Sewall Hall was built in 1934 as the women’s dormitory for campus. Sewall has been in continuous use as a dorm ever since, making it the longest-serving purpose-built residence hall on campus. Before Sewall was built, students lived in a variety of places, including Old Main, Woodbury (the first purpose-built dorm), and several cottages.
Sewall Hall is named for Joseph A. Sewall, the first president of the university (1877-1887). It was designed by the renowned architect Charles Klauder in a Tuscan vernacular style he developed specifically for CU.
There are four wings in Sewall Hall [Lester, Harding, Bigelow, and McKenna], each named for a woman with significant ties to the University. Pynk Lester was Dean Lester’s wife; Minnie Harding was a university regent; Antoinette Bigelow was the Dean of women; Olivia McKenna was the founder of the University Women’s Club.
The building was designed to accommodate 75 women on each wing. Originally each wing had its own parlors (for entertaining), recreation rooms, kitchenettes, small laundries (with tubs and ironing boards… no washing machines!), and a small dining facility. The use of the building has changed a lot since 1934, but it still features unique singles, doubles, triples and quad rooms, many with stunning views of the campus and mountains.
Sewall was renovated in 2008, expanding the dining hall and adding a convenience store. During the renovation, carpeting was removed and the original walnut and maple flooring was uncovered and refurbished. It is one of many ways that Sewall today retains the beauty and character of its original construction.
This brief history was drawn from an article on Sewall, printed in the April 12, 1939 "University of Colorado Bulletin". To see a copy of this article, click here.
