The university took action by selecting , out of 30 competitors , a new design by Willoughby J. Edbrooke , who drew the new plans by May 10 . Architect Edbrooke , Brother Charles Borromeo ( Patrick ) Harding , C.S.C , and mathematics professor William Ivers marked off the dimensions of the construction on the day of the groundbreaking ceremony , May 17 , and the first stone for the foundation was laid on the 19th . Railcars full of bricks arrived continuously to town and were brought to campus in a steady stream of wagons . By May 31 , twenty-six stonemasons and bricklayers were working with their support crews on the walls of the new building . The construction required about 300 veteran tradesmen , including 156 skilled stonemasons and bricklayers . This exceeded the number of experienced workers in the South Bend area , and was also scarce in Chicago because of the rebuilding effort due to the great fire in October 1871 . Hence , skilled workmen were brought into South Bend from great distances
great fire in October 1871
Great Chicago Fire
Main Building (University of Notre Dame)