Preble Hall
Located at 2 Maryland Ave, Annapolis, MD 21401, Preble Hall is the oldest brick building on the campus of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The hall was built between 1841 and 1856 as a replacement for Nassau Hall, which had burned down in 1819. Built at a cost of $5,000, Preble Hall stands today as a historic reminder of the traditions, values, and heritage that have become synonymous with the U.S. Naval Academy and Annapolis. The first known owner and namesake of Preble Hall was Rear Admiral Samuel D. Dyer (1801-1889), who served as Superintendent of the U.S. Navy Yard from 1834 until his retirement in 1850. Admiral Dyer immediately set out to build a new home for those who worked at the Navy Yard; not only did he want to provide housing for each superintendent, but also to serve as an official residence for them all so they did not have to live elsewhere or commute every day from their homes in downtown Annapolis to work at the yard every day.
History of Preble Hall
The U.S. Naval Academy was first established in 1845 as the nation’s first university for training officers for the Navy. The following year, the Secretary of the Navy ordered that an academy building be constructed on the grounds of the Navy Yard in order to provide housing for the growing number of graduates of the Naval Academy. Shortly after the establishment of the Naval Academy, the first superintendent of the Navy Yard, Rear Admiral Samuel Dyer, began to look for a location for a new building to house the growing number of officers who worked at the Navy Yard. During the 1840s, the city of Annapolis was a bustling port town, with nearly 2,000 ships entering and leaving each year. The Navy Yard was the primary center of shipbuilding and repair for the whole country, and the growing number of officers stationed at the Navy Yard meant that there was a growing demand for housing. In 1841, Dyer had officially hired the New York architectural firm of George W. Brown & Son Company to plan and design the new building. Brown, in turn, had chosen the Philadelphia architectural firm of architects John G. McCall & Son to oversee the project. McCall, in turn, chose the Baltimore firm of Henry Bradford & Company to manage the construction of the building. The Navy Yard and the new Preble Hall were completed in 1845. Preble Hall was the first home of the Superintendent of the Navy Yard, who was responsible for supervising all the dockyard activities and training the midshipmen of the Naval Academy. The building housed a total of 165 officers and civilians, with the officer’s quarters located on the second and third floors and the enlisted men’s quarters located on the first floor. In 1853, the Preble Hall was renovated by architect George F. Lachman, who added a central iron staircase, an ornamental brick cornice, and new wooden doors and windows throughout the building. During the Civil War, Preble Hall remained in operation as a state-of-the-art naval academy building, and was used as the shipyard hospital for the wounded from the nearby Union fleet. Preble Hall remained in use as a military facility after the Civil War, housing the shipyard’s personnel, and was not used for housing and training midshipman again until 1884.
Repairs and Renovations to Preble Hall
Preble Hall has been renovated many times throughout its history. In 1901, the Navy acquired Preble Hall and a few other buildings on the campus and initiated a major restoration of the campus. The restoration, led by architect Edward B. Barnes, took place between 1901 and 1906. The renovations to Preble Hall included the construction of a new, larger West Building that replaced the original West Building, the expansion of Preble Hall to house the administrative offices, a new wing of offices on the second floor, and the construction of a new iron stairwell. The renovations also included the replacement of the first-floor windows with new, more modern glazed windows, and the addition of a new cornice along the building’s facade.
The Day of the Fire in 1917
The Preble Hall fire on November 22, 1917, was the most devastating of several fires that have plagued the building throughout its history. The fire, which originated in the basement of Preble Hall, destroyed the entire building and all its contents, including the original West Building and Preble Hall’s iron stairwell. The fire, which occurred during the early morning hours of November 22, destroyed the entire building and all its contents, including the original West Building and Preble Hall’s iron stairwell. The West Building, a two-story structure on the opposite side of Preble Hall from the Preble Hall, had burned down in 1905. The fire, which occurred during the early morning hours of November 22, destroyed the entire building and all its contents, including the original West Building and Preble Hall’s iron stairwell. The West Building, a two-story structure on the opposite side of Preble Hall from the Preble Hall, had burned down in 1905.
Conclusion
The hall was built between 1841 and 1856 as a replacement for Nassau Hall, which had burned down in 1819. Preble Hall stands today as a historic reminder of the traditions, values, and heritage that have become synonymous with the U.S. Naval Academy and Annapolis.
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