Munro Hall

Men's Residence Hall from The Eastman School of Music, 1947-1962:  A Sequel, by Charles Riker, page 44.

Munro Hall opened in 1939 as a women's dormitory for the College for Women, replacing the smaller Munro House at 41 Prince Street.  Like the earlier building, it was named for Annette Gardner Munro, first dean of the College for Women.  The building became a dormitory for Eastman School men after the College for Women moved to River Campus in 1955 and became known as the Men's Residence Hall.  . 

After the new Eastman Commons dormitory was built, Munro Hall and the adjacent Women's Dormitories (built in 1925-26) were sold to the city in 1991 for the relocated School of the Arts.  Munro Hall was  demolished to make room for the new school building.

References
1939 "New UR 'Dorm' to Honor Dean," Democrat and Chronicle, February 12, 1939, Page 35.
Will be named Munro Hall in honor of Annette G. Munroe, dean emeritus of the Women's College.

1939 "Miss Binderup To Head Munro Hall," Tower Times, September 29, 1939, Page 3.

1955 "Men Move into Prince St. Dorm," Democrat and Chronicle, September 27, 1955, Page 26.
But the women were long gone.

1955 "Annette G. Munro, UR's First Dean of Women, Dies," Democrat and Chronicle, October 4, 1955, Page 15.
Dean of women from 1910 to 1930.

1977 History of the University of Rochester, by Arthur J. May (on-line version with footnotes)
Chapter 27, Undergraduates and Graduates in the Thirties
When Munro House came into use, it was stated that the name of the first Dean would be affixed to a "more stately mansion" if and when it was built--and that came to pass in 1939. Two years before, the trustees approved the erection of a new residential hall on the west side of Prince Street slightly northwest of the former presidential home, and Mrs. Valentine was put in charge of furnishings and decoration.
Greek revival in architectural style, topped by a quaint circular tower, the handsome brick structure with limestone trim consisted of three interlinked sections (the most southerly being attached to the Eastman School dormitories) of four stories. Depending on need, the residence would accommodate anywhere from eighty to one hundred and fifty students. There was a pleasing foyer, a graceful spiral staircase, a luxurious lounge and library, a large dining hall with a photomural on one wall of early Rochester (a knowing person could detect the first home of the U. of R.), rooms in which to entertain guests, and modest provision for sunbathing on the roof. First occupied in September of 1939, this "dream dormitory" made "each girl feel herself the original Prince Street Princess."
Chapter 33, The First Century Ends
To alleviate overcrowding in living quarters, Munro Hall was rearranged (1946) to take care of twenty-two more students; occupants assigned to fifth floor rooms were obliged to climb eighty-six steps to what they tagged "The Pant House." The possibility of quartering about ten "quiet, ladylike girls" in the Valentine home was examined, but discarded. Plans to erect new buildings at Prince Street were held up by the suggestion that a projected New York State Thruway might traverse University Avenue; trustees registered vigorous protests in Albany against that route.
Chapter 39, The Eastman School--The Postwar Years
Proper housing for men students became increasingly urgent. The Director welcomed, therefore, President de Kiewiet's suggestion at the time of the merger that the Eastman School take over Munro Hall for use as men's dormitory. Since it housed only 143, he feared it might prove small, but later this figure was stretched to 154 and room was found on the ground floor for the School's infirmary. The Middle States evaluators judged it one of the most spacious residences of the entire University. Built in 1939 as a dormitory for the College for Women, Munro Hall was still young and structurally sound, a far better building than could be had at inflated postwar prices. It was nearer the downtown campus than the planned dormitory on the Hutchison House property, and the fact that it was close to the Eastman women's dormitory complex would not be detrimental to the "spirit and solidarity" and "new sense of coherence" desired for the School by Director and President alike. After its acquisition, the question was raised of renaming the dormitory for Hanson, as more appropriate for a music school and for men students; action was tabled, however, out of loyalty to the first dean of the College for Women and in deference to the University's longstanding policy against naming buildings for living individuals. In point of fact, the dormitory became known simply as the Men's Residence Hall, and in 1968 Dear Munro's name was affixed to one of the student housing units at Hill Court on the River Campus.

1990 "Council OKs site of school," Democrat and Chronicle, July 7, 1990, Page 1B. | Part 2. |
School of the Arts to move to Eastman dormitory.

© 2021 Morris A. Pierce