In 1929, President Cherry proposed to Davis and the state a project to construct a building for the storage and display of the commonwealth’s treasures. Davis designed a textbook Georgian structure with hyphens and wings, a steep roof pierced by dormers, towering chimneys, and a simple but elegant entrance. He was later encouraged to add the large portico, which leads most to associate the building with the Colonial Revival style popular since the 1920s. Started in 1931, the building was finished in 1939 with Public Works Administration funds. Local architect, James M. Ingram, designed the interior.

The Buildings
Cherry Hall l Health Building l Heating Plant l Home Economics Building l Industrial Arts Building l Kentucky Building l Library l Pioneer Cabin l President's Home l Snell Hall l Stadium l Swimming Pool l Van Meter Hall l Whitestone Hall