College Hall
Merom Camp & Retreat Center
8555 Phillip Street, Merom
Lofty Vision
Generations of people have attended camps, retreats, classes, and special events at College Hall, a five-story brick building at the heart of Merom Camp and Retreat Center in western Indiana. The community affirmed its support for College Hall’s preservation after it appeared on Indiana Landmarks’ 10 Most Endangered list last year. Now, the towering landmark needs a fundraising boost as camp leaders prioritize repairs.
Constructed between 1859 and 1863 for Union Christian College, the hall’s design spoke to the founders’ lofty aspirations as one of the state’s earliest places of higher education, open to both male and female students. After the college closed in 1924, the Romanesque Revival-style building reopened as Merom Institute, a religious camp and retreat.
Since the building’s 10 Most listing last year, the nonprofit organization has secured a $24,500 grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs to make improvements to College Hall’s theater, recognizing the building’s potential as a valuable community gathering space in the rural community. But urgent work is still needed to address crumbling and collapsed masonry, leaky windows and plumbing, and failing mechanical systems. Securing funding for a rehabilitation assessment to determine next steps is a top priority to safeguard the building and halt further deterioration.
Tommy Kleckner
Director
Indiana Landmarks Western Regional Office
812-232-4534
tkleckner@indianalandmarks.org
Beth Reed
Board Member
Merom Camp & Retreat Center, Inc.
812-243-1827
beth.reed1018@gmail.com
Saving threatened buildings takes teamwork. You can be a part of that team. Reach out to local leaders. Let them know these buildings are important to you. And support state and local preservation groups.