George H. Jones Memorial Hall

Fargo College had purchased a tract of land southwest and adjacent to Island Park, but it had no buildings. This situation changed with an endowment by James P. Gould and his sister, Mrs. Lucinda S. Bassett of Buxton, ND. The Gould's donated $20,000 to the new college and thus made possible its first building, named for Gould's half-brother, George H. Jones. The building was finished in 1890 at a cost of $35,000.

According to an 1893 Fargo College catalog the building contained dormitory rooms for about 40 students, a chapel with a seating capacity of 350, six large recitation rooms, a library, and a chemical laboratory. The building also contained a kitchen, dining hall, and other rooms. The students' rooms were described as each having a large closet and were "partly furnished." The whole building was heated by steam.

The 1906 photograph above shows the chapel. I believe the organ can be seen on the far left of the picture.

Jones Hall contained the College library until a separate library was built in 1910. The 1906 photograph above shows the Fargo College library while it was in Jones Hall.