Historical Images of Porter County

Eiss Hall, Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, Indiana

Date: 1907 or 1908
Source Type: Postcard
Publisher, Printer, Photographer: Elmer E. Starr (#08 64710)
Postmark: None
Collection: Steven R. Shook
Remark: Eiss Hall was constructed by Dr. Daniel W. Eiss in 1889 as a boarding hall for students attending the Northern Indiana Normal School and Business Institute, which later became known as Valparaiso University. The structure contained nearly sixty rooms.

By 1916, Eiss Hall, still owned by Dr. Eiss, was in rather poor repair and rumors circulated that the building would soon be razed and replaced by a four story brick structure equipped with a gym. Students had even boycotted the building and placed signs on the premises warning others not to live in the structure due to its derelict conduction.

On July 10, 1917, Eiss Hall, as well as Vineyard Hall, were completed destroyed by fire. Four firefighters from Valparaiso's Company L were injured in the blaze. Fireman James Henry Jacoby had to be carried out on Vineyard Hall on a cot. His colleagues, Floyd LePell and John Holman, suffered burnt hands, while William B. Forney, another fireman, was overcome with smoke.

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