Lydia Moss Bradley chartered Bradley Polytechnic Institute (BPI) on Nov. 13, 1896. Lydia used 17.5 acres of land, $170,000 for buildings, equipment and a library and $30,000 per year for operating expenses to start the institution.
Bradley has grown to include 77 buildings and facilities on 84 acres of land today. Read the map below to uncover the history behind the additions and demolitions on campus throughout the years.
Constance Hall
This building was erected in 1931 as the first all-women’s dormitory. The building is named in honor of Jennie M. Constance, who was head of the English Department in the 1920s before she was murdered in 1928 while studying for her doctorate at Northwestern University.
Sisson Hall
Sisson, built in the early 1950s as a dormitory, was transformed in the mid 1980s to serve student organizations.
Foster College of Business
The building that was originally Alumni Hall was demolished in the late 1950s to make way for Baker Hall, which was then a smaller building near Jobst Hall. Bradley raised money in the 1980s to build a multi-story tower to connect Jobst and Baker’s old location, but by the 1990s, the university decided to use the money to renovate Jobst, Baker and Lovelace Hall. By the end of the renovations, the Foster College of Business moved to Lovelace Hall, which is now known as Baker Hall, and Jobst became a larger building.
Westlake Hall
This building was a part of BPI’s original campus and was constructed in 1897 as Horology Hall to house the Parson’s Horological Institute for watchmaking. Westlake is now home to the College of Education and Health Sciences, and while it has undergone renovations, many original pieces remain, such as the clock tower, a doorbell, barreled ceilings and clay tile roof.
Hartmann Center
Hartmann Center was built in 1909 as a gymnasium after a donation from Lydia. The gym, called Hewitt Hall, included bowling alleys, a swimming pool, basketball court, track and more. Plans were made to build a larger gym and convert Hewitt into the Hartmann Center for fine arts in 1965 since the university was struggling to meet physical education requirements with a growing enrollment.
Campus entryway
The brick Bradley entranceway and surrounding landscaping was added in the early 1990s as a result of more than 750 donations totaling $43,860.
