Heston Hall

Originally the Madison Community Hospital, this 35-bed hospital building opened to the public on August 1, 1920 at a total building cost of $175,000.³⁶  In 1962 Madison’s present hospital replaced the original and the original building was left vacant except for two doctors until January 19, 1963 when the Campus Training School burned to the ground.³⁷ “The school board met that very night and voted to rent the hospital to house the 210 grade school students, using the basement, second, and third floors.³⁷”  The building failed as a schoolhouse; two-patient rooms could not practically serve the needs of a thirty-student classroom. The building, still in good condition, was purchased by the State of South Dakota in April 1966.³⁷ However, at the time no one knew what the building would be used for.³⁷

Fate dictated that the building would be used for Dakota State College administration. The administration building was readied in 1971 at a total project cost of $477.702.38.²⁶ The building was named after President John W. Heston, whose greatest achievement was the building of the Campus Training School in 1916.³⁹  At its 1971 opening, the building contained seventeen offices, six executive suites, three conference rooms, a data processing center, a post office, and a printing center.⁴⁰ The offices were those of the president, academic dean, institutional development, business manager, registrar, dean of men, nurse, and admissions and records.³⁷

Dakota State University • All rights Reserved
Completed by Spring 2004 Class of English 401
Last updated Spring 2004