Mackay Hall: Parkville, MO

Set on a hill overlooking the Missouri River, MacKay Hall was built by students enrolled at Park University. The oldest building on campus, it serves as a focal for both the campus and the surrounding town of Parkville, Missouri. Designed by Hannibal, Missouri native James Oliver Hogg, MacKay Hall is constructed of limestone that was quarried by students on the grounds of the school. Today the building houses classrooms and administrative offices for the university.

Founded in 1875 by Colonel George Shepard Park and Dr. John A. McAfee as a Christian college, Parkville University incorporated a unique practical training element into its educational program. In addition to their studies, students at the university worked a variety of jobs around campus including general maintenance, gardening, laundry, clerical work, and operating the university’s 1,200-acre farm.

MacKay Hall is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as “an example of late-nineteenth century Eclectic architecture, as a product of student workmanship, and as a reflection of the college’s history and unique ‘self-help’ educational philosophy.