U.S. Naval Academy, Melville Hall, Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, MD

Significance: Melville Hall, built in 1937 along the line of Griffin Hall in the direction of Dorsey Creek copies the scale and materials of the earlier buildings of the Isherwood Complex in a rudimentary way that lacks their architectural detailing. Melville utilizes the same grey brick, granite, quoins, and copper cornice with cast iron anchors as the other buildings. It is the same two and a half story height as other buildings of the complex. Nonetheless it lacks the sculptured features and projecting entrances of the other buildings. Melville is poorly sited in reference to the Beaux Arts plan for the Academy by Flagg. To carry out the symmetry of this plan it should have been placed to the northeast of Isherwood as the mirror image of Griffin. Unfortunately the curve of shoreline prevented such a siting, and Melville was placed further along Decatur Road as an extension of Griffin. This arrangement obscured much of the water view of Dorsey Creek from Warden Field. Like the other buildings in the complex Melville's significant is associated with the technological education of American naval officers. However, no significant research or technological discoveries are known to have occurred in the building.
Survey number: HABS MD-329-10
Building/structure dates: 1937
Building/structure dates: 1952 Subsequent Work
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 66000386