Monnett Hall
Monnett Hall was named after Mary Monnett Bain. The school started construction of Monnett in 1858, after Bain helped fund the building. The hall was notable because it was fabricated from bricks and mortar when most buildings in the surrounding area were made of wood. Monnett Hall housed the Ohio Wesleyan Female College until 1877 when the college merged with Ohio Wesleyan University to form one co-ed school. Following the merger, the hall served as a dormitory for Ohio Wesleyan women until 1968. It was razed in 1978 when college administrators were unable to obtain funds to renovate the building. Even though the hall is no longer standing, there are still pieces of it scattered throughout campus in particular locations, like Monnett Garden, to preserve its memory.
Traces of Monnett Hall can be found on Ohio Wesleyan’s campus today. For example, this sign celebrates its legacy. It stands in a memorial garden that was planted after the building was demolished in 1978. The garden is still inspiring students. For example Meg Deeter (Class of 2017) used a Theory-to-practice Grant to create an apiary near the garden. Another example of this lasting importance is Emerson Burkhart (Class of 1927), who was inspired by the story of Monnett Hall after staying in the dorm. She painted a portrait of Mary Monnett that now hangs in the Monnett room in the Mowry Alumni center, along with the stained glass windows from the hall.