Filed Under Missoula

The Oval

The University of Montana Historic District

Professor Frederick Scheuch and first university President Oscar Craig created the original campus master plan in 1895. The plan specified that the entrances of all immediate and future campus buildings were to face the center of a large oval. Ovals were a formal element commonly used in landscape design of the late nineteenth century, especially on academic campuses. Although only Main Hall and Science Hall (razed in 1984) were placed exactly according to the Craig-Scheuch plan, the beautifully landscaped Oval, surrounded by its eclectic collection of early buildings, remains a focal point of the campus.

Images

The Oval
The Oval The Oval at the University of Montana. Overview of the Oval, facing the southwest with Women's Hall in the background and cars lapping the path known as the Oval. Source: Montana History Portal Creator: Morton J. Elrod Date: Unknown
The Oval
The Oval Aerial view of the Oval with a back view of Main Hall. Stands for the football field can be seen at bottom of the photograph. The photo is facing the southwest. Source: Montana History Portal Creator: Rollin H. McKay Date: June 1941

Location

32 Campus Drive, Missoula, Montana | Public

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “The Oval,” Historic Montana, accessed April 19, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/970.