Adams Hall & Greenhouse

Adams Hall was originally a carriage house, though now it is the location of Plant Operations for Eastern University. A greenhouse stands nearby, previously used by the Biology Department from the 1960s-1980s. Both locations are tucked away in the corner of the campus, behind Doane Residence Hall and in front of the newly refurbished Ott Hall.

Adams Hall was originally a carriage house, though now it is the location of Plant Operations for Eastern University. It still has a horse feeder, a drain in the floor, and you can still see some of the original structure of where the horses and carriages would pull through. There is very little known about this building’s history.

The greenhouse was built around the turn of the century. Over the years, it had fallen into disrepair with broken glass, shattered pots, and an overgrowth with poison ivy. In 1960, the Biology Department was able to expand, and with this expansion came a newfound appreciation for the old greenhouse. The project to renovate the greenhouse was led by junior biology major, Edd Scott, who brought the attention to his professors, and volunteered to act as contractor on the project.

Work began in the summer of 1960, and the renovations included new glass, a new furnace, rust-proofing metal parts, and four coats of paint. This revamped greenhouse was utilized by the general biology course, the botany class, and the Senior experimental problems course. Updates on the greenhouse were mentioned for a while in the school newspaper in a section called Green Thumb. The greenhouse was completed and dedicated that same year.

In 1978, the campus formed a Plant Club and meetings were held in the greenhouse. The students in the club “made cuttings, re-potted, transplanted, and started new seedlings.”

In March 1979, the University was trying to find ways to conserve energy, so the Biology department did its part by converting the greenhouse to solar energy. According to their projections, this should have saved 50% fuel by conservation and 25% by solar energy, at least. Dr. Marvin Meyer, a biology professor, led this project.

"Adams Hall." Eastern University Archives. Warner Memorial Library, Eastern University, St. David's, PA 19087.

"Ott Hall." Eastern University Archives. Warner Memorial Library, Eastern University, St. David's, PA 19087.

Radnor Historical Society.