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Lincoln Hall Opening (A New Look for "Old Main")

Lincoln Hall Exterior

A New Look for "Old Main"

Home to PSU's thriving performing arts programs, the historic Lincoln Hall has been restored and updated with new practice and performance spaces—just in time for its 100th birthday.

The traditional brick and column exterior looks much the same as it did when it was built in 1911 as the original home of Lincoln High School. But step inside, and the changes are dramatic.

Quick Facts

» Lincoln Hall, built in 1911 to house Lincoln High School, is the oldest surviving high school building in Portland.

» In 1952, PSU moved into Lincoln Hall, then called Old Main, its first home on the South Park Blocks.

» About 320 original windows were replaced with new energy efficient ones made manufactured in Oregon by Oregonians. The old windows went to The ReBuilding Center in North Portland.

» Green building practices on Lincoln Hall include using sustainable products, recycling debris, and installing solar panels on the roof.

» Green building practices on Lincoln Hall include using sustainable products, recycling debris, and installing solar panels on the roof.

» The School of Fine and Performing Arts is one of the fastest growing schools at PSU.

Sunlight pours in from two original three-story atriums, walled in for storage space in the 1970s and uncovered during the renovation. The 465-seat performance hall is more inviting and versatile. And space once taken up by obsolete mechanical equipment has been transformed into an Acting Studio, a music and video computer lab, and more music practice rooms.

The $30.7 million project preserves, expands and updates a beloved Portland landmark and arts venue used for more than 350 student and community events a year.

What's more, the University is seeking LEED Platinum certification for the restored building, the highest mark of green building practices.

The second phase of the project includes a new street-level entrance and lobby on Southwest Broadway and, if the University raises another $4 million, a striking three-story glass tower that would allow for an expanded dance program and provide a window into the Fine and Performing Arts program at PSU.