Laboratory of Mechanics

The Laboratory of Mechanics, formerly known as Engineering Hall, is a historic building on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, United States. The two-story, brick structure with a mansard roof is a simplified version of the Second Empire style.[2] It features a three-story tower with a mansard roof at the main entry. The original building was L-shaped, designed by J.B. Ballinger, and built by V. Tomlinson. Its first addition was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Foster & Liebbe, and completed in 1885 by Tomlinson. Other additions were completed in 1933 and 1997.[3]

The building originally housed Iowa State Agricultural College's Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering. It was remodeled into a laboratory building in 1907. The building currently houses the Architecture Department, Engineering Administration, Faculty Senate, IT Services CIO, and Mechanical Engineering.[3] Its historical significance is derived from its being the university's first engineering building and its survival as the oldest instructional building on campus.[2] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[1]