GCSU Atkinson Hall

In January 1977, students arrived on campus after the Christmas break to find water cascading down the front porch of Atkinson Hall, with one column having collapsed and taken out a nearby lamp post during its fall. The alumni association of the school began a drive to save the structure, and along with a state grant, eventually secured more than $4 million for the project. Beginning in 1979, the massive effort to restore Atkinson Hall included plans to create classrooms, conference rooms, a student lounge, offices, a TV station, and the installation of an elevator. The exterior of was restored according to the 1930 specifications. Classes were held in the building for the first time in 1982, but work on the building has continued.

In 1994, Stromberg Architectural Products of Greenville, TX was called in to recreate the majestic columns and pilasters that line the front porch of the building. The structure’s age and value as an aesthetic reference point of a distinctive design period earned it a spot in the National Registry of Historic Places in 1972. Work performed on such a building must pass the highest level of scrutiny, and Stromberg has a comprehensive understanding of both the mechanical requirements and historical design concepts needed to meet the demands of this type of task.

With Stromberg’s Cast Stone, featuring a compressive strength three times stronger than the natural product and much-improved weather resistance, students can rest assured that each semester they will return to campus without seeing a repeat performance of the 1977 collapse.