Historic Resource Survey Form : Carson Hall
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Date
2006
Authors
Johnson, Susan
Dietzler, Karl
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Ellis Lawrence approved the preliminary design for Carson less than one week before his death in February 27, 1946. The original
design called for two units (mirroring each other), but only one was constructed due to high construction costs. Bids opened on July
22, 1947, construction began in 1948 and finished in January of 1949. Due to high construction costs, the building was modified from
its original design.
Newspaper articles touted the to-be-built Women’s Dormitory design as among the most up-to-date on college campuses. Particular
emphasis was placed on its fire-resistance due to concrete construction, and the modernity of its all-electric kitchen. D.L Halverson,
Director of Residence Halls at the University of Wisconsin was the consultant in planning the first kitchen facilities, which included
refrigerators for separate foodstuffs, and even for garbage - - a nod to increased sanitation standards. Additionally, the basement
housed a butcher shop and bakery (for the entire campus), and dishwashing facilities, the latter equipped with a conveyor belt to
accept dirty dishes from the first floor dining room.
Construction was well underway as workers poured concrete for the second floor in November of 1948, as an article published in the
Daily Emerald on the 30th noted, “The splendor of the building as revealed in the blueprints seems a far cry from the bare concrete
forms which rise across from Emerald hall (sic); but through the rain, cold, and sludgy mud of a late Oregon fall, workers continue to
hammer and pour, and the dream gradually nears reality.”
Description
5 pages
Keywords
history, architecture, cultural resources survey