Area 1
Area I
Initially, the historic permanent buildings on Presidents Circle were used primarily for classroom instruction, laboratory research and student activities. Over the years more research and classroom facilities were built in this area. Existing buildings were modified and renovated to meet changing needs. For example, Gardner Hall and Kingsbury Hall became theater and concert spaces, the Thomas Building became the Museum of Natural History and the Park Building is now strictly administrative. There are several common threads among these buildings. Most have had multiple uses and varying departments housed within their walls and were built explicitly for University use. Many have had some sort of alteration made to them over the years. One exception to this are Buildings 056 and 057 which were built as Bureau of Mines buildings and were only recently (1981) turned over to the University. Another exception is the Ore Dressing Lab (Building 042) which is still used for the purpose for which it was built.
Also included in this area are some wood frame structures; there are only four of these left: 122, 124, 126, and 129. These buildings have provided support for the classroom buildings by acting as labs and offices for various disciplines, and as a gymnasium in the case of Building 126. With the possible exception of Building 122, these structures were acquired by the University of Utah at the end of WWII from various places including Dugway Proving Grounds, Kearns, Hill Air Force Base, and Fort Douglas for the purpose of providing needed space due to the swelling enrollment. This was an equitable arrangement since the military was losing personnel because of the end of the war and many of those men and women were coming to the University of Utah to retrain for civilian life. After the war ended in 1945, there was a surge of enrollment for various reasons. Many soldiers were returning to school and many others, due to the G. I. Bill of Rights, were able to obtain a college education for the first time. Another factor was that the University had a Readjustment Training Program, also known as the Rehabilitation Training Program, that was used by many of the enlisted. The heaviest enrollment was Winter Quarter of 1945-46.
As a result of the heavy enrollment there was also a shortage of housing for both single men and families. Research into temporary housing was made. In 1946, a dormitory for 40 students was moved to campus from the Geneva Steel Plant. It was placed east of 1500 East, southwest of what was then the U.S. Bureau of Mines Buildings 056 and 057. There were many more of these types of structures brought to campus from places such as Topaz War Relocation Center and Van Port, Oregon, to make up most of what was known as Stadium Village. These temporary housing structures are now gone.
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