Background
For nearly forty years, what was known as "Old Main" was the sole building on the Barat College campus in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Built in 1904, the building was home to the Seminary of the Sacred Heart. Barat College was incorporated in 1918, and dormitories
and the Chapel were added to Old Main in the 1920s. The Old Main building served both the Sacred Heart Academy and Barat College
until 1961. By the 1940s, with rising attendance, improvements were needed for the building. Science laboratories and classrooms
were added to the fourth floor. The library was relocated to a larger space in the building. Designed by Alphonse M. Schmitt,
the new library was ready for use in November 1942. During the 1950s, six new buildings were added to the Barat College campus.
These buildings included the Gymnasium and Theatre (named the Hilton Building and completed in Fall 1956) and the Dormitory
and Dining Hall (named Stuart Dining Hall and Conference Center. Students began moving in October 1957).