Lanier Hall (New Classroom Building) 1926

Construction of Lanier Hall, which was known in its early years as the New Classroom Building, began in the summer of 1925. Rather than having the building construction supervised by a contractor, President Marvin Parks oversaw the project himself. He supervised the buying of materials and the construction site. Due to his careful spending, a facility three times the size of the originally planned structure was built.

The New Classroom Building was actually three structures linked by hallway bridges on the second floor. The building originally consisted of the buildings later known as Lanier Hall, the Language Building and the English Building.

Lanier Hall was the original New Classroom Building. The college was in desperate need of classroom space, thus forcing classes into the first section of the new building in November of 1925 before the building was complete.

New Classroom Building Addition #1 later became Peabody High School, later known as the Language Building. The building was originally used as a high school for local Milledgeville students and as a practice school for women working toward teaching degrees at the college.

New Classroom Building Addition #2 later became known as the Education Building, later known as the English Building. The building was originally used by the Teachers College as a practice school for elementary school work.

The New Classroom Building was officially completed in 1926 and soon became know as Arts Hall. The new building had twenty-four classrooms and according to the 1933 Georgia State College for Women Bulletin was, “well equipt with modern furniture, with charts, maps, pictures, and projecting lanterns.” Arts Hall originally accommodated the departments of Latin, French, Spanish, Art, Commerce, Mathematics, Education, Psychology, and English.

In the early days the new buildings were a great source of pride for the college. They signified Georgia Normal & Industrial College's survival after the Main Building fire. The Georgia State College for Women Bulletin mentions the buildings in great detail for several years following their construction.

The New Class Room Building with its two additions, therefore is more than one-twelfth of a mile in length and is an illustration of economy in the erection of public buildings, since for a total appropriation of $195,000 the State has secured five buildings, including the magnificent Auditorium, the modern Heating Plant the large Classroom Building, and two large additions. Georgia State College for Women Bulletin 1926-1929

During the 1950s, Arts Hall became known as Lanier Hall. Information provided in the Georgia College Catalog 1984-1986 states that the building was named in honor of Georgia poet, Sidney Lanier.

Lanier Hall was used as a classroom building up until the 1980s when it began to house the Office of the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and the campus computer center.

Lanier has recently been remodeled and currently houses the Vice President for Student Affairs, Counseling Services, Testing Center and the Center for Student Success. A ceremony celebrating the $ 864,000 renovation project was held September 28, 1998. Lanier continues to be an important building for students seeking services ranging from counseling to Greek activities.

Copyright ©

• Curl, Lottie Moring. The History of the Georgia State College for Women 1931.
• Colonnade October 8, 1925
• Colonnade October 2, 1998
• Georgia State College for Women Bulletin 1926-1929
• Georgia State College for Women Bulletin 1933
• Georgia State College for Women Bulletin 1948-1949
• Georgia State College for Women Bulletin 1950-1951
• Georgia State College for Women Bulletin 1960-1961
• Georgia College Catalog 1984-1986

• Spectrum 1926
  
• University Archives