Peirce Hall

Along with Old Kenyon and its slender spire, Peirce Hall may be the College's most recognizable landmark, with its stone tower commanding attention from across the south campus. Built in 1929 as a "commons," or dining hall, Peirce has always been a bustling, convivial place.

It is noteworthy, as well, for the striking character of some of its interior spaces. Chief among these is the magnificent Great Hall, where students eat their meals surrounded by stained-glass windows illustrating great works of American and British literature. (In recent years, visitors have found a resemblance to the central hall of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies.) The Great Hall is one of three dining areas on campus. The others are in Dempsey Hall, which is attached to Peirce and shares a serving area with the Great Hall, and in Gund Commons.

The Chase Tower of Peirce also features stained-glass windows, depicting scenes from the pioneering life of Kenyon's founder, Philander Chase. The tower staircase leads to a number of offices for student organizations and to the elegant Bemis Music Room, which is used for classes, lectures, and recitals.

At least two or three times a week, students and others in the campus community come to Peirce Lounge for lectures, informal talks, panel discussions, and readings, many of them scheduled during the Tuesday and Thursday Common Hour periods. With its comfortable sofas and armchairs, the lounge is a perfect place to exchange ideas with a visiting poet, scholar, artist, or leader in public affairs.

Peirce Hall Fast Facts
Peirce Hall: In Our Own Words

Peirce Hall Fast Facts

Built: 1929

Named for: William Foster Peirce, Kenyon's twelfth president and the longest-serving president in the College's history (1896-1937)

Original use: Dining hall and student union

Current use: Dining halls, Common Hour presentations and other public events, recitals and music-related lectures, student organization offices, and computer lab. Peirce also includes a TV lounge.

Historical notes: The Great Hall has always figured in Kenyon's grander social spectacles. During the swing era, the Glenn Miller Orchestra played here. In the sixties, Bob Dylan performed. Nowadays, the Great Hall hosts the dance for Philander's Phebruary Phling, a weekend of social events, both formal and informal, designed to banish the winter blues.

Peirce trivia: Dempsey, the newer dining hall attached to Peirce, may not have the same grandeur as the Great Hall, but it does open onto a stone terrace with beautiful views of a hillside lawn and the Ohio countryside. Many students and alumni count this as one of their favorite spots on campus.

Insider information: Missed breakfast or lunch? Not to worry. The dining halls in Peirce are just one spot on campus with "extendo" hours, one of the most popular traditions on campus.

During Women's History Month the portraits in the Great Hall are covered with portraits of famous Kenyon women.

Peirce Hall: In Our Own Words

"I love the dining halls—especially Peirce with the stained glass windows. "
—Jessica Freeman-Slade, English and sociology major