Tempe Historic Property Survey

Matthews Hall is the oldest intact dormitory on the ASU campus and is architecturally significant for its Prairie School stylistic qualities. Influenced by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, Prairie School designs feature elongated massing, projecting wings and bays, wide eaves and grouped windows. All of these features are found in Matthews Hall. Originally a women's dormitory, the building also reflects the attempt to deal with the climate by capturing night breezes by projecting sleeping spaces out from the main building. The building is also associated with Carrie Matthews, wife of Arthur J. Matthews, who was president of the school from 1900 to 1930.

Matthews Hall is a symmetrical two-story elongated building (135 ft. by 40 ft.) with telescoping side wings and projecting sleeping porch bays. Constructed of buff brick on a concrete foundation, the interiors and detailing are of wood. The Prairie School style is seen in the building's massing and details, including broad wooden cornices and eaves, Union Jack vent covers, and grouped double-hung windows. Single windows have steel lintels and raised brick emphasis. Internally, the basic configuration of the dormitory is intact, with five of the original sixteen paired room designs remaining. Other interior features include the stairway and original living room fireplace.

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