Thomas Hall

A Photo Memory

The following are photos of Thomas Hall to document what this great old building looked like. It was destroyed by the University in July of 1998 to build a new dormitory. Unless otherwise stated, all photos date from 1998.

Exterior

Park Avenue (eastern) side

Photo #1 - Thomas Hall from the Park Avenue side. Taken from Park and Norris in 1894. This photo was taken over 100 years ago. Note on the left side of the photo, attached to the main sanctuary is the ORIGINAL Park Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church which was built in 1873. When the larger main sanctuary was added in 1886, the older structure found use as a chapel. In 1900, the original chapel was demolished, according to one source, because of a structural problem. The new addition was then used for Sunday School classes. Adult study was on both the first and second floor with the children's lessons taught in the basement, the future home of WRTI. The photo was taken from the northeast corner of Park and Norris.

Photo #2 - Thomas Hall from the Park Avenue side. Taken from Park and Norris in 1942. This photo was taken within months of the building becoming the property of Temple University. It was called Thatcher Hall. The photo was taken from the northeast corner of Park and Norris.

Photo #3 - Thomas Hall from the Park Avenue side. Taken from Park and Norris in 1947. This photo dates from before June of 1947. It was still called Thatcher Hall at that time. The photo was taken from the northeast corner of Park and Norris.

Photo #4 - Thomas Hall from the Park Avenue side. Taken from Park Avenue Mall in front of Barton Hall looking towards Park and Norris in 1993. It was Freshman Orientation Day.

Photo #5 - Thomas Hall from the Park Avenue side. Taken from in front of the church's parsonage.

Photo #6 - On the left, the Presser Learning Center (the former parsonage) on the right, the southern exterior of the Park Avenue side of Thomas Hall. Part of the sides of these two buildings were joined in the center with an interior interconnecting doorway.

Photo #7 - The southern exterior of the Park Avenue side of Thomas Hall. The part shown dates from 1900. The photo was taken from in front of the Presser Learning Center (the church parsonage).

Photo #8 - Thomas Hall, showing the Park Avenue side. The photo was taken from the northern side of Norris in the middle of the walkway between Peabody Hall and the Tomlinson Theater.

Photo #9 - Thomas Hall, Park Avenue side. Photo taken from the northern side of Norris in front of the western side of the Tomlinson Theater.

Photo #10 - This photo shows the Park Avnue entrance and a set of three windows from the 1900 section of the building located in the southeastern part of the building.

Photo #11 - Thomas Hall 1886 cornerstone at the corner of Park and Norris. Date was on the Park Avenue side.

Photo #12 - From Park Avenue, the parsonage on the left and Thomas Hall on the right.

Photo #13 - From in front of Barton Hall, the southeastern side of Thomas Hall.

Photo #14 - Photo taken from just east of Park and Norris. Park Avenue side is on the left and Norris Street side on the right.

Photo #15 - From the Park Avenue side, showing the tower.

Photo #16 - From the Park Avenue side, looking towards the 1900 addition, just south of the double doors. Note in the bottom of the right window is the demolition notice.

Photo #17 - Taken in 1965 from Park Avenue Mall near the flag poles, this photo shows the sidewalk going right up to the building. Later, the sidewalk was moved about 15 feet east.

Watts Walkway (western) side

Photo #1 - Exterior cement steps that exited onto Watts Walkway near the Presser Learning Center (the old parsonage). The steps were about 70 feet south of Watts and Norris. The steps went to a red double door that brought you inside between Studio A and Studio B. The stairs were on the right and on the left the southwestern portion of the 1900 addition to Thomas Hall.

Photo #2 - Exterior cement steps that exited onto Watts Walkway near the Presser Learning Center (the old parsonage). This photo a good picture of the actual steps.

Photo #3 - This was a night shot taken in February of 1998 when the University had lighted the building each night. It shows the Watts Walkway side, however, the photo was actually taken from Broad Street.

Photo #4 - This photo shows the Watts Walkway side and the Norris Street side. Taken from near the NE corner of Broad and Norris.

Photo #5 - This photo shows the watts walkway side of the building from the NE corner of Broad and Norris.

Photo #6 - From the southwestern corner of the building. Photo taken from the Watts Walkway looking towards Peabody Hall.

Photo #7 - The top part of the 1900 addition to Thomas Hall, Watts Walkway side.

Photo #8 - Taken from in front of the stained glass window on the Watts Walkway side looking towards Peabody Hall. From this angle, the window is not visible.

The Southern Side (against parsonage)

Photo #1 - The southern side of the building. Photo taken from Watts Walkway near Mitten Hall.

The Norris Street side

Photo #1 - On the left side is the Norris Street side. On the right, the Watts Walkway side (photo no longer available for viewing)

Photo #2 - From the Norris Street side. Photo taken from halfway between Watts Walkway and Broad Street.

Photo #3 - Taken from the Norris Street side. On the left is the tower which was was at Park and Norris.

Photo #4 - Photo taken from Park and Norris, showing the Norris Street side of the tower.

The Basement

The Main Hallway

Photo #1 - The basement corridor separating Studio B on the right and Studios C & D on the left.

Photo #2 - The main hallway corridor. On the right is Studio B. to the left are Studios C & D.

Photo #3 - The main basement hallway. Shot taken from near the bench.

Photo #4 - The main basement hallway. Studio B is on the left with Studios C & D on the right. The door in the center goes to the corridor that led to the wooden stairs and the rest rooms.

Photo #5 - The bench in the basement. It was at the southern most part of the building.

Photo #6 - The bench in the basement. Shot taken from near the Music Library.

Photo #7 - At right is the rear exit. At center is the door to Control Room A. Out of view to the right of that door is Studio A.

The Music Library & Newsroom Section

Photo #1 - Hallway that went from the music library to the newsroom and engineer's office.

Photo #2 - The Music Library. Photo taken from the doorway.

Photo #3 - The Music Library. Photo taken from corner looking towards door.

Photo #4 - The Music Library. Shot taken from outside the room.

Photo #5 - The Hallway outside the newsroom and music library. (Photo no longer available)

Studio A & Control A

Photo #1 - Inside Studio A, taken from the northern side of the room looking towards the door of the studio.

Photo #2 - Inside Studio A, taken from another angle.

Photo #3 - Inside Studio A. Shot taken from the Watts Walkway side of the studio.

Studio B & Control B

Photo #1 - Control Room B (Also called Master Control). From was taken from where the old audio console was looking towards the door.

Photo #2 - Studio B. Photo taken from the corner of the studio that bordered the master control window and the studio A window.

Photo #3 - Studio B. Photo taken from the corner of the studio that bordered the master control window and the studio A window. Picture was shot from a different perspective than the one above.

Photo #4 - Studio B. Photo taken from near the master control window.

Photo #5 - Studio B. Photo taken from the corner of studio near hallway. Door was in the background on left that exited into the main basement hallway.

Photo #6 - Studio B. Photo taken from just inside the doorway. Notice on the left side of the photo, the two windows (one to Studio A and one to Master Control) are boarded up.

Photo #7 - Inside Master Control. Shot taken from hallway side nearest the Studio. We are looking towards where the old radio console would have been.

Photo #8 - Inside Master Control. Shot taken from the same position as above but looking more to the right. In the old days, the equipment racks would have blocked the view. In the left center of the photo, the circuit breakers.

Studio C & Control C

Photo #1 - Inside Control Room C. Photo taken from the hallway.

Studio D & Control D

Photo #1 - Looking into Control Room D from hallway.

Photo #2 - Looking into Studio D from hallway.

The Boiler Room, Ladies' Room, Men's Room Area

Photo #1 - The Basement Boiler Room, located under the main sanctuary.

Photo #2 - In the hallway looking towards the door that went in the boiler room under the main sanctuary. Just past the boiler room door was the ladies' room and a door into Studio A.

Photo #3 - Looking towards the boiler room (door is on the right) and the Ladies' room (open door). This photo is from 1998 even though it is in black & white.

Photo #4 - The hallway by the rest rooms. Photo shows the wooden stairs that went to the first floor of the building.

The First Floor

Stairway from the First Floor to Basement

Photo #1 - This is the stairway photographed from the top of the stairs that went to the basement. Once you entered from the Park Avenue door, the stairs were just to your right.

Main Sanctuary (Auditorium)

Photo #1 - Photo inside the main sanctuary of Thomas Hall in 1968.

Photo #2 - During the demolition of Thomas Hall, two plaques were removed. Once this was done, the original design of the wall dating from at least 1910 (probably earlier) became visible. (Photo no longer available for viewing)

Photo #3 - In the main sanctuary looking at the stained glass window on the Park Avenue side.

Photo #4 - In the main sanctuary looking at the stained glass window on the Norris Street side.

Photo #5 - This was in the Main Sanctuary on the Park Avenue side. Note how the windows opened. Remember, Thomas Hall was not air conditioned. The stained glass started immediately above the open windows.

Photo #6 - The stained glass window on the Park Avenue side.

Photo #7 - Inside the main sanctuary. Photo taken from Norris Street side looking towards the south. On the left side of the photo are the pipers for the old organ.

Photo #8 - In the Main Sanctuary, looking towards the Park Avenue side. This is as far south as you can be and still remain in the sanctuary. Note the stone column in the foreground and the bronze plaque on the wall.

Photo #9 - In the vestibule which was in the corner nearest the corner of Park and Norris, there was an opening about 15 to 20 feet above the ground. Once you go though this opening, there is a stairway that goes in a circular motion lit by electric lights up to the top of the tower.

Photo #10 - In the northeast corner of the main sanctuary, one of the red double doors is open and looks out onto Norris Street.

Photo #11 - The 1886 tile floor in the vestibule of the main sanctuary. (Photo no longer available for viewing).

The First Floor Corridor

Photo #1 - The first floor hallway looking towards Watts Walkway. Photo taken from immediately outside of the main sanctuary door closest to Park Avenue.

Photo #2 - This is a photo of the Watts Walkway interior door on the first floor. The corridor separated the main sanctuary from the large Sunday School area.

The Sunday School Area (The Library)

Photo #1 - The drop ceiling and the original 1900 ceiling in the Sunday School area.

Photo #2 - The original 1900 ceiling

The Southern Offices

Photo #1 - One of the most southern most offices on the first floor.

The Second Floor

The Sunday School Area (The Library)

Photo #1 - The Sunday School area (both the first and second floors). Taken from the second floor entrance near the top of the stairs nearest Watts Walkway. When Thomas Hall was used by the School of Theology, this was the library. In recent years, this area was used for music rehearsals and performances.

The Chapel

Photo #1 - One of the three Tiffany-type stained glass windows in the second floor chapel. This window, facing Park Avenue, is the extreme left window.

Photo #2 - Closer shot of the left hand window in the chapel.

Photo #3 - The middle window in the chapel.

Photo #4 - The extreme right hand window in the chapel.

Check out the History of Thomas Hall with additional photos is in a Cyber History section.

This is the WRTI Oldgang website