NORTON HOUSE

Miss Lizzie May Allis, Professor of German, was granted permission to build a residence on the campus at the September 1, 1899, meeting of the Trustees. The site allocated was at about the north end of what is now Roberts Hall.

Judging from a report in the ISC Student dated October 8, 1900, construction of the house was not undertaken until that year:

Miss Allis already has her residence in process of construction on the slope north of Prof. Knapp’s residence on southeast campus. The house is to be of three stories and fitted with all the modern conveniences. As soon as completed Miss Allis will bring her father and mother from New York and take up a permanent abode here. Messrs. Main and McKee of Des Moines have the work.

With approval of the Board of Trustees (a provision of the lease of the property) Miss Allis sold the house to Professor R.C. Barrett in 1907. His widow asked for and received permission, in 1912, to sell the house to Professor W.F. Coover. He in turn, sold it to the College in 1921 for $10,381.80.

From then until 1929 it was used as a practice cottage and was called Gray Cottage. In that year it was moved to a site at what is now the west end of Spedding Hall, and it was renamed the Alice P. Norton Home Management House.

When Spedding Hall was about to be built in 1948, the site had to be cleared and the Norton House was moved north to its present location on north Morrill Road.

In recent years it has been the headquarters of the Film Production Unit.