Gilman Hall, in Baltimore, Maryland, was
designed by Douglas Thomas, was the first major academic building. Based upon Homewood House, it began the tradition of Federal-style academic buildings on campus. Construction began in 1913, and the building was dedicated on May 21, 1915, and named for Daniel Coit Gilman, the first president of the university. Gilman Hall underwent a major 3-year renovation that was completed in 2010. Commonly referred to as "The HUT", the Hutzler Reading Room is open on a 24-hour basis during the academic year. Located in Gilman Hall, opposite the Eisenhower Library, the HUT occupies a central room in the oldest academic building on the Homewood Campus, featuring a high ceiling and beautiful stained-glass windows. It is well suited for group study and contains a non-circulating collection of reference works, books, magazines, and newspapers. A special science fiction and fantasy collection circulates for one-month periods. Gilman Hall exterior. Photo by Carol Highsmith, 2012.