Kohler Hall

Ohio · United States · Church

Built in the mid 1800s and used as a hospital in the Civil War. The list of what else it has been is long, and the basement is where most of it comes back.

Kohler Hall at Berea, Ohio is a student residence built in the middle of the nineteenth century, and used as a hospital during the Civil War.

The list of its other uses, as passed down by students, runs to a stop on the Underground Railroad, a psychiatric institution, an orphanage and a morgue.

That list deserves a raised eyebrow. Almost every old college building in the United States acquires the same catalogue, and the specific combination of asylum, orphanage and morgue turns up so often that it functions as a formula rather than a history. The Civil War hospital use is the part most likely to be documented, since Ohio buildings of this size were requisitioned routinely.

The basement is where most reports come from, which is also where a hospital of that era would have kept the dead.

The building is student housing and is not open to visitors.

FAQ

Where is Kohler Hall located?

Kohler Hall is in Ohio, United States.