Hamilton-Whitten and Atkin-Colby halls were home to thousands of Illinois State students through the years before they were decommissioned in 2012.

Today, the halls are empty and awaiting demolition. That demolition work is expected to begin in summer 2015 and last around six months. The land will eventually be used to build a new home for Mennonite College of Nursing, according to Illinois State’s master plan.

Before the halls come down, let’s take a look back at life in South Campus, then and now. Many of the photos below come from Illinois State’s Dr. Jo Ann Rayfield Archives. (Earlier this year, STATEside posted a historic photo gallery of the Tri-Towers residence halls.)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Ryan Denham can be reached at rmdenha@IllinoisState.edu.