Martin Hall; Residence Hall Dedicated to Captain William W. Martin

Item

Legacies Classification
Memorial Structure
Memorial Type
Named Building
Memorial Context
Lost Cause
Memorialized Subject
Martin, William W.
Title
Martin Hall; Residence Hall Dedicated to Captain William W. Martin
Background and Context
Martin Hall was constructed and named in 1918 in honor of the late Confederate Captain William W. Martin, who passed away in 1911. It is an in-use all-men's dormitory that houses 123 students per year. In 1918, the Board of Trustees opted to name the building after Captain Martin to recognize his philanthropy and service as the president of the Board of Trustees for 20 years. The building was designed by Charles L. Thompson, the original head of Charles L. Thompson and Associates, a prominent architectural firm in Arkansas that produced over 2,000 buildings in the state. Martin Hall was eventually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Martin Hall has been renovated in 1955, 1981, and 2022. Modern residents still refer to themselves as "Martin Men" and use the term "Once a Martin Man, always a Martin Man," though they disavow the building namesake's associations with the Confederacy and the Lost Cause.
Physical Description
Martin Hall is a three-story brick building with stone trim. “Martin Hall” is inscribed in stone above the front entrance of the building. There are large arched windows at the entrance and a walkway under stone arches which house three commemorative plaques for the donors that funded the building's three major renovations. Martin Hall is topped with a gable roof with red-orange tiling. It is also completely lined with brick walkways and a white metal sign sits in front of the building, identifying it as “Martin Hall."
Creator/Participating Person(s)
Thompson, Charles L.
Date created, installed or dedicated
1918
Date Modified
1955
1981
22 October 2022
Historical Period
1890-1945: Era of the Lost Cause, Jim Crow legal segregation and discrimination, and organized anti-Black racism
Funded by
Hendrix College and donors of Hendrix College
Location: Institution, City, State
Hendrix College; Conway, Arkansas
Learn More About this Subject
James E. Lester, Jr., Hendrix College: A Centennial History (Conway, Ar.: River Road Press, 1984), 94.

Position: 1006 (5 views)