Peabody Hall is a mixed-use academic and residential building located on the campus of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The original building, known as Seminary Hall, was built in 1855, and was the central building of Western College for Women. That building burned down in 1860 and was rebuilt the following year, only to become damaged by an 1871 fire. Rebuilt again that same year, the building was renamed Peabody Hall, after Helen Peabody the first head of Western College, in 1905. Peabody Hall is one of two residential buildings on Miami's Western Campus still used for their original purposes. It is one of 15 contributing buildings to the Western Female Seminary National Historic District. History Peabody Hall is located on Western College of Miami's campus. Western College was founded in 1853 and it modeled the Mt. Holyoke of Massachusetts “system” with its low cost yet high-quality education for women. Helen Peabody, whom Peabody hall is named after, was principal of the Western Female Seminary when it opened for classes on September 20 of 1855. In 1904 Western went from being named A College and Seminary for Women to “The Western College for Women.” From the Western College Memorial Archives website, it states that “For the next fifty years, Western remained a general liberal arts college, primarily under the presidency of William W. Boyd. With the arrival of President Herrick B. Young in 1954, an international focus began. Many international students and faculty were recruited, international travel seminars were instituted, and a global emphasis was added to the curriculum.” Another major decision for the college came in 1971 was men were admitted to Western college as well. Due to financial difficulties, Western College closed in 1974 and the physical facilities merged with Miami University, thus where it stands today. In this year of the Miami University-Western College merger, Peabody was remodeled. Peabody Hall burnt down in 1861, was rebuilt, then burnt down once again in 1871, and was once again rebuilt. From an unknown source and author, but obtained from the Western College Memorial Archives is a declaration for “Present Properties Needing Change or Improvement.” One of the buildings that addressed a plea to improve the buildings safety was Peabody. The short document quotes, “It is a large dignified structure of high ceilings and wide halls, with an atmosphere which it is desirable to preserve. However, it is not a