Events - 6010 - Cornerstone laying and dedications
Photographer
Townley, Charles
Date
1890-09-09
Decade
1890s
Description and notes
Plans for the construction of a main building for the newly formed college were discussed as early as April, 1890. Old Main - McFie Hall - was the first building on campus in 1890. It was named for Judge John R. McFie, who was one of the funding members of the college, a Judge, and a member of the Board of Regents from 1888 to 1895. In 1910 McFie Hall was destroyed by fire. Its cornerstone still stands in front of Hadley Hall on the Horseshoe. Edited based on http://lib.nmsu.edu/archives/documents/GrumetVol1.pdf
Historical context
''The cornerstone, originating from the Organ Mountains weighed about 1,000 lbs. and was laid by the Grand Lodge of Masons on September 9, 1890. It is inscribed with the names of those involved in the building project. (Rio Grande Republican, August 1890) Old Main featured thirteen rooms on two floors, and a basement. The exterior of the first and second floors were red brick and the basement floor’s exterior was the same rough stone as the cornerstone.'' Cited from http://lib.nmsu.edu/archives/documents/GrumetVol1.pdf
Subject (LCSH)
Universities and colleges
Educational facilities--New Mexico--Las Cruces
McFie, John R.
Dedications
Buildings
Subject (local)
New Mexico State University. McFie Hall
Provenance
Townley, Charles
Digital publisher
New Mexico State University Library
Access rights
Public record. No restrictions on use. See New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act, Chapter 14, Article 2, 8th Edition, 2015
Source
NMSU Library Archives and Special Collections Department