Holland Hall was dedicated in 1925 as part of the celebrations for the college’s 50th anniversary. Architects for the building drew inspiration for the building’s design from Mont-Saint-Michel, the fortress monastery on the coast of Normandy, France. In particular, they designed it to resemble the Merville — the monastery’s assembly hall and dining area.
Although the power plant plant built in 1925 was the first building on campus to display the limestone-studded Norman Gothic style that has become the hallmark of the Hill, it wasn’t until Holland Hall was built that the architectural style made its full impact.
Longtime faculty member Peter Olai Holland, who also served as the college’s treasurer and director of finance, was St. Olaf President Lars W. Boe’s “right-hand man.”