The current Roble Hall, pre-1920. (Click on picture to enlarge.)
The current Roble Hall is actually the second residence to bear that name at Stanford. According to an article by Jane Lilly that appeared in the Spring/Summer 2006 issue of the Stanford Historical Society's "Sandstone & Tile," the first Roble was built to house the 80 women of the first class in 1891. Rushed for time, the builders used a newly created system of construction—reinforced concrete—and completed the building just in time for the university's first women students. Men in the first class lived in Encina Hall.
According to the Stanford Historical Society's "Chronology of Stanford University and its Founders" by Karen Bartholomew, Claude Brinegar and Roxanne Nilan, initial residences were owned and operated by the Stanford Estate Business Office, rather than the university. Lodging, board, heat and light were provided for between $20 and $23 per month. According to the Chronology, Leland Stanford insisted that costs be kept low so that low-income students would not be discouraged from attending Stanford.
Although Roble Hall weathered well the 1907 earthquake that damaged much of the rest of campus, a new Roble Hall was constructed in 1918 to meet expanding needs of female students, according to Lilly's article. The original Roble was renamed Sequoia Hall and used first to house men and then for academic purposes. That building, located on Serra Street, was later demolished.
George Kelham was selected to design the new Roble. He was the architect of the San Francisco Public Library and the Palace Hotel. According to Lilly, Kelham "creatively blended Renaissance and Spanish styles in the hall's design." He originally saw Roble as "two H-plans side by side," which Lilly notes "maximized the window-to-room ratio and courtyard space." At the time, the H-plan was considered quite innovative. But the university built only one of the H-plans. Today, the "C" wing remains a more remote wing connected to the "H" by a first-floor walkway. According to the Chronology, Roble was "considered one of the most up-to-date dormitories in the country when constructed." It shares its unusual hollow clay tile exterior construction with Hoover House, now home to the university's president.
The first 154 students in the new Roble lived in one-room singles or three-room doubles. A driveway allowed for vehicular access to the front door. In addition, Roble students had their own first-floor dining rooms and kitchenettes on each floor. Because it was designed for women, Roble had many social and intimate, home-like settings, as opposed to residences designed specifically for men. In addition, Roble had a "house mother" who monitored those coming in and out. And, in fact, Roble did not become co-ed until 1968.
Roble was also designated one of two homes for the Latino community in 1970-71, an era in which ethnic theme dorms were introduced. Lilly reports that Chicano students comprised half of all residents on A wing. This was also the era in which a space crunch prompted three-room doubles to become triples and quads. They remain so today.
In 1987, Roble was briefly shut down because of concerns about earthquake safety. In her article, Lilly reports that some 300 "Roble Refugees" relocated throughout campus. Roble reopened in September of 1989, just weeks before the Loma Prieta earthquake struck.
The original Roble Hall at the time of the university's opening.
(Click on picture to enlarge.)
In 2006-07, Roble was treated to a $17 million renovation that spanned two summers. The renovation featured seismic retrofitting (including 18,000 pounds of steel ties between B and C wings), fire safety and infrastructure upgrades, door access control and wireless computing. A new elevator was also installed, and new lights, finishes and furniture were added throughout.
As part of the historic renovation, original interior staircase handrails were preserved, but raised to accommodate the increased height of today's average person and to meet code requirements. Detailing of elegant plaster ornamentation was highlighted in constrasting colors. Exterior clay tiles were cleaned and wood trim restored.
During the renovation, workers discovered an historic photograph of a young man in the wall between a kitchenette and student room 153. An inscription reads, "Janet, Night and Day, Justin," perhaps a reference to the Cole Porter 1932 song, "Night and Day." Also found were four original Corinthian column capitals that were abandoned in the basement of B wing.