Jubilee Hall

Jubilee Hall stands as a monument to Fisk University, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and all Fiskites. Fisk University began as the Fisk Free Colored School in 1866 and its first classes were held in the former army barracks behind Union Station in the Gulch. Students ranged in age from seven to seventy, and campus was moved to this property in 1867.

Despite funds from the Freedman’s Bureau and American Missionary Association, Fisk struggled financially during its early years. In 1871, music professor George White proposed that he take a group of students on a concert tour to raise money for the school. Thus, the Fisk Jubilee Singers were born. The original members included Isaac Dickerson, Ben Holmes, Greene Evans, Thomas Rutling, Maggie Porter, Minnie Tate, Jennie Jackson, Eliza Walker, and Ella Sheppard, who also served as the group’s pianist.

The first tours of the Jubilee Singers were not easy. They faced racism, Jim Crow laws, and grueling travel schedules. But the group persisted as they lifted their voices, singing a wide range of songs from spirituals to classical numbers. They were widely popular and attracted large audiences—including several notable leaders. In 1872, the Jubilee Singers sang for President Ulysses S. Grant, and in 1873, they toured Europe and sang for Queen Victoria. The queen even commissioned a life-size portrait of the singers that still hangs in Jubilee Hall. In a letter to a friend, Mark Twain wrote about the Jubilee Singers after attending an 1873 concert, “I would walk seven miles to hear them sing again.”

With money raised from these tours, the Jubilee Singers provided Fisk with the funds needed to construct the school’s first permanent building. This is the building you see now—appropriately named Jubilee Hall. Architect Steven D. Hatch of New York designed the six-story collegiate Gothic building, and construction was completed in 1876. Jubilee Hall has served many purposes over the last 150 years. Today, the building serves as a women’s dormitory, although some special events are held on the first floor. Jubilee Hall was named a National Historic Landmark in 1974.

Two Fun Facts: The Fisk Jubilee Singers’ rendition of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015. Also, in 2019, PBS produced a documentary based on Andrew Ward’s book about the group—Dark Midnight When I Rise.

Continue following the horseshoe-shaped drive past Jubilee Hall. Crosthwaite Hall is just to the left of Jubilee Hall. Click “Next Stop” and “Arrived” to begin the narration. Listen as you walk this beautiful drive.