Altgeld Hall, nicknamed “the castle on the hill” in its earlier days, reopened in October after a lengthy restoration project meant to reflect the building’s original appearance. The dedication, which took place on Oct. 7, featured speeches from NIU President John Peters, Jerrold Zarr, former vice provost for graduate studies and research and dean of the graduate school, and Eddie Williams, executive vice president of business and finance.

Altgeld’s reconstruction became a challenge for the university as years of accumulated problems surfaced, including asbestos, falling plaster and bad wiring.

Altgeld was the entire university in the beginning, and in the early 1900s the building served as the library, gymnasium, art studio and lecture hall.

“We had a choice between two options,” Williams said. “One was to just deal with the problems and move forward; the other was to try and restore what once was.”

Altgeld stands as a statement for today, reminding students of the past and preparing students for the future, Williams said.

“This is NIU – and what a statement it makes,” Williams said.