Campus Buildings and Facilities

Heidelberg University is located on a 110-acre campus in Tiffin (population 20,000), county seat of Seneca County and center of a prosperous agricultural, industrial and business area in northwestern Ohio.

The campus is located on the east side of Tiffin on College Hill. Heidelberg’s tree-lined campus has large expanses of well-kept lawns and flowering shrubs.

Classrooms, laboratories and other buildings are within easy walking distance in the time allotted between classes. Downtown Tiffin is within a half-mile of campus, and the city’s churches are conveniently near.

The old and new in architecture at Heidelberg blend harmoniously. From the pure Greek Revival lines of Founders Hall and the Victorian Gothic style of University Hall, the architecture moves toward the more modern English Gothic and to the functional style typified by Beeghly Library. In many of the buildings erected since 1907, gray Bloomville limestone, with cut Bedford stone for trim, gives a sense of unity to the various styles. Nine buildings ranging in age from 146 to 71 years are entered in the National Register of Historic Places.

Advancement House, a three-story structure renovated in 1997, has housed various student groups over the years. Located at 166 Greenfield Street, the house is now home to Heidelberg’s Division of Institutional Advancement, comprised of development and alumni relations.

Aigler Alumni Building, purchased in 1961 from the Tiffin City Board of Education, was remodeled and equipped for use as a classroom, office and laboratory building. This Jacobethanstyle structure contains the business and economics, psychology and Master of Business Administration departments. Its name recognizes the loyal support of Heidelberg alumni, especially Allan G. Aigler, Class of 1902, a trustee of the university from 1926-1960.

The Auxiliary Gymnasium, an aluminum-sided structure built in 1948 by the Federal Works Agency, provides additional recreation space and is used as a wrestling practice facility. A battery of tennis courts is adjacent to the gymnasium.

Bareis Hall of Science was constructed in 1964 to honor George F. Bareis, president of Heidelberg’s Board of Trustees from 1899-1932, and his daughter, Grace M. Bareis, who in 1935 became the second woman named to the Board. Bareis, Heidelberg’s center for the physical sciences, contains the 80-seat Frost Lecture Hall. Also housed there are offices, the Computer Center, general classrooms and labs. Bareis Hall underwent a $4 million renovation in the Summer and Fall of 2005.

Beeghly Library is the intellectual heart of Heidelberg University. Industrialist Leon A. Beeghly provided the major financial gift for the construction of this three story circular building. Dedicated in 1967, the library has shelf space for 200,000 volumes. Special collections include the Besse Collection of English and American correspondence, and the Pohlable Collection of books on ballet and the circus. The library also has a large classroom with 65 seats, a small seminar room and the Montague Room computer lab. Students have easy access to books, newspapers, periodicals, videos and CDs. The Instructional Media Center is located in the library. Beeghly is a full participating member of OPAL and Ohiolink. (See Academic Policies and Resources for further information.)

Brenneman Music Hall is the center for the university's musicians. The west portion, completed in 1949, and renovated in 2000, was designed for use by the violin, voice, organ, piano and instrumental divisions of the music department. A three-story addition, made possible by a gift from Clara Brenneman of Wadsworth in honor of her husband, Glen, opened in the fall of 1971. The building now contains the 325-seat Ferris and Dorothy Ohl Concert Hall, a recital hall, classrooms, practice studios, the Beethoven Lounge, offices, a music library and a recording studio.

Edson J. Brown Residence Hall opened in 1960 and accommodates 125 students. It is named for Dr. Edson J. Brown, Class of 1915, a Cleveland physician who considered his entrance into Heidelberg a turning point in his life. He served as a trustee from 1932 until his death in 1972. The Learning Center and the Lavely-Shedenhelm Education Center is also located in Brown Hall. Brown Hall was renovated in the Summer of 2007.

The Campus Center is the focal point for student activities and services. The east half of the center was constructed in 1926 to serve as The Commons, a men’s dining hall. After 1966, the Modern English Gothic portion of the building was altered to provide the Great Hall, a multifunctional room. The opening in 1971 of a two-story wing expanded recreational services for students. The addition included a snack bar with 250 seats and recreation area, called The Castle. The Campus Center was closed for the 1999-2000 academic year for renovations. A 9,000 square foot addition was added to the existing 26,000 square foot building. Housed within the new facility are student organizations, student health services and student affairs offices. Student mailboxes, a fitness center, the campus bookstore, a computer lab and a food court featuring Starbucks Coffee are also located in the Campus Center. The newly renovated facility opened in August of 2000. 

College Hill Apartments is an 11 unit complex that was acquired in August 2005 to house students. The one and two bedroom units provide independent living and are fully equipped with appliances and technology.

Founders Hall, constructed between 1851-1858, holds the distinction of being the first building on the Heidelberg campus. The Greek Revival architecture was designed by one of Heidelberg’s founding fathers, Jeremiah Good. The three-story brick structure, which originally served as a men’s dormitory, was modernized in 1929-1930 and renovated in 1974. It houses a rehearsal theatre, FM radio station WHEI, WHEI-TV, video taping rooms, costume rooms, a dance studio, classrooms and faculty offices for communication and theatre arts and foreign languages. Interior renovations to Founders were completed in 1992 and early 1993.

France Residence Hall, a residence hall for about 70 women, was completed in 1925. It is named in recognition of Luella Blackwell France, a benefactor of the university. France, which has a meeting hall for two sororities, is connected to Brown Hall.

285 E. Perry Street, a two-story frame house adjacent to Brenneman Music Hall. The house was built in 1852 as a residence by Heidelberg’s first president, E.V. Gerhart. The house has been used as a guest house. In 1997 it was converted to student housing.

Gillmor Science Hall, the newest building on the campus, opened in January 2005. It combines with Bareis and Laird halls to form the University's science complex. Named in honor of Congressman Paul E. Gillmor, who has a demonstrated commitment to educational initiatives through his career in public service, the 42,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Gillmor Hall is home to the chemistry and biology departments, the Water Quality Laboratory and its National Center for Water Quality Research, and the archaeology department.

The George P. Gundlach Theatre, which is connected to Founders Hall, was completed and dedicated during Heidelberg’s 125th anniversary celebration in 1975. Its seating capacity is 250. The theatre was built through a financial gift from the late Mr. Gundlach, Class of 1931. He received an honorary degree in 1960. A native of Tiffin who spent much of his life in Cincinnati, Mr. Gundlach envisioned Tiffin and the University as partners in civic and cultural projects. He saw the theatre as one means of strengthening that bond.

Honors House, a handsome and appealing two-story brick structure, formerly was the president’s house. Built in 1868, it was home to the Development Office until 1996 when it was renovated to accommodate the Honors Program.

Hoernemann Refectory, adjacent to the main lounge of Miller Residence Hall, is the primary dining hall for students. Built in 1966, the dining hall honors Paul H. Hoernemann, Class of 1938, a highly successful football and basketball coach and later Vice President of the University until his death in 1965. In the summer of 1992, summer of 1999, and again in the summer of 2007 a major interior renovation was completed in Hoernemann, featuring new seating arrangements, new décor and new equipment. The new design eliminated the single serving line and created multiple points-ofservice offering a full variety of popular food concepts.

King Memorial Residence Hall, completed in 1954 to provide living space for male students, is now a coeducational dormitory for 188 students. A lounge connects two three-story wings. Construction was made possible by a gift from Alice Rhodes King as a memorial to her husband, the Rev. Owen G. King, Class of 1905. King Hall is located on Main Street.

Sara D. Krieg Residence Hall, also on Main Street, was named in honor of Sara D. Krieg, whose bequest to the University was an expression of her faith in Christian higher education. The five-story brick building, completed in 1964, has living quarters for 144 men and women, a lounge, four common living rooms, a recreation room and a study room. The Art Department was moved to Krieg Hall in 1985. The building was closed during the fall of 1999 for complete renovations. Students moved into the newly renovated building in January 2000 for the beginning of the spring semester.

Russell R. Krammes Service Center, completed in 1971, is the center for all University maintenance and service operations. Built in 1971 on historic Armstrong Field-site of Heidelberg’s first intercollegiate football game in 1892 - the building is a memorial to Russell R. Krammes, Class of 1906, and his wife, Florence. Adjacent to Krammes is a 200 car parking lot made possible by a gift from the National Machinery Foundation of Tiffin.

Laird Hall was completed in 1913, built with funds provided by Della Shawhan Laird, widow of a prosperous Tiffin businessman. Laird was originally built to house all sciences taught at Heidelberg.

Mayer Field, located between Williard Residence Hall and Rock Creek, has an all-weather track and other track and field facilities, and fields for softball, soccer, intramural sports and community activities. This facility was made possible by a gift from the Frederick M. Mayer family. Mr. Mayer, Class of 1920, served as a trustee of the University from 1948-1970 and was a trustee emeritus at the time of his death in March 1993.

Dr. Charles E. Miller Residence Hall, which accommodates 194 upperclassmen on five floors, was completed in 1966. The hall is named in memory of Charles E. Miller, Heidelberg’s president from 1902-1937. Miller Hall is arranged by suites with two rooms sharing a bathroom.

Arthur B. Pfleiderer Center for Religion and the Humanities was constructed in 1912 with a grant of $25,000 from Andrew Carnegie. Under terms of the grant, the University was to match that amount for maintenance of the building, which served as the university library for 55 years. The center was made possible in 1971-1972 through a gift from Dorothy Painter Pfleiderer, Class of 1922, as a memorial to her husband, Arthur, a 1920 graduate who was a Heidelberg trustee from 1953 until his death in 1969. The Modern Gothic structure was adapted to house offices, classrooms and Herbster Chapel, a multi-purpose room with a seating capacity of 180. The center serves all religious groups on campus, filling worship and contemplative needs.

Sayger Court in Seiberling Health and Physical Education Center is named for the late Herman E. Sayger, a successful physical education director and coach at Heidelberg in the 1920s. He was responsible for bringing a complete program of intramural sports to the University. The court is used for indoor sports and major events such as commencement and Alumni Day.

Seiberling Health and Physical Education Center was completed in 1952 after delays during World Wars I and II and the Great Depression. The building bears the name of Frank Seiberling, an 1879 alumnus who became president of Goodyear Rubber Co. and founder of the Seiberling Rubber Co. Mr. Seiberling made the first pledge for the physical education plant in 1917. Other funds were contributed later by alumni, churches, local citizens and friends. After a fire destroyed some athletic facilities in 1985, a major addition to Seiberling was completed to add offices, locker rooms, a weight room and a sports medicine facility.

Stoner Health Center, with a complete outpatient clinic, was established in 1966 to honor a long-time benefactor of the University, Dr. L.D. Stoner. The center moved to the newly renovated Campus Center in August 2000.

University Hall, a brick building in Victorian Gothic style, was completed in 1886 with funds raised from the Reformed Church and the Tiffin community. The bell in University Hall’s tower, a local landmark, hung in the Seneca County Courthouse from 1841-1884. Also known as College Hall and the U-Building, University Hall houses administrative offices, classrooms, fraternity halls and Rickly Chapel, a 625-seat hall named for S.S. Rickly, one of Heidelberg’s founders. In 1992, a carillon, the gift of alumna Marian I. Larkin, was installed in the tower.

Walker Street Apartments is a 13 unit complex that was acquired in April 2005 to house junior and senior students. The two and three bedroom units provide independent living and are fully equipped with appliances and technology.

Williard Residence Hall, a Gothic-style residence hall for 70 men and women, was named for George Williard, president of the University from 1866-1890. The hall, built with funds given by citizens of Tiffin and Seneca County and dedicated in 1907, was a residence for women from 1907-1974.-Connected to Miller Hall, Williard Residence Hall was closed for the 1992-1993 academic year for major renovations. A fire in January 2000 caused extensive damage to the building. The building was demolished in March 2001. Construction of a new 65 bed residence hall was completed in December 2001. The new building maintains the Gothic-style of the original Williard Hall.

The following 10 buildings have been entered in the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior: Founders Hall, The Guest House, The Development House (now the Honors House), University Hall, Pfleiderer Center for Religion and Humanities, Laird Hall, Aigler Alumni Building, France Hall, The Great Hall of the Campus Center and the Octagon House.