well as providing surge space as needed for campus activities. 35 Main has approximately 16,000 square feet, and 25 Main has approximately 19,000 square feet of space.

 

Acker Gymnasium

Acker Gymnasium

Completed in 1961, the Arthur L. Acker Gymnasium totals nearly 77,000 square feet and includes basketball courts, swimming pools, weight training rooms, a dance studio, locker rooms, offices and classrooms. The building was designed using a state architect, and the general contractor was Gordon H. Ball of Concord, California. At a cost of $1.7 million, Acker Gym was built to expand the men's facilities from Shurmer Gymnasium. Acker gym started out as the men's facility and by the 1970s was used as a coed gym.

Art Acker served as coach and chair of the Department of Physical Education from 1923 to 1961. Except for wrestling and skiing, he coached every sport offered by Chico State. Acker developed Chico State sports into a program with direction and also initiated the Wildcat mascot. He pressed for a new building to replace the small 1927 gym.

Arts and Humanities

Opened in 2016, the Arts and Humanities Building is a multidisciplinary learning and teaching facility that features 90,000 square feet of configurable, “smart” classrooms and high-tech labs.

The LEED-standard building is as sustainable as it is visually stunning and incorporates naturally lit collaborative spaces, student lounges, configurable classrooms, labs, and an interior courtyard. Adjacent to the courtyard are glassblowing and ceramic studios along with the interconnected recording studio and 196-seat Recital Hall suite featuring variable acoustics in an intimate natural wood environment. Additionally, the building includes a 2,961-square-foot multi-use rehearsal space with mirrored walls and a sprung dance floor. It is also the new home for three art galleries, including the Janet Turner Print MuseumJacki Headley University Art Gallery(opens in new window), and the Master’s of Fine Arts Gallery.

The building houses the College of Humanities and Fine Arts offices, departmental offices for the Departments of English, International Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Comparative Religion and Humanities, Philosophy, and additional offices for faculty in the Department of Art and Art History.

Aymer J. Hamilton

Aymer J. Hamilton

Built in 1949, the facility replaced the old campus laboratory school. Designed by a state architect, the new building totaled nearly 37,000 square feet. The laboratory school housed an elementary school and the university's elementary education program. The school was used to teach university students in elementary education and provided children, grades kindergarten through six, with an elementary education. The department of education used the building until it was remodeled in the early 1970s.

Aymer Jay Hamilton served as the tenth president of Chico State. His service, from 1931 to 1950, was the longest of any Chico State president. 

Ayres Hall

Ayres Hall

Built in the brick style similar to the original structures of the campus, Ayres Hall included 46 rooms that spanned two stories. Main construction of the building took place in two phases. In 1932, offices had been adjoined to the back of Laxson Auditorium. Contractor A. Fredrick Anderson was in charge of the first phase, which cost $30,000 to complete.

The second phase of building took place in 1950. A two-story structure was designed to accommodate the multiple departments that would be housed there. Some of the departments included biology, chemistry, music, drama and photography. The name of the building became the Music, Speech and Science Building, reflecting the many uses the structure would provide. Included the second phase of construction were the addition of classrooms, laboratories, rehearsal rooms, a radio studio, a 250-seat theatre, and a 140-seat lecture hall, which was to be the largest on campus. At a cost of $750, 000, the contractor, B and R Construction Company out of San Francisco, completed the building in January of 1951.

By the 1960s, the college planned to expand the campus as enrollment dramatically increased with the baby boom generation. In 1960, remodeling had begun on the building as new science buildings were completed. Science laboratories were converted into art studios and classrooms and an addition for the foundry-sculpture lab was built. The building received the new name of Tehama Hall in 1971 because of the removal of the science departments. In the late 1980s, additional building renovation took place. The building's name was changed to John C. Ayres Hall, in honor of the influential Chico State art teacher, on April 29, 1979.

John Ayres taught for 32 years at Chico State, retiring in 1976. He specialized in medieval art and studio painting. From 1946 to 1967, Ayres served as chair of the Art Department. There was some controversy over naming the building after a person still living, but in the end people believed Ayres deserved the honor.

 

Bidwell Mansion

Bidwell Mansion

Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park is a beautiful, three-story, 26 room Victorian House Museum that stands as a memorial to John and Annie Bidwell. Completed in 1868 and now an historic monument and part of the California Parks System, Bidwell Mansion was once owned by the University and used as a women's residence hall for many years, when it was named Bidwell Hall.

When constructed, Bidwell Mansion featured the most modern plumbing, gas lighting and water systems. The overall style of the three-story brick structure is that of an Italian Villa, an informal, warmly romantic style. The building's exterior is finished with a pink tinted plaster.

 

Bell Memorial Union

Bell Memorial Union

In May of 1967, construction began on the 42,000-square-foot BMU. The $1.9 million building was designed by architect Don Hatch, AIA, of San Francisco and included a bookstore, food service area, and various meeting rooms. Contractor James E. Roberts of Oakland completed the building in 1969. The most unique aspect of this student center was that the faculty and students had a major role in planning the building. Student fees and a Housing and Urban Development loan financed construction costs. Since the beginning, the BMU has been run by the Associated Students.

Remodeling construction on the BMU began in December 1998. The new construction added over 81,000 square feet of space, which included more conference rooms, a game room, and a 1,000 seat auditorium. The new 133,000-square-foot building held its grand opening September 6, 2001.

Dedication ceremonies for the Hugh M. Bell Memorial Union took place on September 27, 1969. Bell became a faculty member of the psychology department in 1928. Before his retirement in 1967, Bell served as dean of Student Personnel, chair of the Deans of Students in the California State Colleges and an advisor. During his career, Bell published over one hundred articles and developed the Adjustment Inventory that was published by Stanford University Press. In 1966, Chico State honored Bell with the Distinguished Teaching award and, in 1967, Bell received a Fulbright Distinguished Lectureship at the University of Exeter in Exeter, England. Bell was instrumental in planning and funding the BMU, as he looked at the building as a place for students to gather and share ideas. The BMU was dedicated to Bell a year after his death.

 

Butte Hall

Butte Hall

Named for Butte County, Butte Hall cost $3 million to build and was completed in 1972. Architect Crawford and Banning of San Rafael designed the seven-story building to hold 3,000 students and 110 faculty offices. The contracting firm Robert G. Fisher Company of Fresno constructed the building, which is the second tallest on campus with nearly 89,000 square feet of space. When completed, Butte Hall housed nine departments, anthropology labs, a geography map room, and a computer center. Interestingly, grass was planted around the building after its completion, and people walked through the grass, creating natural pathways. The paths of dead grass were then paved over to create permanent pathways.

 

Center for Continuing Education

Center for Continuing Education

This building began as the third heating facility built on Chico State's campus. In response to the increase in college enrollment after World War II, Chico State began a new phase of building construction. The new buildings increased the need for such utilities as heating systems. Built by B and R Construction Company of San Francisco, the approximately 8,000 square foot heating building contained an office, a bathroom, and two steam boilers. Designed by a state architect, the facility used a brick exterior to match the original buildings on campus. Completed in June of 1949, the heating facility was used for twenty-three years.

In the mid 1970s, the building was remodeled for office space. A new heating and cooling facility built in 1972 made the boiler plant obsolete. The university's Center for Regional and Continuing Education moved into the building after renovation in the early 1990s and is still there today.

 

Colusa Hall

Colusa Hall

This one-story brick building was completed in the summer of 1921 under the direction of Walter Hann, Chief of Maintenance. Thirty Two Thousand Dollars had been appropriated by the state for this purpose, and the building was designed by a state engineering architect, H.L. Saterlee, for use by industrial arts students. It was designed as a single story structure with many windows allowing for light and a roof with skylights and a good ventilation system.

The building was used over the years for a variety of purposes, most of them related to industrial arts. Repairs and improvements were made as needed. However in 1997 it was decided to save and renovate the building. The interior was demolished and redesigned and the roof replaced. The building is now used as a conference and public events facility.

Since the brick exterior and windows of the original building remain, it is recognized as the oldest building on campus.

 

Gateway Science Museum

Gateway Science Museum

Opened in 2010, the Gateway Science Museum at CSU, Chico is dedicated to creating a lifelong learning environment that enables people to explore, discover, interpret, and celebrate the magnificent natural heritage of Northern California through science, research, and education. The U.S. Green Building Council awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification to the Gateway Science Museum in 2010. The certification is one of the highest levels of achievement in the green building industry.

 

Glenn Hall

Glenn Hall

This building started as the Business and Social Science facility and was completed in 1958. Classes first used the facility in January of 1959. At a cost of just over $848,000, the building's design included offices, classrooms, and conference rooms. Architectural firm Rockwise and Watson designed the building that totaled more than 41,000 square feet. Originally, three departments used Glenn Hall. Home economics, a department that no longer exists at Chico State, was housed on the first floor. The second story housed the social science department, and the business department used the third story. The social science department moved out of the building when Butte Hall was completed in 1972. Presently the College of Business makes use of the building. In 1972, the building was named Glenn Hall, after Glenn County.

 

Holt Hall

Holt Hall

As part of a peak in building construction from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s, a new life sciences complex was constructed. The $5 million project began in late 1969 and was built in three sections over a period of time. The 62,401-square-foot building was designed with three stories of faculty offices, classrooms, lecture rooms, and laboratories. A temperature controlled herbarium was included in the design so that plant specimens could be dried and mounted for further study.

With a capacity for 370 students, the building included a 170-seat lecture hall, which was the biggest on campus at the time. The architect for the project was John Carl Warnecke and Associates of San Francisco, and the contractor was Continental Heller Corporation. Faculty member William L. Stephens helped plan the life science facility. To make room for the new building, Sol-Wil-Le-No Avenue was removed and replaced with foot and bike paths between the creek and the construction area. Completed in 1972, the building was dedicated as Vesta Holt Hall in 1974.

Vesta Holt served as a Chico State faculty member from 1926 to 1957. She became head of the Biology Department in 1931 and later the chair of the Division of Natural Sciences. Holt published various guides and manuals for biology education, many focusing on her specialty of botany. The first paid sabbatical for a Chico State faculty member was given to Holt in 1953. She founded Omicron Theta Epsilon in 1927 and also created the Eagle Lake Biological Station. Shortly after her death in 1970, the life sciences complex was dedicated in her honor. 

 

Kendall Hall

Kendall Hall

The administration building was built on the site of the Normal Building, which burned in 1927. The original cornerstone was incorporated into the building along with a new one. Chester E. Cole designed it in the Romanesque style, to match Laxson Auditorium and Trinity Hall which were built at that period.

It is a two-story building with a rotunda in the middle. It is constructed of brick with a Spanish tile roof and decorative columns and arches. Although the exterior has had only minor changes, the interior has been remodeled to contain more offices and the utilities have been upgraded. In 1964 a spiral staircase was added under the dome of the rotunda. There is a central hanging globe in the dome representing the earth. The underside of the dome was created to represent heaven so as you climb the spiral staircase you ascend past the earth towards heaven.

The motto "Today Decides Tomorrow" is above the central arch leading into the entrance

The building originally contained offices and classrooms. Over the years the classrooms have moved to other buildings and it is used only for administrative purposes. It was renamed Kendall Hall in 1979 in honor of former President Glenn Kendall.

 

Langdon Hall

Langdon Hall

In 1965, plans for a new engineering building were being finalized. A state architect and one of Chico State's own engineering faculty, Herbert Langdon, worked on the design of the building. With over 58,000 square feet of engineering labs, computer labs, classrooms and office space, the building was designed to house the newly created Engineering Department. To make space for the engineering building, the university acquired a block of the Rio Chico subdivision west of Warner Street. This was one of the first times that the university expanded by removing homes near the campus. Building costs totaled two million dollars and construction was undertaken by the construction firm Christensen and Foster of Santa Rosa. Completed in 1967, the engineering building was a sign of the growing importance technology had in society.

Herbert F. Langdon had an integral role in shaping the Engineering Department at Chico State. Langdon joined the university faculty in 1946 after working as an engineer both privately and in the military. As chair of the Applied Arts and Sciences department, from 1952 to 1963, he fostered an increase in engineering classes. Langdon founded a new engineering division in 1963 and chaired the department until his death in 1965. His wife, Virginia, continued to worked in the university library.

The Herbert F. Langdon Engineering Center was dedicated on May 20, 1967. Starting in the 1950s, the California State Colleges named buildings in recognition of people. Langdon Hall was the first building on the Chico State campus to be named in honor of a person who made an impact on the college and the community. The building and the engineering department are unique because both were created, in large part, because of one man's vision.

 

Lassen and Shasta Halls

Lassen Hall

During the 1950s, there was a statewide effort to increase student housing for the growing student population after World War II. Lassen and Shasta Halls were completed in 1959 as part of the development of more state owned student housing. At a cost of $1.2 million, the dormitories were funded by state appropriations and the sale of bonds. A state architect designed the two buildings. Originally, Lassen housed women and Shasta housed men, with 200 students in each hall. With no dining services located inside the building, Selvester's Cafeteria and later the dining facilities in Whitney Hall served the students.

 

Laxson Auditorium

Laxson Auditorium

Laxson Auditorium was the second structure built to replace the Normal School which burned in 1927. It is built of brick in Romanesque style to match Kendall hall. Called the Auditorium for many years, it was named in 1979 to honor C. Robert Laxson, a music professor at Chico State from 1946 to 1968. The auditorium can accommodate over 1400 people and is used for concerts, plays, and other special events. The Janet Turner Print Gallery was housed on the second floor until its relocation to Meriam Library in 2009.

 

Meriam Library

Meriam Library

Meriam Library honors both a father and son: Morrison E. Meriam, professor of psychology from 1902 to 1934, and Theodore "Ted" Meriam, community leader, alumnus, and friend of the University, a member of the California State University Board of Trustees from 1961 to 1971, and its chair from 1968 to 1969.

 

Modoc Hall

Modoc Hall

Built in the area where Chico State's first gymnasium had been located, the new building housed both the Education and Psychology Departments. Completed in 1962, the facility cost nearly $1.2 million. Designed by the architectural firm John Carl Warnecke and Associates of San Francisco, the facility included classrooms, offices, an observation room and laboratories. In April of 1972, the building was named Modoc Hall, after Modoc County. The building was remodeled in the late 1970s. Today, the building houses the child development department and the psychology department.

 

Normal Avenue Parking Structure

Normal Avenue Parking Structure

In October 2012, construction was completed on an office and parking structure at 2ndand Normal Street. The building brings all the entities focused specifically on campus safety into one central location: The University Police Department, Environmental Health and Safety, the Emergency Operations Center, and the Information Center are all housed in the structure. The parking area provides spaces for 356 vehicles, charging stations for 10 electric vehicles, 10 covered motorcycle and scooter stalls, and 248 bicycle stalls. The building is LEED Gold certified, with eco-friendly features including a solar array that will provide 60 percent of complex’s yearly energy needs, the use of fly ash in concrete, a state-of-the-art dimmer mechanism in the garage, cool roofs, and storm water diversion into drought-tolerant landscaping.

 

Normal School

Normal School

In September 1887, work was begun on the construction of the Normal School building. It was a large brick building, consisting of three stories and full basement. It was of Romanesque design with Elizabethan gables and artificial stone trimmings. A. J. Bryan was the supervising contractor.

All of the activities of the school took place in this building. Administrative and faculty offices, an assembly hall, classrooms and laboratories, a library, and a museum occupied most of the space. Wide stairways connected the floors. A training school was held in the basement.

In 1903 an addition was erected to provide for two laboratories, a lecture room for 70 students, and a gymnasium. The assembly hall was converted into an auditorium to seat over 600 people, with a platform to accommodate a chorus of 100.

On August 12, 1927 fire destroyed the building, leaving only a skeleton of brick walls.

 

O'Connell Technology Center

O'Connell Technology Center

Completed in 1992 to house the College of Engineering, Computer Science and Technology, this facility is a reflection of the increasing influence technology has on our society. A state architect designed the nearly 75,000-square-foot facility. Contractor Allen L. Bender Incorporated of Sacramento worked on the four-story building that includes classrooms, faculty offices, and computer labs. Funds for construction came from proposition 78, which passed in 1988.

Dedicated on October 10, 1992, the building was named in honor of John F. O'Connell. As a Chico State student from 1933 to 1937, O'Connell was student body president and a star football player. During World War II, O'Connell began work for Bechtel Corporation, an engineering and construction company with worldwide influence. In the 1970s, he became president of the company and acquired political influence with governors, cabinet members, and presidents. O'Connell served on the board of trustees and was the first trustee to represent the alumni. He also chaired the California State University Board of Trustees from 1981 until his death on July 2, 1984.

 

Performing Arts Center

Performing Arts Center

At a total cost of over $3 million, a state architect designed the Performing Arts Center. The building, totaling more than 111,000 square feet, includes rehearsal rooms, classrooms, an instrument repair workshop, and three theaters. Theart, music, and theater arts departments use this facility. Dedication ceremonies for the building took place on May 19, 1967.

The 527-seat theater located inside the Performing Arts Center is named in honor of Harlen Adams. A faculty member from 1939 to 1974, Adams also served as the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and for a time as the dean of the School of Education. In 1967 he became a faculty member of the Department of Speech and Drama. Adams was active in community affairs and also traveled around the world. The pipe organ (also known as the centennial organ) in Harlen Adams Theatre was built between the years of 1984 to 1988. Master organ builder Munetaka Yokota designed and constructed the organ, which has over 2,200 pipes. The project was under the supervision and direction of David Rothe, organist and professor of music at Chico State. Originally slated to be located in Laxson Auditorium it resides stage right.

 

Physical Sciences Building

Physical Sciences Building

Built in 1961, the physical science building was part of a major campus expansion in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The science departments moved from Ayres Hall, which had also been the location of the music and speech programs, into a new complex that housed the Physical Science and the Agriculture Departments. A state architect designed the new facility. As the student population continued to increase in the late 1960s, many new buildings were created and additions were attached to existing buildings. In 1969, an extensive addition to the physical science building created a new total of nearly 83,000 square feet of space. Today, the building houses the chemistry, physics and geosciences departments.

 

Plumas Hall

Plumas Hall

Completed in 1972, Plumas Hall was part of the growth of the campus between the late 1960s and the early 1970s. Architectural firm Theodore Osmundson and Associates of San Francisco designed the facility that includes over 64,000 square feet. The building is named for Plumas County. Originally the building was designed for the applied arts departments. Currently, Plumas Hall houses the agricultural department, The Orion, and other program offices.

 

Sapp Hall

Sapp Hall

Built in 1884 by Dr. C. C. Mason, this house has had ties to the University from the beginning. On the corner of Normal Avenue and Third Street, Dr. Mason built a residence in the fashionable Italianate style. Mason was a Chico Normal School committee member, as was Timothy H. Barnard. Barnard bought the home in 1891, after Mason's death. Serving seven years as a trustee for the school, Barnard was also a Civil War veteran, a state assemblyman, and the owner of Barnard Livery Company. In the early 1910s, Barnard remodeled the Italianate house with the addition of such Classical Revival elements as the column and portico in order to keep up with the current fashions in architecture.

In 1947, Jesse and Mavis Todd Brown bought the house. Mavis Brown was a professor of art at Chico State. She occasionally had gatherings of faculty and alumni at her house. The University began to lease the house in 1987. The house became the Chico State Alumni Building after the alumni association purchased it in November of 1989. On October 17, 1992 the building was dedicated as Ella Caroline Sapp Hall and the interior was renovated for office space.

A graduate of Chico Normal School, Sapp was an influential educator in the local community. Sapp taught at Central and Rosedale Schools and was principal at Shasta Union School. After 43 years as an educator, Sapp retired in 1962.

This 6,200-square-foot house has been known as the Barnard House, the Mavis Todd Brown House, the Chico State Alumni Building, and currently as Sapp Hall.

 

Science Building

Science Building

The 110,200-square-foot facility features spaces for chemistry, physics, geological and environmental sciences, and science education, as well as active-learning classrooms, undergraduate and graduate research spaces, designated student club rooms, dozens of faculty offices, and administrative and support areas. Beyond science majors, students studying education, engineering, agriculture, and other fields take classes here, and many general education science classes are also held in the Science Building. The green space just outside the building is called Bahapki Commons in honor of the people who originally inhabited the grounds. Bahapki was a Mechoopda village on the banks of Big Chico Creek where the campus is today.

Selvester's Cafe

Selvester's Cafe

After a fire burned down surplus army barracks that had been used as a temporary cafeteria, a permanent eating facility was designed. Construction took 11 months and began on April 24, 1956 by contractors Crocker-Tandy of Richmond for a cost of $343,000. The building was constructed on the site of the 1889 heating and pump house. The cafeteria's modern design was the first time a structure had departed from the brick style of the original campus buildings. Plans included space on one side of the building so that an addition could be built if a larger building was needed in the future. Located on the side of the creek, the 9,300-square-foot building was designed to include outdoor space, which was accomplished with the use of patios and many windows. Included in the 200-seat capacity facility were "ultra modern" equipment, snack bar, and seating. In the early 1980s, the facility was remodeled.

The cafeteria was named the John Selvester Café-By-The-Creek in honor of the manager of the Associated Students Food Services. From 1957 to his death in 1972, John Selvester managed food services for the University. He also managed he Associated Students for a time. The name of the building reflected the nickname of the cafeteria.

 

Shurmer Gymnasium

Shurmer Gymnasium

Completed in 1956, Shurmer Gym replaced the old 1927 gym that stood where Modoc Hall is now located. The new building design that totaled more than 24,000 square feet included a gymnasium, locker room, classroom and offices. As the athletics department grew, this building was constructed as the men's facility, while the women continued to use the old gym. Art Acker began to expand the department further and made Shurmer Gym coed in 1963. During this time the old gym was torn down and the Acker Gym was built for men's athletics. Shurmer Gym was dedicated in honor of Jane Wells Shurmer in 1976.

From 1938 to 1968, Jane Wells Shurmer was on the Physical Education faculty. She helped develop women's athletics at Chico State, including women's field hockey, basketball, softball and swimming. Shurmer was inducted into the Chico Sports Hall of Fame in 1973, demonstrating the positive and lasting impact that she had on Chico athletics.

 

Sierra Hall

Sierra Hall

Originally a residence, the house is now used as office space for Chico State. Noted as a fine example of Pierre Style architecture in Chico, the house was built in 1926. The home was constructed for William B. Dean, Pacific Cost manager of the Diamond Match Company until 1937. The University acquired the 4,000 square foot house in the early 1970s and renamed it for Sierra County. The house is currently being used as office space for Chico Performances.

  

Student Services Center

Student Services Center

Designed as a courtyard building, the Student Services Center houses 26 student service programs in a warm, daylight-filled environment. It is a one-stop spot for all things related to registration, admissions, orientation, Wildcat ID card and parking permits, advising, records and registration, fees and tuition, financial aid and scholarships, and more. Designed to meet LEED Gold Certification, the 122,000-square-foot, four-story building meets the University’s sustainability goals while reflecting the architectural tradition of the campus. The SSC received the Best of 2008 Higher Education Award of Merit by California Construction magazine.

 

Student Health Center

Student Health Center

Located on Warner Street next to Acker Gymnasium, the Student Health Center is an out-patient clinic staffed by physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who provide medical care to students enrolled in the University, including the treatment of acute conditions, injuries, and illnesses. 

 

Éstom Jámani Hall Complex

Sutter Hall

The Éstom Jámani Hall residential complex project, opened in fall 2010, received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The complex occupies 111,000 square feet and contains student residences, a residential dining center, and a programming center. The residential facility accommodates 232 undergraduate students; the dining center, comprising five unique food service platforms, seats 635 patrons; and the programming center contains large meeting rooms, a smart classroom, Residence Hall Association offices and a resource center.

 

Alva P. Taylor Hall

Alva P. Taylor Hall

A state architect designed the building to house classrooms, an art studio, a ceramic studio, and an art gallery. Barrett Construction Company, the general contractor, used a new type of construction technique for this project. Slabs of concrete were poured and set on the ground and then hoisted into place by a crane. The experimental construction technique on this 31,000-square-foot building was not used in many other projects around the state. Completed in 1961, the humanities building cost $833,000. The building was dedicated in honor of humanities professor Alva Taylor on November 22, 1968. Taylor Hall was remolded in the mid 1990s and demolished in 2014 to make way for the Arts and Humanities Building.

Alva Park Taylor became a faculty member of the English Department in 1929. During his long career that lasted until 1953, he headed the English Department, chaired the Division of the Humanities, and then the Language Arts Division. Taylor was a Shakespearean scholar and attended festivals around the world. He also made and played Elizabethan musical instruments. After retirement, Taylor and his wife moved to England, where Taylor stayed until his death in 1962.

A mural was painted on the side of Taylor Hall in 1980. Finished in six months, with paints donated from the Art Department, the mural depicts the façade of a building crumbling to expose the inside structure. Painted by John Pugh, with the help of some fellow art students, the mural was part of an art project for college credit. Positioned on the busy corner of Salem and First Streets, Pugh's work has since gained international attention. Pugh went on to become a successful muralist, painting on buildings in such places as downtown Sacramento and in San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Tehama Hall

Tehama Hall

Completed in 1992, Tehama Hall was built at the same time as the O'Connell Technology Center. Both buildings use the same type of brick exterior. Designed by Natch and Lewis Architects of Sacramento, the building is over 90,000 square feet. The facility was named for Tehama County. Numerous departments are housed in Tehama Hall, including Business, Communications, Journalism, and Recreation and Parks Management.

 

Training School

Training School

This two-story wood and stucco building was constructed on the east side of the Normal School building and was connected to it by a covered walkway. The structure was 50 x 118 feet and contained 22 classrooms, a domestic science room, a metal shop, and a library. Chico children enrolled in the Training School received, beside a Bausch education, classes in industrial arts, home economics, physical education, and gardening. Student teachers, besides teaching classes, planned and took charge of school activities and functions, spent an hour a day supervising playground games, gave illustrative lectures and conducted the school library.

The training school building was demolished in 1950 after the opening of the Aymer J. Hamilton building.

 

Trinity Hall

Trinity Hall

Trinity Hall, first known as the Library, was designed by Chester Cole, a Chico architect, and was completed in 1933. It was the third of the buildings designed to replace the Normal School building which burned in 1927.

It is a brick building in Romanesque design with a square bell tower on the south side. The front of the building faces towards the creek. It was planned to hold the library and classrooms. When the new library was built in 1959, it was converted to the Campus Activities Center and housed student government offices, lounges, and a bookstore. Since the 1970s it has housed faculty offices and a museum/art gallery. The name was changed to Trinity Hall in 1972.

Chimes were first installed in 1937 to ring the quarter hour and play concerts, especially at Christmas time. New chimes were purchased in memory of former college president Glenn Kendall and installed on his retirement in 1966.

 

University Housing and Food Service

University Housing and Food Service

Located at the corner of Legion and Citrus Avenues, the building provides administrative offices for University Housing and Food Service staff.

 

Albert E. Warrens Reception Center

Albert E. Warrens Reception Center

The reception center, located at 341 Mansion Avenue on the north edge of the campus, was formerly the residence for university presidents. It is also occasionally referred to as the Julia Morgan house or the President's Mansion. Julia Morgan, who created more than 700 structures including the Hearst Castle at San Simeon, designed this Classical Revival home, built in 1923 for Chico physician Daniel H. Moulton and his family. She also worked on several others in Chico.

The two-story structure served as the Moulton residence until October 1945. The California legislature approved funds effective September 15, 1945, to purchase the property, which cost $25,750.00. Dr. Aymer J. Hamilton and his family were the first presidential family to occupy the resident. The Kendalls installed most of the visible landscaping during the 1950s while Dr. Kendall was president of Chico State College.

The mansion received a substantial remodel prior to the occupancy of the Robert Hill family in 1966. The last presidential family to occupy the mansion, the Robin Wilsons, left in 1993 when Dr. Wilson's presidency ended. During the occupancy by presidential families, the upstairs served as living space while the downstairs provided a space for official school receptions and ceremonies.

The mansion, in a state of bad repair, remained closed after the Wilsons left until a major restoration project began in spring 2000. Costing approximately $700,000, the work restored the facility to near original condition and added elements to accommodate large groups. Heating, cooling, and accessibility were upgraded. Restrooms were added, others modernized, and the kitchen changed from a home kitchen to a catering kitchen designed to meet the new purposes of the building.

The facility dedication took place on April 23, 2001. The new name honors Dr. Albert Edward (Ed) Warrens, a longtime Chico pathologist. He was a longtime supporter and benefactor of CSU, Chico, along with his wife, Marilyn, who arranged and supervised the restoration.

 

Whitney Hall

Whitney Hall

Construction began in September 1967 on this coed residency hall. Designed by architectural firm Rockwise and Watson, the nine-story building is the tallest on campus, and was hailed as the tallest building north of Sacramento during construction. With the help of a $3.2 million federal loan, the residency hall was built to ease the student housing demand. The total cost to complete the building was $3.5 million. With over 116,000 square feet, the residency hall can house 528 students and included dining facilities. Dedication for the building, named for Mt. Whitney, took place on October 25, 1969.

 

Wildcat Recreation Center

Wildcat Recreation Center

The WREC opened in fall 2009 and features three basketball courts, an indoor running track, four group exercise rooms, a pool and hot tub, and a three-story climbing wall and bouldering area. The WREC also has facilities for ballroom dance, hip hop, paintball, rugby, water polo, fencing, and many more activities. Its stunning architecture has won praise from students, faculty, staff, and the community, and the building received a LEED Gold rating for the its sustainable and environmentally-conscious features.

 

Yolo Hall

Yolo Hall

Yolo Hall is the home of the Department of Kinesiology, and its surrounding facilities include an all-weather track, putting green, jogging trails, two gyms, soccer and baseball (Nettleton Stadium) fields. Also located just outside Yolo Hall are tennis, basketball, and handball courts, a weight room, swimming/diving pools, dance studio, and climbing wall/ropes course.