University of Idaho Campus Photographs Collection

History

The Niccolls Home Economics Building served as a central hub for home economics education at the University of Idaho. The building supported a growing student body and advanced the land-grant mission to provide practical, accessible instruction in domestic and consumer sciences. The university has been coeducational since its founding, with home economics offering an important academic and career pathway for women. The Department of Domestic Sciences, later renamed Home Economics, was established in 1902 and operated without a permanent home for five decades.

In 1951, a new building was completed on the site of the condemned Engineering Building, providing modern classrooms and laboratories for courses in clothing and textiles, interior design, housing, child development, and family studies. The building was widely known as the Niccolls Building but was not officially named until 1962, when alumna Mary Hall Niccolls bequeathed a $450,000 scholarship fund in gratitude for the small scholarship that enabled her own education in 1906.¹

Design

The four-story rectangular structure reflects a later phase of Collegiate Gothic architecture on campus. The building was constructed of reinforced concrete and steel with a brick veneer. It features offset gables and a center gable above the main entry. The prominent entrance includes sandstone two-centered arches with ornate floral reliefs and stylized fabric motifs flanking “Home Economics” carved in illuminated manuscript-style lettering. Decorative brickwork and quoins accentuate the façade.²

Physical Description

The building’s exterior includes metal and glass doors and multi-sash windows with metal muntins. A smaller matching archway frames a secondary door to the east, and a segmental arch frames another entry on the south side. An elevator tower was added around 1980, modifying the original structure.³

Mary Hall Niccolls

Mary Hall Niccolls (1886–1970) was a dedicated alumna of the University of Idaho, where she pursued her studies from 1901 to 1908. In 1963, she made a significant contribution to the university by establishing the Mary Hall Niccolls Scholarship Fund. This endowment provided financial assistance to students in the field of home economics, reflecting her commitment to supporting education in domestic sciences. In recognition of her generosity and dedication, the university honored her by naming the Home Economics Building after her in 1962. This building, now known as the Mary Hall Niccolls Building, continues to serve as a central hub for the Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences, embodying her lasting impact on the institution.⁴

Notes

Images of Niccolls Home Economics Building