Many students at Quincy University know Helein Hall as a male residence hall, but not everyone knows it used to house both men and women. The building has changed over the years, and two students had different answers when asked if they knew about its history.

Helein Hall, located near the corner of 20th and Chestnut streets, currently houses upperclassmen men at Quincy University. The residence hall offers single and double rooms, a lounge with a pool table and ping pong table, laundry facilities and an outdoor area where residents can relax. But before it became a male-only dorm, the building had a different purpose. 

Helein Hall was originally built in 1960 and was known as Centennial Hall. It started as a women’s residence hall before becoming coed, with one wing for men and the other for women. In 2011, Centennial Hall was renamed Helein Hall. Today, the building is used as a residence hall for upperclassmen men. 

When asked if he knew Helein Hall used to be a coed dorm, Jonathan Van Hook said he already knew about the building’s history.

“I’ve been here for a minute so and some of my teammates that were older than me were around when they had girls and boys in here so it’s not a surprise to me,” Van Hook says.

Van Hook’s answer shows that some students are aware of how campus housing has changed over the years. While students usually focus on where they live now, the history behind the buildings can be something they do not think about very often.

Daniel Gibson had a different response when asked the same question. Unlike Van Hook, Gibson did not know that Helein Hall used to house both men and women.

 “That’s crazy. I thought it was an all boys dorm since it was next to an all girls dorm,” Gibson says.

Gibson’s answer shows that not every student knows about the history of the residence halls on campus. For students who are newer to Quincy University, it can be easy to think that the way a building is used today is the way it has always been used.

“If I were to guess they became an all guys dorm because of privacy reasons,” Gibson says.

The difference between the two answers shows how students can have different levels of knowledge about the university they attend. Some may learn about campus history from other students, while others may not hear about it until someone brings it up.

Helein Hall is just one example of how Quincy University has changed over time. Residence halls can have different uses as student housing needs change, and buildings that students see every day can have a history that many people do not know about.

The next time students walk past Helein Hall, they may see more than just a place where upperclassmen live. They may also think about how the building once housed both men and women and how the university’s campus has changed through the years.