KILDEE COTTAGE
Cessna Cottage
Built: 1900, Occupied: 1901
Razed: 1973
Located at northeast corner of Lincoln Way and Knoll Road.
Dr. O.H. Cessna requested a building lot on campus in July 1900, but it was September of that year before a specific site was determined. Certain terms and conditions were imposed on him and others who built homes on the college property:
The said persons shall pay an annual rental of $1. on each of the sites chosen, the lease for each to run for ten years with the privilege of renewal. The exact limits of the land included in said leases shall be determined by the building committee of the board.
No buildings shall be erected except upon plans approved by the building committee.
The said buildings shall be kept in first class repair and any failure to do so shall work a forfeiture of the leases at the option of the board of trustees.
Any sale or lease of the buildings erected shall be subject to the approval of the board of trustees.1
The ISC Student, Sept. 4, 1901 reported that Dr. Cessna had moved into his new home during the summer.
The Building and Business Committee, in March 1914, recommended that the college buy the Cessna house, or if funds were not immediately available that the property be leased for the school year 1914-15.
The following month Supt. Sloss reported on his inspection of the house:
This house is 30’ x 32’ on the ground with 30’ studding. The house contains nine rooms. There are 19,200 cu. ft. of space in the house. There is also an ideal Hot water Plant in the basement, and 500 sq. ft. of porch enclosed with screen. The house will soon need a new shingle roof. I would say that the house is worth $4750.00.2
In the spring of 1915 final agreement was reached on the purchase of the house by the college for $4750.3
From 1915 to 1918 the house was rented to Carl H. Scheman, then Secretary to President Pearson.4 From 1918 to 1964 it was the home of Herbert H. Kildee, Dean of Agriculture from 1933 to 1949.
Between 1965 and 1973, when it was razed, the house served as headquarters for the building services section of the Physical Plant.