Within a year, the four stories of Denny Hall rose from this cornerstone. Constructed from Enumclaw sandstone and pressed brick, with terra cotta details, it towers like a French chateau above the bushes in our historic photograph. The architect was Charles W. Saunders (1858-1935).
By September 1895, its 35 rooms were opened to a total student body of little more than 200. At first called the Administration Building, Denny Hall housed all six of the university's colleges in six laboratories, a library with 60 chairs, a museum, faculty rooms, professor's studies, a music room, a student lounge (although no doubt the best lounging was done on the front steps), and a 700-seat lecture hall named Denny.