Administration Building - Addition - Interior
- A-7059
- Item
- 22 Sept. 1987
View of operations area, computers and equipment in the Administration Building addition.
Administration Building - Addition - Interior
View of operations area, computers and equipment in the Administration Building addition.
Agriculture - Plowing Matches - Conference
Group of men standing in front of College Building; cars in background.
Bio/Historical Note: In 1910 the Saskatchewan Department of Agriculture turned over to the University the responsibility for the development and delivery of agricultural and women's extension programs throughout the Province. To fulfill this mandate, the Department of Agricultural Extension (1910) and Women's Work (1913) were established within the College of Agriculture. Initially the activities of Agricultural Extension focused on services to the Agricultural Societies--short courses, institutes (meetings and conferences), plowing matches, field crop contests, stock judging, etc.
Buildings - Ornamentation and Decoration - Gargoyles
Close-up of two gargoyles; one at left appears to be a man, one at right appears to be a child. Found on exterior of the Administration Building; done in the Collegiate Gothic style of the 1910s.
Buildings - Ornamentation and Decoration - Gargoyles
Close-up of a gargoyle (child) holding a tennis racket, found on the exterior of Saskatchewan Hall. Gargoyle at right is fairly visible in shadow; done in the Collegiate Gothic style of the 1910s.
Buildings - Ornamentation and Decoration - Goose
Close-up of stone carving of goose, on the exterior of the Administration Building, done in the Collegiate Gothic style of the 1910s.
Bio/Historical Note: Image published in 7 Sept. 1984 issue of OCN.
Elevated view of Engineering and Crop Science buildings at left, College Building at centre, Saskatchewan Hall at right. Taken from Qu'Appelle Hall; winter scene.
Campus - Scenic - College Building
Elevated view of College Building in winter. Saskatchewan Hall at right; students walking on path. Possibly taken from Qu'Appelle Hall.
Summer school students sitting in the grass and under trees on the south side of the Administration Building.
Campus - Scenic - Students Changing Classes
Looking northwest from College Building across the Bowl as students walk on pathways. Chemistry Building at right.
Canadian Officers' Training Corps - Cadets - Marching
COTC cadets marching during winter on campus; College Building visible in background.
College Building - Architectural Sketches
Image of the original architectural sketches of the "College of Agriculture" Building including finished building, viewed from the northwest, and landscaping.
Bio/Historical Note: Designated as a provincial heritage property in 1982 and as a National Historic Site in 2001, the University of Saskatchewan's first building has long served as the architectural, intellectual and emotional cornerstone of the campus. Designed by Brown and Vallance, the College Building was originally intended ultimately to house the College of Agriculture; but from the start, served numerous purposes. As early as April 1910, the floor plan included space for milk testing, butter making, cheese making, grain work; a gymnasium; several classrooms; offices for the registrar, dean of Agriculture, director of Extension, and president; the original "faculty club"; laboratories; the library; and quarters for the janitor. After a sod-turning ceremony on 4 May 1910, the cornerstone was laid by Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier on 29 July 1910. It was constructed between 1910-1912 by Smith Bros. and Wilson general contractors. The building was officially opened by Walter Scott, Premier of Saskatchewan, on 1 May 1913. The College Building serves as a memorial to much of the university's history: numerous plaques to individuals and organizations can be found in its interior, including memorial ribbons honouring members of the university community who served in the First World War. In 1997 the university created "Nobel Plaza" in front of the College Building, honouring two Nobel Laureates associated with the University: Gerhard Herzberg and Henry Taube. As the university grew, the College Building gradually became the administrative centre for the university. By the 1950s most of the original teaching facilities were taken over by new or expanded offices including those of the registrar, controller, alumni and news services, and presidential staff. The building became known as the Administration Building at this point, and later the "old Administration Building" to distinguish it from the new wing. This expansion continued through the 1960s and 1970s, particularly with the appointment of a university secretary and vice-presidents. While Convocation Hall became too small for regular Convocation ceremonies by 1930, it maintained its original, broader function as a venue for concerts, meetings, lectures, and other events. Parts of the building were declared to be unsafe in 1979, which led to the construction of the new wing of the Administration Building, opened in 1987. Most of the original building was closed, but Convocation Hall remained in use until 1997. The building was reopened and officially rededicated as the College Building in September 2005 after a major rehabilitation project. The rehabilitation was reported to be "one of the largest heritage conservation projects in Canada - second only to the work being done on Parliament Hill." In addition to senior administrative offices and Convocation Hall, it became home to the Museum of Antiquities and new gallery space for the University Art Collection. Upon completion in 2012 the University Board of Governors renamed the Administration Building the Peter MacKinnon Building, in honour of Peter MacKinnon, retiring University President and a driving force behind the project.
Looking north at College Building with [oats] in front. The head and shoulders of an unidentified woman can just be seen above the height of the plants.
Looking north at the College Building. Road and landscaping in foreground; partial view of Saskatchewan Hall at left.
Side view of the College Building from the south showing the grounds and shrubbery.
Looking southeast at the College Building. Small evergreens in foreground.