Kenney Gym and Kenney Gym Annex

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Military Drill Hall and Men's Gymnasium

| nrhp_type =

| image = Kenny Gym Annex UIUC crop.jpg

| image_size = 400px

| caption = Kenney Gym Annex (2006), built in 1890 as a drill hall

| location = 1402-1406 W. Springfield Ave
Urbana, Illinois

| coordinates = {{coord|40|6|46.43|N|88|13|39.83|W|display=title}}

| built = Drill Hall (Annex): 1890
Gymnasium: 1902

| architect = Drill Hall (Annex): Nathan Clifford Ricker
Gymnasium: Nelson Strong Spencer

| architecture = Gymnasium: Renaissance Revival

| added = November 19, 1986

| mpsub = University of Illinois Buildings by Nathan Clifford Ricker TR

| refnum = 86003144 {{NRISref|2007a}}

}}

File:H. E. Kenney Gymnasium University of Illinois Springfield Avenue entrance.jpg

The Kenney Gym and the Kenney Gym Annex are two buildings located at 1402-06 Springfield Avenue in Urbana, Illinois, on the campus on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Although the two buildings have been physically connected since 1914, they were built separately. They were jointly added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 under the name Military Drill Hall and Men's Gymnasium.[http://www.news-gazette.com/sports/prep-sports/boys-basketball/2012-02-28/chart-toppers-best-area-gyms-watch-prep-game-courtesy- Chart toppers: Best area gyms to watch a prep game, courtesy Marcus Jackson] The News Gazette - February 28, 2012

History

The one-story building now known as the Kenney Gym Annex, the easternmost of the two structures, was built in 1889-90 as the Military Drill Hall and was designed by Nathan Clifford Ricker. The interior was converted for use as a gymnasium in 1914, at which time it became known as the Annex to the Men's Gym building next to it. The conversion preserved the building's large column-free open space, which had been a necessity for military drilling. An eastern addition was made to the building in 1918.[http://ihpa.greatarc.com/pdfs/201424.pdf "NRHP Designation Report"]

The Kenney Gym, the two-story building to the west, was built in 1902 and was designed by Nelson Strong Spencer in the Renaissance Revival style,[http://www.fightingillini.com/facilities/kenneygym.html "H.E. Kenney Gym"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209072900/http://www.fightingillini.com/facilities/kenneygym.html |date=2014-02-09 }} on the Fighting Illini Facilities page strongly influenced by Ricker's design for the drill hall. It was originally called the Men's Gymnasium but was renamed the Men's Old Gym when Huff Hall opened in 1925. In 1974, it was named after Harold Eugene "Hek" Kenney, a former UIUC wrestler, coach, and administrator in the early 20th century.

Prior to the opening of Huff Hall in 1925, Kenney Gym housed the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team. It was also home to the women's volleyball program from 1974 until 1989 and the men's wrestling team until those teams moved to Huff Hall.{{cite web|title=Wrestling|publisher=fightingillini.com|url=http://fightingillini.com/sports/2015/6/27/huffhall_wrestling.aspx|access-date=2017-05-06}}

From 1919 to 1925, Kenney Gym played host to the state finals of the Illinois High School Association boys' basketball tournament.

Current use

Kenney Gym Annex is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena. Kenney Gym is the practice facility for the Fighting Illini men's and women's gymnastics teams.

The buildings are also used by University Laboratory High School in Urbana, located two blocks east of Kenney Gym on Springfield Avenue, as their gym for high school volleyball and basketball, along with their physical education program.

References

Notes

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20060709025731/http://www.campusrec.uiuc.edu/ UIUC Dep't of Campus Recreation]
[http://www.campusrec.uiuc.edu/facilities/kenney.html Kenney Gym]
[http://ihpa.greatarc.com/pdfs/201424.pdf National Register nomination]

Category:Indoor arenas in Illinois

Category:College gymnastics venues in the United States

Category:Defunct college basketball venues in the United States

Category:Gymnastics venues in Illinois

Category:Swimming venues in Illinois

Category:Volleyball venues in Illinois

Category:Wrestling venues in Illinois

Category:College basketball venues in Illinois

Category:Illinois Fighting Illini basketball

Category:Illinois Fighting Illini sports venues

Category:Illinois Fighting Illini men's gymnastics

Category:Illinois Fighting Illini women's gymnastics