The first instruction building for Milwaukee-Downer College was named Merrill Hall after Mr. William P. Merrill who gave $10,000 for the construction of the building. The building was designed by Alexander Eschweiler and Howland Russell in collaboration, and the cornerstone was laid on June 16, 1898.
Lets begin with the basement of Merrill Hall. In 1900, Mr. James Bryden provided the funding for two bowling alleys that were installed in the basement of Merrill Hall.
City Student’s Lounge, Milwaukee-Downer College Bulletin November 1946, Series 29, Number 2, From the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives, Milw Mss L Series 10 Box 3 
City Students Lunch Room, From the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives, Milw Mss L Series 11 Box 5 Folder 9 
City Student’s Lounge, From the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives, Milw Mss L Series 9 Volume 1
The basement would later be renovated in 1937 to be used by the city students as lunch rooms. As a result of these renovations, the bowling alleys were moved to the basement of Johnston Hall. In 1942, the bowling alleys were moved again to the basement of Greene Hall until they were removed by UWM in 1964.
The first floor had classrooms for French, German, Spanish, and Sociology. The first floor also held the entrance to the chapel which was adorned with Several statues taken from Milwaukee College. Two of them were named Sophocles and Aeschines. Students of Milwaukee-Downer College would later nickname them Mr. and Mrs. Downer.
Here, you can see Sophocles along with a Tiffany clock in front of the Chapel entrance. This clock was placed by Kate Flanders Duryea in memory of her father Walter Flanders the first treasurer of Milwaukee Female College. It was named the Flanders clock.
Merrill Hall Chapel, Lawrence University Archives, ARC2007-064 
Merrill Hall Chapel, Milwaukee-Downer College Bulletin 1902, From the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives, Milw Mss L Series 10 Box 1 Folder 3 
Merrill Hall Chapel Postcard, From the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives, Milw Mss L Series 11 Box 1 Folder 2
The chapel in Merrill Hall was used for daily mass, a meeting space, and graduation ceremonies. It was also the only lecture hall on campus until Sabin Hall was built in 1928.
Merrill Hall Chapel, The history of Milwaukee-Downer College, 1851-1951, Grace Norton Kieckhefer, November 1950, Series 33, Number 2, From the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Library, MKE Main Collection, LD 7251 .M66 M585 
Merrill Hall Projector Room. Credit: Cael Byrne 
Merrill Hall Projector Room. Credit: Cael Byrne Credit: Cael Byrne
When the chapel was originally built, there was a balcony above the back of the chapel which was accessible on the second floor. Nowadays, it is used as a projector room.
There is also an attic space above the chapel that can be accessed on the third floor if you have the right keys.
The second floor was occupied by English, Psychology, Educational Psychologу, Occupational Therapy, and Political Science classes. The third floor of Merrill Hall housed labs for chemistry, physics, and biology as well as an art studio and a museum of historical and scientific artifacts presumably taken from Milwaukee College’s collection.
We were not able to find any information on what the fourth and fifth floors were used for, but they have been closed to the public for decades. However, we were able to get an exclusive tour.
The fourth floor has an unfinished room with a walkway leading to a window, as well as a large room full of HVAC equipment for the building.
The fifth floor is another unfinished room with a walkway. There is a ladder that leads up to the roof, but we weren’t allowed up there. At one end of the walkway is another unfinished room with a window. At the other end is a mysterious door.
Merrill Hall Observatory. Credit: Cael Byrne Credit: Cael Byrne 
Merrill Hall Observatory. Credit: Cael Byrne Credit: Cael Byrne 
Merrill Hall Observatory. Credit: Cael Byrne Credit: Cael Byrne 
Merrill Hall Observatory. Credit: Cael Byrne Credit: Cael Byrne 
Merrill Hall Observatory. Credit: Cael Byrne Credit: Cael Byrne 
View of Sabin Hall and Greene Memorial Museum from the windows of The Observatory. Credit: Cael Byrne Credit: Cael Byrne 
View of Greene Hall from the windows of The Observatory. Credit: Cael Byrne Credit: Cael Byrne 
View of The Chapel from the windows of The Observatory. Credit: Cael Byrne Credit: Cael Byrne 
View from the windows of The Observatory. Credit: Cael Byrne Credit: Cael Byrne
Behind that door is the remnants of what used to be Merrill Hall’s Observatory. It is no longer functional, but you can still see the large circular gear that would’ve rotated the observatory’s roof.
However, In the telescope’s place, there is a chimney. So what happened to the telescope?
Well, In 1875 Hiram Barber presented a telescope to Milwaukee College manufactured by the famous American telescope maker Alvan Clark and Sons which they used to open an observatory. After the merger, in 1904 the observatory in Merrill Hall was opened. It was equipped with the telescope and instruments originally given to Milwaukee College.
The telescope was purchased by UWM in 1964. Because of its value and fear for its security, it was removed from the Merrill Hall observatory in 1965. According to an essay we found on Merrill Hall’s history by Paul H. Schultz, the telescope was stored in the physics and engineering building in the 70s. The Smithsonian Institution wanted the school to donate the telescope to them because they didn’t have a complete Alvan Clark telescope from 1870.
Nowadays, it is stored in a display case at the American Geographical Society Library on the third floor of UWM’s Golda Meir Library.
Merrill Hall Gallery:
Merrill Hall Interior Gallery:
