The Knoll was originally built to be the residence of Stanford President Ray Lyman Wilbur, who was elected on October 13, 1915. Architect Louis Christian Mullgardt (1866-1942), envisioned a monumental three-story, Spanish Gothic fortress, with wings extending at obtuse angles, embracing the knoll. In 1946, the building became home to the Stanford University Music Department and in 1986, CCRMA took over residence in this unique building, moving from the former Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. The Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989 damaged much of the building, and the third floor was weakened to such an extent that it was deemed unsafe for occupants. For close to fifteen years, The Knoll was never completely reconstructed, and the third floor remained condemned.