The Museum-Gymnasium
A piece of history goes up in flames
If you go to Heidelberg University, you've no doubt heard about the many fires across Tiffin and at the University over the years. In 1985, this building (which had been on the historic register) caught fire and burned to the point of uselessness. What was this building, and how was it lost to flame?
Why did we have a museum, anyway?
To fully answer that question, go back and read about the John Kost story (linked at the bottom of the page. The gist is, Kost gave Heidelberg a huge museum collection, and they needed to put it somewhere.
The problem was, Heidelberg students really didn't seem to care about the scientific and cultural value of Kost's collection. They wanted a gymnasium. When Kost left Heidelberg, the newly minted university decided to compromise... and give the building a dual purpose. By the 1940's, the student's disdain for the Museum taking up half the allotted room in the building had become an urban legend, as shown in the Kil article to the right.
The Museum-Gymnasium building continued to have use on Heidelberg's campus even once the museum specimens were moved to Laird Hall (now, Adams Hall) and a new gymnasium was built.
The building next became a student recreation center named the Castle - exactly the sort of place Student Princes should hang out in their free time.
Current Student Princes, you may have heard this name back during the naming contest for the new coffee shop. Here is where the name came from!
When the building eventually burned down, many alumni mourned the loss of the building in which they spent so much time with their friends and formed many of their favorite Heidelberg memories.
Highlights of the Castle's offerings included:
- A snack bar
- A lounge
- A game room
Note that by the time the building became the castle, the second name change back to Heidelberg college had occured! Learn more about this by clicking the button below:
After its stint as a recreation center, the building switched purposes again: The Fine Arts building and football locker room.
It is during this time period that the building suffered major damage due to fire.
On October 3, 1985, the building suddenly caught fire overnight. No member of the Heidelberg or Tiffin communities were hurt, but the same cannot be said for the building itself.
The fire itself
The fire consumed the interior parts of the building, leading to huge structural damage and large losses of both academic and sports equipment.
The next morning
The next morning, all that was left standing were the exterior brick walls of this historic building.
So what caused the fire?
- Advertiser-Tribune, Friday, October 4, 1985
