Old Main: Arizona State University's Historic Heart

Old Main, located at the heart of Arizona State University's Tempe campus, stands as a proud reminder of the university's rich history. Constructed in 1898, before Arizona even achieved statehood, it was the first building in Tempe to be wired for electricity. Originally the Main Building of the Tempe Normal School, it housed classrooms, an auditorium, and a library, serving as the center of academic and administrative life.The building's architecture is a blend of Victorian Queen Anne and Richardsonian Romanesque styles, featuring a red-brick facade, a granite base, and a pressed-metal roof. Over the years, Old Main has been the site of many significant events, including a speech by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1911, during which he dedicated the Roosevelt Dam. For decades, it was the largest building in the Salt River Valley.In 1985, Old Main was added to the National Register of Historic Places. A major restoration in the 1990s, led by the ASU Alumni Association, returned the building to its original splendor, including the reconstruction of the front porch and stairway that had been removed in 1953. Today, Old Main hosts a variety of events and houses the ASU Alumni Association, continuing to serve as a focal point for the university community. Inside, visitors can view murals by Joseph M. Henninger, commissioned as part of a Franklin D. Roosevelt New Deal art project.