Johnson Hall State Historic Site

Johnson Hall State Historic Site was the home of Sir William Johnson (1715–1774) an Irish pioneer who became the influential British Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Province of New York, known for his strong relationship especially with the Mohawk and other Iroquois League nations.

The house was built seven miles from the Mohawk River, close to Hall Creek. Hall Creek provided water sufficient to power a sawmill and later a grist mill. Built of wood, the house frame was covered with wood planks intended to simulate stone. Johnson engaged leading colonial architect Peter Harrison (1716-1775) to design the house; he hired the carpenter, Samuel Fuller, to build it. At least some of the ideas for the house came from the Builders' Companion magazine. Johnson also had two block houses built as defenses against attack on the frontier, as the British had just ended the Seven Years' War with the French.

Johnson founded Johnstown, New York, and came to own a 400,000-acre (160,000 ha) estate. Johnson moved here from Old Fort Johnson in 1763 and lived here until he died in 1774. The house was inherited by his son, John Johnson. During the American Revolution, the rebel government in New York seized Johnson Hall because the Johnsons had gone to Canada as Loyalists. In 1779 the state sold the house to Silas Talbot, a migrant from New England.

Johnson Hall (Eugene, Oregon)

Johnson Hall, located in Eugene, Oregon, is the main administration building of the University of Oregon. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The building was constructed in 1914-1915 from plans submitted by Oregon State Architect William C. Knighton in the American Renaissance style. The building's name was changed in 1918 to honor John Wesley Johnson, the first president of the university.

History

Johnson Hall, when it was constructed in 1915, was originally designed to house administrative offices and other campus services just like it still does today. Also just like its current day condition, the second floor included the offices of the President, Registrar, Business Manager and all of their related support facilities. All other services were located on the first and basement floors. In its early beginnings, Johnson Hall housed the Guild Theater, major department offices, classrooms and a collections exhibit. At the time when the building was completed the total cost of the project amounted to $103,829.96 making it the most expensive building on campus in 1915. In 1949, renovation removed the Guild Theater whose function was replaced by the "New University Theater" (Robinson Theater at Villard Hall). The beloved glass panels on the roof of Johnson were dispersed after the renovation. Some sections of the panels were located at the Erb Memorial Union until when in 1998 restoration once again moved the stained glass panels. Today some portions of the glass panels can be seen in the "Johnson Hall" boardroom while others can be seen in the second story windows of Lawrence Hall.

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university located in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virginia General Assembly merged MCV with the Richmond Professional Institute, founded in 1917, to create Virginia Commonwealth University. Today, more than 31,000 students pursue 226 degree and certificate programs through VCU's 13 schools and one college. The VCU Health System supports the university's health care education, research and patient care mission.

With a record $270.3 million in sponsored research funding in the fiscal year 2014-15, VCU is designated as a research university with very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. A broad array of university-approved centers and institutes of excellence, involving faculty from multiple disciplines in public policy, biotechnology and health care discoveries, supports the university's research mission. Twenty-eight graduate and first-professional programs are ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the best in the country. VCU's athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA and are collectively known as the VCU Rams. They are members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The VCU campus includes historic buildings such as the Ginter House, now used by the school's provost.