Morrill Hall fire at MSU 6 Gallery: Morrill Hall fire at MSU

UPDATE: Roof collapses, but no one injured

EAST LANSING, MI — Morrill Hall, one of the oldest buildings standing on Michigan State University's campus, caught fire Wednesday evening.

Flames could be seen coming from the structure's roof and dark smoke billowed into the air above the 100-plus-year-old building about 7 p.m.

Morrill Hall was built in 1900. It provided the first female dormitories on MSU's campus as a women's residential college, among other amenities.

In 2010, the university slated Morrill Hall for demolition after multiple inspections revealed its wooden structure had deteriorated beyond repair. The building's tenants, MSU's English and history departments, have been moved to Wells Hall and nearby Old Horticulture Hall, both of which have recently been renovated.

Demolition of the decrepit building began in March and is scheduled to be completed in August.

Morrill Hall is named in honor of Justin Smith Morrill, the U.S. representative and senator who authored the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act, which established federal funding for many of the nation's public institutions, including MSU.

Authorities blocked off East Circle Drive as they battled the blaze. They were not immediately available for comment.

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