Dept. of Mathematics & Computing
History
Department of Mathematics and Computing
History of Old Main
The first building of what is now Lander University, composed of Greenwood Hall and Laura Lander Hall, were erected in1903-04. The architect for these buildings was Reuben Harrison Hunt of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Laura Lander Hall was named for the wife of Samuel Lander, the University’s founder and first president. Waller Auditorium, named in honor of Capt. C.A.C. Waller, who was the leading spirit in securing the relocation of the school from Williamston to Greenwood, was within Greenwood Hall. In 1911, Willson Hall was added. It was designed by Cothran & Cothran, engineers and architects of Greenwood, and named for Dr. John O. Willson, son-in-law of Dr. Lander and second president of Lander.
As early as 1974 it was determined that the existing Greenwood, Laura Lander, and Willson buildings, affectionately known as Old Main, were in need of replacement. Over the years the plan was revised so that Greenwood Hall and the tower were retained.
Construction of the new 100,000 square foot Science, Mathematics and Computing facility included the demolition of Willson Hall and Laura Lander Hall as well as a major renovation of Greenwood Hall and construction of a new facility on the site of the two demolished buildings.
The renovated Greenwood Hall has been renamed Laura Lander Hall and houses offices, classrooms, and labs serving the Department of Mathematics and Computing. The exterior of the building looks as much like the original 1904 structure as possible. This section of Old Main along with the former Laura Lander Hall were the first structures built when Lander moved from Williamston, SC, to the Greenwood site. The carillon in the tower remains in place and will be played again when construction is completed on the complex. The windows and roof of the historic section of the building are as much like the original as possible. The interior of the building has been gutted and rebuilt.
The tower after renovation
The sections of Old Main Building then known as Laura Lander and Willson Halls have been torn down and replaced with two new wings which contain classrooms, laboratories and faculty offices for the Division of Biological and Physical Sciences. These wings have been constructed with concrete frames- the only structures of this type on campus- in order to reduce vibrations in the building. While steel-frame buildings do not transfer enough vibrations to be bothersome to people, these vibrations can have an adverse affect on the highly sensitive instruments used in these science wings. For this reason, it was decided to use concrete frames.
New Science, Mathematics, and Computing Facility
Some facts about the construction project:
- Architect: F.J. Clark of Anderson, SC
- Contractor: Barge-Wagner of Atlanta, GA
- Total project cost: $12.8 million
- Funding: Capital improvement bond funds passed by SC General Assembly in the 1990-91 legislative session; bond bill signed into law by Gov. Carroll Campbell in January, 1992
- Construction starting date: 9 September 1993
- Completion date: December 1996
New Laura Lander Hall taken from the Amphitheater
