View source for Kenney Gym and Kenney Gym Annex

{{Infobox NRHP
| name         = Military Drill Hall and Men's Gymnasium
| nrhp_type    =
| image        = Kenny Gym Annex UIUC crop.jpg
| image_size   = 400px
| caption      = Kenney Gym Annex (2006), built in 1890 as a drill hall
| location     = 1402-1406 W. Springfield Ave<br>[[Urbana, Illinois]]
| coordinates  = {{coord|40|6|46.43|N|88|13|39.83|W|display=title}}
| built        = '''Drill Hall (Annex):''' 1890<br>'''Gymnasium:''' 1902
| architect    = '''Drill Hall (Annex):''' [[Nathan Clifford Ricker]]<br>'''Gymnasium:''' Nelson Strong Spencer
| architecture = '''Gymnasium:''' [[Renaissance Revival architecture|Renaissance Revival]]<ref name=fac />
| added        = November 19, 1986
| mpsub        = University of Illinois Buildings by Nathan Clifford Ricker TR
| refnum       = 86003144 <ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
}}
[[File:H. E. Kenney Gymnasium University of Illinois Springfield Avenue entrance.jpg|thumb|right|275px|The Springfield Avenue entrance to the Kenney Gym (2013)]]
The '''Kenney Gym''' and the '''Kenney Gym Annex''' are two buildings located at 1402-06 Springfield Avenue in [[Urbana, Illinois]], on the campus on the [[University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]]. Although the two buildings have been physically connected since 1914, they were built separately.<ref name=desrep />  They were jointly added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1986 under the name '''Military Drill Hall and Men's Gymnasium'''.<ref>[http://www.news-gazette.com/sports/prep-sports/boys-basketball/2012-02-28/chart-toppers-best-area-gyms-watch-prep-game-courtesy- Chart toppers: Best area gyms to watch a prep game, courtesy Marcus Jackson] The News Gazette - February 28, 2012</ref>
==History==
The one-story building now known as the '''Kenney Gym Annex''', the easternmost of the two structures, was built in 1889-90 as the Military Drill Hall and was designed by [[Nathan Clifford Ricker]]. The interior was converted for use as a gymnasium in 1914, at which time it became known as the Annex to the Men's Gym building next to it. The conversion preserved the building's large column-free open space, which had been a necessity for military drilling.  An eastern addition was made to the building in 1918.<ref name=desrep>[http://ihpa.greatarc.com/pdfs/201424.pdf "NRHP Designation Report"]</ref>
The '''Kenney Gym''', the two-story building to the west, was built in 1902 and was designed by Nelson Strong Spencer<ref name=desrep /> in the [[Renaissance Revival architecture|Renaissance Revival style]],<ref name=fac>[http://www.fightingillini.com/facilities/kenneygym.html "H.E. Kenney Gym"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209072900/http://www.fightingillini.com/facilities/kenneygym.html |date=2014-02-09 }} on the Fighting Illini Facilities page</ref> strongly influenced by Ricker's design for the drill hall.<ref name=desrep /> It was originally called the Men's Gymnasium but was renamed the Men's Old Gym when [[Huff Hall]] opened in 1925. In 1974, it was named after Harold Eugene "Hek" Kenney, a former UIUC wrestler, coach, and administrator in the early 20th century.<ref name=fac />
Prior to the opening of Huff Hall in 1925, Kenney Gym housed the [[Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball]] team. It was also home to the [[Illinois Fighting Illini women's volleyball|women's volleyball]] program from 1974 until 1989 and the men's wrestling team until those teams moved to [[Huff Hall]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Wrestling|publisher=fightingillini.com|url=http://fightingillini.com/sports/2015/6/27/huffhall_wrestling.aspx|access-date=2017-05-06}}</ref>
From 1919 to 1925, Kenney Gym played host to the state finals of the [[Illinois High School Association]] boys' basketball tournament.
==Current use==
Kenney Gym Annex is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose [[arena]].  Kenney Gym is the practice facility for the [[Illinois Fighting Illini|Fighting Illini]] men's and women's [[gymnastics]] teams.
The buildings are also used by [[University Laboratory High School of Urbana, Illinois|University Laboratory High School]] in [[Urbana, Illinois|Urbana]], located two blocks east of Kenney Gym on Springfield Avenue, as their gym for high school volleyball and basketball, along with their physical education program.
==References==
'''Notes'''
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{commons category|Kenney Gym and Kenney Gym Annex}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060709025731/http://www.campusrec.uiuc.edu/ UIUC Dep't of Campus Recreation]
* [http://www.campusrec.uiuc.edu/facilities/kenney.html Kenney Gym]
* [http://ihpa.greatarc.com/pdfs/201424.pdf National Register nomination]
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[[Category:Indoor arenas in Illinois]]
[[Category:College gymnastics venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct college basketball venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Gymnastics venues in Illinois]]
[[Category:Swimming venues in Illinois]]
[[Category:Volleyball venues in Illinois]]
[[Category:Wrestling venues in Illinois]]
[[Category:Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball venues]]
[[Category:Illinois Fighting Illini men's gymnastics venues]]
[[Category:Illinois Fighting Illini women's gymnastics venues]]
[[Category:Illinois Fighting Illini women's volleyball venues]]
[[Category:Illinois Fighting Illini wrestling venues]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Champaign County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Sports venues on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Champaign–Urbana, Illinois]]
[[Category:Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois]]
[[Category:University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign]]
[[Category:Event venues established in 1890]]
[[Category:1890 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Drill halls]]