Court of North Carolina
Title
Court of North Carolina
Description
Various architects and landscapers created the Court of North Carolina slowly, bit by bit. The court has taken on many lives: as a pasture for cows, a location for classrooms and professors’ offices, open space, a place for students to gather, and a scenic view. The open space was previously known as the 1911 Field. In the beginning, in 1889, the court was a grassy field for the school’s cows. The cows were used for teaching animal husbandry, and occasionally pranks. The pasture was fenced in and there were significantly fewer buildings surrounding it until between 1902-1912 when Winston, Tompkins, Leazar, 1911 Building (previously a dormitory), and Page Hall were built. The court’s modern borders were finalized with the construction of Poe and Caldwell Hall in 1971 and 1981, respectively. The cows and fences were removed likely around 1910. From 1910 to 1946 the field was just grass with no paths cutting through and trees lining the edges. The biggest change to the court happened in 1946.
The end of World War II and the G.I. Bill of 1944 brought a major increase in student enrollment. The Serviceman’s Adjustment Act, or the G.I. Bill of 1944, funded veterans in their tuition, school supplies, housing, and counseling services. At NC State about 4,000 more students enrolled into the school. The additional students put pressure on NC State’s facilities, faculty, and staff. To remedy the space issue, the university built five, two-floor rectangular buildings, and twelve Quonset huts. These huts were used as temporary classrooms that sat 40-45 students. The huts were 48 feet by 20 feet, and were shaped like a half cylinder. Peden Steel Company of Raleigh was the supplier, and Crane and Denbo Company of Durham built the huts. The huts were not insulated, but were heated by oil, had windows, and had electricity. The temporary buildings housed classes for English, math, the School of Design, and likely other liberal art classes. One of the classes taught was a speed reading and comprehension class by Professor Paul Rust. Departments of the liberal arts were chosen to teach in the huts on the basis that they did not need laboratories. In 1952, the huts were disassembled and some were sent to the state prison and some placed near the track field. At the same time the field was landscaped.
Thirty-four years later, on the centennial anniversary of the university, the university bestowed a dedication plaque at the Court of North Carolina. The sign notes the surrounding buildings’ age, and student’s and faculty member’s love of the space. In 2010, two new additions were added to the court: the center stairs leading up to the 1911 building and the outdoor classroom. The stairs were managed by landscape project manager, Lynn Swank. The outdoor classroom was designed with the help of the College of Humanities and Social Science faculty. Lastly, the Court of North Carolina was and is used as an event venue.
In December of 2014 students protesting the results of the trial of Darrien Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown, Jr. earlier that year, walked out of class to the court to the Brickyard. Four years later, the court was used for a drone demonstration for Packapalooza, which is a festive event for students and North Carolinians. In April 2019 NC State’s South Asian student organizations hosted a cultural field day in the court.
From 1889 to 2019 NC State’s oldest part of campus has changed drastically in its landscape. But despite the changes, the Court of North Carolina has remained a space for NC State students.
References
Original Source References
NC State Special Collections Research Center:
Funkhouser, Edward T. "Hallowed Places Plaque, Court of North Carolina". Item identifier mc0036-HallowedPlaces-CourtOfNC-Slide2-Marc2013. Edward T. Funkhouser Photographs, 2001-2016 (MC00336). Special Collections Research Center at NC State University Libraries.
Lockmiller, David A. “History of the North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering of the University of North Carolina, 1889-1939”. Raleigh: General Alumni Association of the North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering of the University of North Carolina
North Carolina State University, University Archives Reference Collection, University Buildings, Sites, Landmarks Files, 1888-2019. UA050.004.
Technician
Secondary Source Reading
Creadick, Anna G. Perfectly Average: The Pursuit of Normality in Postwar America. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2010.
Ford, D'Lyn. "Stairway to 1911". NC State University News. June 9, 2010. https://news.ncsu.edu/2010/06/stairway-to-1911/
Harjrasouliha, Amir. “Campus Score: Measuring University Campus Qualities”. Landscape and Urban Planning Vol 158. February 2017. Pp 166-176.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.10.007
"Historical State Timelines: Campus Buildings, Grounds & Landmarks". North Carolina State University Libraries. Accessed March 24, 2019. https://historicalstate.lib.ncsu.edu/timelines/campus-buildings-grounds
Hough, Mark. The Campus Landscape: Conserving an American Tradition. 1997. (Dissertation)
May, Elaine Tyler. Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era. New York: Basic Books, Inc, 1988.
Quonset Hut: Metal Living for a Modern Age. Edited by Julie Decker and Chris Chiei. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2005.
“Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (1944)”. United States Government. Accessed April 6th, 2019. https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=76#
The end of World War II and the G.I. Bill of 1944 brought a major increase in student enrollment. The Serviceman’s Adjustment Act, or the G.I. Bill of 1944, funded veterans in their tuition, school supplies, housing, and counseling services. At NC State about 4,000 more students enrolled into the school. The additional students put pressure on NC State’s facilities, faculty, and staff. To remedy the space issue, the university built five, two-floor rectangular buildings, and twelve Quonset huts. These huts were used as temporary classrooms that sat 40-45 students. The huts were 48 feet by 20 feet, and were shaped like a half cylinder. Peden Steel Company of Raleigh was the supplier, and Crane and Denbo Company of Durham built the huts. The huts were not insulated, but were heated by oil, had windows, and had electricity. The temporary buildings housed classes for English, math, the School of Design, and likely other liberal art classes. One of the classes taught was a speed reading and comprehension class by Professor Paul Rust. Departments of the liberal arts were chosen to teach in the huts on the basis that they did not need laboratories. In 1952, the huts were disassembled and some were sent to the state prison and some placed near the track field. At the same time the field was landscaped.
Thirty-four years later, on the centennial anniversary of the university, the university bestowed a dedication plaque at the Court of North Carolina. The sign notes the surrounding buildings’ age, and student’s and faculty member’s love of the space. In 2010, two new additions were added to the court: the center stairs leading up to the 1911 building and the outdoor classroom. The stairs were managed by landscape project manager, Lynn Swank. The outdoor classroom was designed with the help of the College of Humanities and Social Science faculty. Lastly, the Court of North Carolina was and is used as an event venue.
In December of 2014 students protesting the results of the trial of Darrien Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown, Jr. earlier that year, walked out of class to the court to the Brickyard. Four years later, the court was used for a drone demonstration for Packapalooza, which is a festive event for students and North Carolinians. In April 2019 NC State’s South Asian student organizations hosted a cultural field day in the court.
From 1889 to 2019 NC State’s oldest part of campus has changed drastically in its landscape. But despite the changes, the Court of North Carolina has remained a space for NC State students.
References
Original Source References
NC State Special Collections Research Center:
Funkhouser, Edward T. "Hallowed Places Plaque, Court of North Carolina". Item identifier mc0036-HallowedPlaces-CourtOfNC-Slide2-Marc2013. Edward T. Funkhouser Photographs, 2001-2016 (MC00336). Special Collections Research Center at NC State University Libraries.
Lockmiller, David A. “History of the North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering of the University of North Carolina, 1889-1939”. Raleigh: General Alumni Association of the North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering of the University of North Carolina
North Carolina State University, University Archives Reference Collection, University Buildings, Sites, Landmarks Files, 1888-2019. UA050.004.
Technician
Secondary Source Reading
Creadick, Anna G. Perfectly Average: The Pursuit of Normality in Postwar America. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2010.
Ford, D'Lyn. "Stairway to 1911". NC State University News. June 9, 2010. https://news.ncsu.edu/2010/06/stairway-to-1911/
Harjrasouliha, Amir. “Campus Score: Measuring University Campus Qualities”. Landscape and Urban Planning Vol 158. February 2017. Pp 166-176.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.10.007
"Historical State Timelines: Campus Buildings, Grounds & Landmarks". North Carolina State University Libraries. Accessed March 24, 2019. https://historicalstate.lib.ncsu.edu/timelines/campus-buildings-grounds
Hough, Mark. The Campus Landscape: Conserving an American Tradition. 1997. (Dissertation)
May, Elaine Tyler. Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era. New York: Basic Books, Inc, 1988.
Quonset Hut: Metal Living for a Modern Age. Edited by Julie Decker and Chris Chiei. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2005.
“Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (1944)”. United States Government. Accessed April 6th, 2019. https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=76#
Creator
Jordan Scott
Date
2019/09/24
Collection
Tags
Citation
Jordan Scott, “Court of North Carolina,” Brick Layers: An Atlas of New Perspectives on NC State’s Campus History, accessed January 27, 2025, https://bricklayers.history.ncsu.edu/items/show/7.