Historic Timeline

1890s -1900s

• The Massachusetts Legislature establishes the State Normal School at North Adams in 1894.
• The North Adams Normal School (now Murdock Hall) was completed in 1897. The building is made of yellow brick and white marble with metal roofs. An Italian style, it is one-hundred and fifty-two feet long, eighty-four feet deep and three stories and a basement in height. It is of slow-burning construction, the floor timbering and the roof being carried with steel beams and trusses.
• The State Normal School Building offers classrooms, laboratories, reception the roof being carried with steel beams and trusses.
• The third floor is used for cooking classes. The basement contains the boiler, engine, heating and janitors rooms.
• The tradition of planting ivy at the base of the building begins.

1910 - 1920

• The State Normal School Building offers classrooms, laboratories, reception rooms, coat and toilet rooms, assembly halls, offices, libraries, drawing and art rooms and the principals classroom.
• The building offers many of the same uses as when it was built.

• The name of the building changes from College Hall to Murdock Hall in honor of the School's first principal, Frank Fuller Murdock in 1922.
• The basement houses rooms for woodwork, printing, basketry, chair seating and a photographic art room.
• The third floor is home to the kitchen, dining room, chamber, sewing room, kindergarten and art rooms.
• The building offers many of the same uses as when it was built.

• The School's name is changed to North Adams State Teacher's College in 1932.
• The Extension Department is added to the first story.
• Household arts laboratories are added to the third floor.
• Murdock Hall contains many of the same rooms as in the previous decade.

• It contains classrooms, offices, the library, laboratories, the art gallery, assembly hall and dining room.
• Murdock Hall has not changed a great deal.

• Murdock Hall offers classrooms and lecture halls, the library, guidance clinic, administration offices, laboratories and the art gallery.
• It also houses an assembly hall or auditorium, which with moveable chairs and an extremely small stage area, is considered to be less than satisfactory to many.
• A make-shift gymnasium is added to the basement.
• The former Men's Athletic Association quarters in Murdock Hall is converted into a lounge for students called, Koffee Korner.
• The College is at a crossroads with inadequate facilities in Murdock Hall. Administration officials are contemplating either renovating the building or closing it completely.

1960s

• The College's name is changed to the State College at North Adams in 1960.
• It is then changed to North Adams State College in 1967.
• Murdock Hall is renovated in 1960.
• It offers classrooms and lecture halls, the guidance clinic and administration offices. A new art room is added.
• As part of the renovation, a self-service elevator is installed.
• The library is moved to the former auditorium and its size is doubled.
• Laboratories are converted into regular classrooms, the gymnasium is converted into student cafeteria and an oil heating system is installed.
• Also contained in Murdock is the bookstore and speech clinic.

• Murdock Hall is renovated again.
• The building provides laboratories, classrooms, offices, psychology laboratories, seminar rooms and the Northern Berkshire Child Guidance Center, as well as offices of Graduate and Continuing Education.
• The television studio is opened on the second floor in 1976.
• The student newspaper, The Seed moves from the third floor of the Campus Center to the basement of Murdock in 1977.
• The television studio is opened on the second floor in 1976.

1980s

• Murdock Hall provides classrooms, offices, seminar rooms, laboratories, maintenance offices, the student newspaper and television studio.
• Among the academic departments in the building are: Business, Administration-Economics, English, History, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work.
• Other offices in Murdock include, Graduate and Continuing Education, Skills/Special Services, the Copy Center, Facilities and Campus Police.
• The building is named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

1990s

• Murdock Hall houses 91 employees in small offices with only a few small classrooms. Plans are made to renovate the building to its original intent -- that of an academic building for the purpose of instruction and student development.
• The College radio station, WJJW, moves to the basement of Murdock Hall from the Campus Center in 1994.
• The Copy Center moves to Venable Hall; Campus Police moves to the Campus Center and Facilities moves to the Flagg Townhouses (and later moves to its own building on Ashland Street).
• The College's name is changed to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in 1997.
• Faculty in the Departments of Business Administration & Economics, English Communications, History, Psychology, and Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work have their offices in Murdock Hall.
• Also housed in Murdock Hall were the Graduate & Continuing Education offices. When the College went to the One-College-Concept, these offices were absorbed by Registrar, Bursar, and Academic Affairs. The CareerServicesCenter moves to this area from the AmslerCampusCenter.
• Learning Services, the student newspaper, college mailroom, Administrative Services’ offices, and television studio have their offices in the building.
• The College also provides office areas in Murdock Hall to two community services. One is the Community & Cultural Council; the other is the Northern Berkshire Association of Retarded Citizens that operates a bulk mailing center.
• Changes to the exterior of the building are few. Paving bricks are laid by College staff to create a walkway to Murdock. Also, the few trees on Murdock Lawn are removed.
• When Murdock Hall was built, two sets of wrought iron gates were attached to what was then the back entrance of the building. To create a formal entrance to campus, one set of gates was removed and restored in 1997 and now stand as this entrance.

• The 2000s will see the most dramatic changes to Murdock Hall due to its renovation. All offices in the building were temporarily moved to other locations and continue to operate from these locations. The building remains under the control of the Massachusetts Department of Capital Asset Management until the $8 million project is completed.
• Plans for the renovated Murdock will feature faculty offices for Business Administration & Economics, Computer Science, and Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work as well as staff offices for the Computer Support Services Department, state-of-the-art computer laboratories, classrooms, and meeting/conference spaces.
• Weekly meetings continue to be held to maintain communication and to provide appropriate results.
• ATAG subcommittees evaluated appropriate technical equipment and furniture.

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