Built in 1913, Knapp hall was completed efficiently and swiftly enough to be open for Berea’s winter term classes. In January 1914, Knapp hall opened as a school for training future teachers. The building, as it was small, was limited in the number of students it could take. Still, it was also used as a school for students of all grades, elementary to high school, to provide a quality education for students and teachers alike.
Its multiple entrances were originally designed so that people could move in and out of the building fluidly, with minimal crowding around the doors. Observation galleries were designed for some classrooms. The classrooms were used for two grades at a time, pairing students close in age and education level together. Many teachers have learned in this building how to best educate students. Since its opening just over a hundred years ago, Knapp hall continues to serve as the building where students who desire to be teachers learn. Education Majors lovingly joke that they “live” in Knapp Hall, where the majority of their classes take place. Every student is dedicated, spending late nights studying in Knapp, preparing teaching plans that are not only a part of their homework but also the plans that they will use to teach students at the community school. Educating students is not so easy as writing on a board and passing out assignments, and the students of Knapp Hall will gladly tell you how much they love to learn how to teach more effectively. The building will continue to cater to the quality education of future teachers for many years to come. —Caitlin Stone ’16
- Date Opened: 1914
- Most Recent Renovation: 2014
- Square Feet: 12,877