Blackhawk Commons

Namesake: Blackhawk Avenue upon which the building was built. This street has since been removed, but it is thought that it was named after Chief Black Hawk (Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak) of the Sauk Indian tribe. Chief Black Hawk led Sauk and Fox fighters against settlers and Illinois and Wisconsin militiamen in the Black Hawk War of 1832.

Facts

Built: 1970

Major Renovation Dates: 1985, 2001 

Original Purpose of Building: Dining hall and bookstore.

Current Use: Dining hall and parking offices.

History

Blackhawk Commons was the third and last dining hall built on campus after Elmwood and River Commons and it is the only one of the three to survive as a dining hall.  On July 28, 1982 a fire raced through Blackhawk Commons  just days before it was to serve meals to hundreds of guests who were staying on campus during the EAA fly in. The damage was extensive. The reconstruction of the facility took three years to complete and in 1985, Blackhawk opened again, with a new bookstore and dining area.  In 2001, Blackhawk Commons was reimagined as the single “marketplace-style" dining hall on campus as part of "Project 2000", a joint Reeve Union and Blackhawk renovation project that moved the bookstore to Reeve Union.  

Photos

An across-the-street view of Blackhawk Commons.	Fire damaged south entrance, 1982.
EAA visitors eating at Blackhawk Commons, 1995.	Students enjoying the biannual "Late Night Breakfast", 2017.