The MSU Board of Trustees approved to name the nature plaza the Justin S. Morrill Plaza at its meeting Sept. 13, 2013. The site is waiting for trees to be planted to be completed. Brian Palmer/ State News
While Justin S. Morrill Hall is no longer around, the name still will linger over the new landscaped plaza that will be replacing the building.
The MSU Board of Trustees approved the new nature area Justin S. Morrill Plaza at its meeting last Friday. The nature area is open for students to use, but small tasks such as planting trees still must be done.
The plaza has been designed with help from students in the MSU’s Landscape Architecture Program to honor and preserve the history of the former Morrill Hall of Agriculture, which was taken down earlier this year.
“The designs the students did were a product of the Big Ten Graphic Workshop in 2011,” Senior Specialist Design Studio Instructor Paul Nieratko said. “It’s a biannual event, and we look for a service project. We were pointed to the Morrill Plaza for design intervention.”
Participating students in landscape architecture and interior design majors worked alongside other Big Ten student representatives on the project. The students helped determine where the trees were planted, Nieratko said.
“The main concept was to reflect on the original Morrill Hall hallway,” Nieratko said.
“Trees will be planted lining the middle path, creating a hallway feel. It was the students’ idea to use stone salvaged from the building, and they recycled old mullions — support bars that hold panes of glass — from the original Morrill Hall windows. It was a really cool effort from the students.”
History professor Lisa Fine also was involved with the plaza design, helping to create a “historical marker.”
“I worked with a committee to help create a historical marker, much like the ones all around campus,” Fine said. “It will provide some text that commemorates Morrill Hall.”
The plaza and the former hall were named to recognize the Morrill Land Grant Act, which established the nation’s land-grant universities.
The original Morrill Hall also was initially established as the Women’s Building.
Honoring the original hall and its history was key, MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said in a statement.
“We want to keep this spirit alive because we are proud of who we are at our core,” Simon said. “It’s not just about celebrating a legacy, it’s about celebrating enduring values.”
Students also expressed appreciation with the decision to develop an honorary plaza, where students can relax and enjoy the environment.
Communications senior Tony Biallas said it was a good way to move forward while still remembering the past.
“I love that they can reuse old materials,” Biallas said. “Open areas are what I like about MSU, so (the plaza) will really add to campus.”
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