BOARDING COTTAGE (WEST)

Enrollments at the College were increasing to the extent that Old Main could not accomodate all of the students. In 1870 it had been proposed that a dormitory building, harmonizing with the College Building, should be erected northwest of it, and provide facilities to house 120 students. No funds were appropriated by the legislature for that structure.

Ten years later funds were made available for Boarding Cottages. Bids were taken on proposals for six-room and eight-room houses. The final decision was the award of a contract to F.S. Whiting to build a 16-room building at a savings over erecting two eight-room cottages. The final cost exceeded the $3,500 appropriation by $206.50.

The addition in 1882 came to $935 but what was done or included at that time cannot now be learned. The porch was built in August 1886.

In 1894 remodeling was undertaken on both floors of the cottage. Plans had been prepared by Captain Whiting and the contract was awarded to A.H. Chaffee.

The following year the three north rooms in the basement were cemented and made available for an electrical laboratory.

In August 1899 the IAC Student reported: “The outside woodwork of the cottages has been painted recently. This is a decided improvement which helps the appearance of these buildings greatly.”

The Building Committee reported to the Board in July 1905:

In the matter of heating lighting, and repairing the East and West Cottages, which was referred to this committee for investigation, and report, your committee made a careful investigation of both of these buildings and found that both buildings were heated by stoves and that they were in very unsanitary and filthy condition, especially East Cottage. The conditions at West Cottage are not in such bad shape but the building needs general repairing, some of the door panels being broken, floors worn in many places and there is no closet or bath in this building. The conditions of these cottages are such that if they are to be used for college dormitories for our students they should be repaired and made sanitary during this vacation and your committee recommends that the sum of $4500, or so much there of as may be needed, be appropriated from the repair and improvement fund for this work and that the matter be referred to the Building Committee with power to act.¹ The report was adopted by the Board.

In 1907 West Cottage was further remodeled and became the College Hospital. It served that function until the new Hospital was completed in 1918, when West Cottage then became the detention ward. Further remodeling took place in 1920.

The building was razed in 1934.