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Fondren Hall

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What was once a swimming pool is now a place to dive into a good book. We’re standing in front of Fondren Hall, a building with a fascinating past. Fondren Hall, originally known as The Natatorium, was built in 1895. It was designed to house a luxurious swimming pool, fed by artesian well water. The building’s rough, load-bearing exterior walls, constructed with coursed rubble limestone and featuring segmental arches on three sides, hint at its grand history. The Natatorium was a groundbreaking achievement, being the first indoor swimming facility west of the Mississippi River. Today, Fondren Hall has traded its swimming legacy to become home to the campus bookstore. It stands as a testament to the evolution of this university, from a time when indoor swimming pools were a luxury to an era where knowledge and learning are the treasures held within its walls.

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