History through structure: buildings on campus made to last

Barge Hall

The building that started it all was completed in 1891, one year after the Washington State Normal School in Ellensburg was founded. The building’s iconic tower has become a symbol for CWU, used in a litany of promotional materials ever since.

Currently home to the communication and ROTC departments, Lind was finished in 1947 and renovated in 2019. Lind’s construction materials included a myriad stone to honor the building’s original department, Geology.

The final building completed before World War II boasted stained glass windows and a large fountain in the courtyard upon completion.