Stimson Hall, Yonsei University, Seoul

About this place

This is the first building erected at Yonsei University, a two-story stone structure construction begun in 1919 and completed in 1920. The founder of Yonhui College (the predecessor of Yonsei University), Reverend Horace Grant Underwood, returned to his American homeland and secured a donation from Charles Stimson, a Los Angeles resident, before passing away. His successor, principal Avison, used the donation to construct this building. Underwood's widow laid the cornerstone, and chemistry professor Miller supervised the construction. The designer is unknown, but American architects of the time reportedly came to Korea to draft plans. The building features a rectangular floor plan with a gabled roof and is built in the Gothic style.