Buildings - Houses - Houghton

• Name:Chuck Paterka
MTU Class of:1973
If my memory is any good that was the Old women's dorm. It was Located next to the west side of Wadsworth Hall. It was torn down in school year 1968 - 1969 when the US 41 by pass was built.
12/28/2009 10:16:09 PM by Anonymous

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• Name:Joyce Buerge
MTU Class of:
I resided at Smith House 1956-1959, spent my senior year in Detroit interning at Harper Hospital.Smith House was located in what is now the front lawn of the Delta Sigma Phi house. The address was 1611 Houghton Avenue. This was the traffic was rerouted from the middle of the campus. When my son attended some youth programs before becoming a student I was stunned to find it gone. My question is what happened to it? I trust some idiot didn't just terror it down. It was a treasure.I understand it was built by a lumber magnet and had the most magnificent use of wood, a spectacular stairway, woodwork. The main floor had a small library (the birthplace of Phi Lambda Beta, now Alpha Gamma Delta), the housemother's suite that was the original dining room, a butlers pantry and big kitchen. The living room and I believe the dining room had fireplaces. There must have been a bathroom there too.The second floor had five bedrooms, 3 plus 2 joined by a bathroom. There was another bathroom with the biggest tub I ever saw. Up to the third floor which had a large room, originally the game and play room, and a small bedroom, probably for the staff. One bathroom with a tub and another with two showers. Showers were not original. There was also a storage room with hanging space and drawers, The big room had 12 girls living there, yes 12 with 6 bunk beds, 6 dressers and study desks in the dormers, double desks too. There was access under the eves that we used for closets plus the lucky ones got the big closet in the hallway. Upper class girls got the little bedroom, probably to keep a lid of the freshmen.The laundry was in the basement...nothing fancy but serviceable. Oh, yes, I almost forgot there was a BIG wooden fire escape down the back of the house. It was wired to ring in the housemother's apartment when opened. Remember these were the days when there were hours." Weekdays closing was at 10:15 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 11. Also there was a signout sheet, where you were going and time out and in. This would make students of today laugh.Wadsworth Hall opened that first year. The kitchen and dining room were not complete so meals were served in the Union. Three meals a day! Good physical fitness program! One got good at jumping onto snow banks to avoid being mowed down by the snow plow. It workedI have pictures that show some of the interior and will find them, scan and send along if you are interested.There was a very nice house next door I believe that belonged to a dentist, Dr. Aldrich. I was fascinated when an elevated walkway was installed from his front porch with steps to the street. I learned that was for winter snow...don't shovel till it gets that deep. I mentioned the traffic patter change that came after I graduated. College Avenue was a main thoroughfare through campus and the walk to the old Forestry Building was on top of snow pack and mostly near the roof of the passing cars.This really jogged the memory, names of old friends, and real winter. I am still in contact with some of them.It was 1959 that Pryor House was opened, in 1956 Smith House was the resident of all the women enrolled! The rest of the coeds were local. If I remember correctly our freshman class had 45 women, graduated 10. Donalee Graham Flaningam, died two ears ago, and I used to laugh that Dow Chemical hired 20% of the women graduating in 1960.Three or four years ago Alpha Gamma Delta hosted a Phi Lambda Beta reunion. There is a video of the sharing of life in the days of old and the experience and challenges when we went into the job market. We had 2 current coeds join us and it was a history lesson. A good number of our charter group were there. Interesting that so many have kept in touch since graduation."
12/28/2009 10:18:23 PM by Anonymous

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• Name:Chris Otis
MTU Class of:1970
I believe Smith House was on the site of the current library. I have one of those concrete pillars from the stone fence. They were tearing it down to build the library in the late 60's. The bit of concrete now supports a sundial in my brother's garden.
12/28/2009 10:19:14 PM by Anonymous

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• Name:Phil Jose
MTU Class of:1973
Yes, I know exactly where it was. I grew up in Houghton on Clark Street. Dr. Fisher (namesake of Fisher Hall) lived at the top of our street. As a young boy I remember him telling me stories of his house being the first built on Clark Street. He said it was only a horse path when he first built. I recall him telling me stories of his friend Thomas Edison. He even had a light bulb in his front room that Edison gave him and as I recall it still functioned. I lived there for the 1st 24 years of my life, graduated from Houghton High then got my BSCE degree from Tech before going on for a Masters in Industrial Engineering at Texas A&M. The Smith House was directly across the street from one of my best childhood friend’s home. It sat approximately where the Delt Sig House is now. It had beautiful rows of chestnut trees lining the street in front. That area, just West of Wadsworth, was really very picturesque. I was sorry to see it torn apart for the new bypass.
12/28/2009 10:19:44 PM by Anonymous

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