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{{about|the American residence hall at the University of Pittsburgh|the British workers' education facility|Ruskin College}}{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

factoids

| partof = Schenley Farms Historic District| partof_refnum = 83002213| built = 1923| architect = H. L. Stevens & Company| architecture =version=2010a|refnum=83002213}}| visitation_num =| visitation_year = }}Ruskin Hall is a residence hall at the University of Pittsburgh and a contributing property to the Schenley Farms National Historic District.[{{NRHP-PA|H050656_01H.pdf}}]weblink" title="https:/-/web.archive.org/web/20090628170337weblink">weblink Constructed in 1921–22 by H. L. Stevens & Company, with an annex added in 1925–26,NEWS,weblink Pitt Buying Ruskin Apts., 15, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, 1958-02-28, 2009-01-28, it is an eight-story building which is located between the Music Building and Information Sciences Building between Ruskin and Bellefield Avenues near Fifth Avenue on Pitt's main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.WEB,weblink University of Pittsburgh: Panther Central, www.pc.pitt.edu, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20031206113309weblink">weblink 2003-12-06, Ruskin Hall recently underwent a $19.4 million conversion and renovation from medical student housing into undergraduate apartment-style housing that opened in 2008.

History

(File:RuskinHallentrancePitt.jpg|thumb|right|Main entrance to Ruskin Hall)Originally built in 1921–22 by H. L. Stevens & Company as the Ruskin Apartments, an annex facing Bellefield Avenue was added in 1925–26. The building has long seen usage by Pitt students, including use as the meeting place of the Omega Delta fraternity until the fall of 1926.weblink Pitt purchased the Ruskin Apartments in February 1958 for $2.24 million (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|2240000|1958}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) as an investment, with the intention of using it eventually for faculty residences. Following the purchase, Pitt Chancellor Edward Litchfield held a tea for the 189 remaining tenants, many of whom were elderly, well-to-do widows, to ensure them that their leases and the staff and management would be maintained as long as they wished to stay.WEB,weblink Request Rejected, With time, the apartments were relinquished giving Pitt full control of the building.In 1966, Richard King Mellon donated $1,075,475 (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|1075475|1966}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) to the university to refinance and retain possession of the Ruskin Apartments so they could be used for members of the house staffs of the university-affiliated hospitals and their families.WEB,weblink Request Rejected, Ruskin Hall has also served as the home for university offices including those of the University of Pittsburgh Press.WEB,weblink Database Not Open, 2008-01-02, 2011-09-30,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110930032034weblink">weblink dead, Through 2007, Ruskin Hall served as the primary residence for medical students and PhD candidates in the basic sciences of medicine, although students of other medical-related schools (including dental, nursing, and pharmacy) could be wait-listed for apartments. Beginning in the summer of 2007, medical student housing was replaced by the Darragh Street Medical Student Housing complex, allowing for a $19.4 million renovation by Graves Design Group to convert Ruskin Hall into undergraduate apartment-style housing was completed for fall 2008.NEWS,weblink Pitt planning new residence halls, 2006-04-11, Bill, Schackner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, 2009-10-20, WEB,weblink Ruskin Hall Dormitory Residential Building Design, Graves Design Group, LLC, 2009-10-20,

Facilities

File:RuskinHalPitt.jpg|thumb|Bellefield Ave side of Ruskin Hall between the Music Building and the School of Information Sciences Building ]]Previously serving as a primary residence for medical students, Ruskin Hall contained 176 studio, efficiency, or one- to two-bedroom apartments each containing a living room, one to two bathrooms, and a kitchen. A ground floor study area, central courtyard, and laundry facilities were available and the building was outfitted with central air conditioningweblink weblinkA $19.4 million renovation was completed in 2008 that converted the Hall into an undergraduate residence hall with 178 apartment-style units with 416 bedsNEWS,weblink Cathedral of Learning restoration project set, 2007-03-08, Peter, Hart, University Times, 39, 13, University of Pittsburgh, 2009-10-20, NEWS,weblink Kimberly K., Barlow, Peter, Hart, What's New? Places, University Times, 41, 1, 2008-08-28, University of Pittsburgh, 2008-08-28, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100616081214weblink">weblink 2010-06-16, in one, two, and three-person apartments and single-person efficiency apartments. The furnished apartments include private baths and kitchens and have cable and internet connection. Commons areas are also equipped with wireless internet.WEB,weblink Ruskin Hall, University of Pittsburgh, 2009-10-20, A University of Pittsburgh Police mini-station in Ruskin Hall was also part of the renovation.WEB,weblink Database Not Open, 2008-01-02, 2011-09-30,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110930032058weblink">weblink dead,

References

{{reflist}}

• BOOK, Alberts, Robert C., Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh 1787–1987, Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1987, 0-8229-1150-7,

External links

• Ruskin Hall on Pitt's virtual Campus Tour
• Pitt Housing Office: Ruskin Hall

{{University of Pittsburgh}}{{Pittsburgh}}