Many may have noticed that the substantial steps leading up to Catt Hall have recently gone missing. 

The home of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is going through a complete reconstruction and will soon be redesigned.

“Earlier this year, settlement was observed in some sections of the stairway,” said Dean L. McCormick, director for design and construction services at Facilities Planning and Management. “An investigation determined that sections of the support structure for the stairs had begun to deteriorate. As a result, the support structure has been removed and will be replaced with a redesigned structure and new steps will be installed.”

The stairs have been closed off all summer since being deemed unsafe.

Construction work on the steps began in September and the steps were taken out about two weeks ago; everything underneath is now exposed.

The expected completion date for the entire project is November.

“There has been lots of traffic and it has taken students a while to find the entrance to the building,” said David Oliver, administrative head and interim LAS dean. “I just don’t like the hassle with my bicycle. It is a pretty small project and hopefully it will be done soon.”

The new steps will be made out of granite and will last much longer than the past set.

The old steps did not last as long because they were cement. It was up for debate what the steps would be made out of, but ultimately granite was chosen to ensure safety for students and faculty.

“The work on the Catt Hall steps is necessary to make sure the stairs can be used safely for access to the building,” McCormick said.

The building, also known as Agricultural Hall, Botany Hall and Old Botany, has gone through many renovations over the years.

Catt Hall was built in 1892 and opened the following year. The structure was designed with “steep roofs, dormer windows and patterned brickwork,” according to the LAS website description, and an addition was added in 1903.

Over the years, Catt Hall eventually began to deteriorate, along with the steps.

“Before the building’s renovation, it was just about ready to fall down; just a big mess,” Oliver said. “But due to some campaigning and fundraising, the building was restored and the steps were constructed in 1994. We have been having problems for the past 10 years. The stairs were just crumbling.”

Many departments have moved in and out of Catt Hall.

The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Demolition was considered various times, but the building ended up having a $5 million renovation instead and received a new name of Carrie Chapman Catt Hall, in honor of Iowa State’s first woman graduate and world-renowned advocate for women’s rights.

The renovations affect students and faculty equally, and safety measurements have been put in place to take care of this.

Fences with signs directing which entrance to use and even wood chips around the fence leading to the entrance have been put in place.

“The only thing I wish is for there to be more wood chips on the pathway, in order to accommodate people coming from the south,” said Susan Masters, administrative assistant to Oliver.

All of these accommodations are being put in place to ensure the well-being for all accessing the building. The reconstruction and redesign of the steps will guarantee safety for years to come.

“It had to be done,” Oliver said. “I think Catt Hall is one of the most beautiful buildings on campus, and it would be a shame to lose it. This is just part of maintenance. I am very happy we are preserving the history of the building.”