I’ve lamented at least a couple of times that I’ve never been able to find the original layout of Fondren’s basement. We have several pictures in the Woodson of the basement interior but I could never get a clear sense from them of where anything was. When I saw this photo from the Wood Allen Collection at the HMRC at least one piece of the puzzle, the location of the student lounge called The Roost, snapped into place:
Wood Allen MSS 1459 CM64
There have been multiple renovations between 1948 and now, but those windows and the doorway are still there. I know this because I’ve used the current facilities several times this semester.
Who’s there now? These rascals:
See?
Just to confirm I went back to the pictures in the Woodson files, most of which are as unhelpful as I remembered, but this one caught my eye:
Those appear to be the same windows but even more interesting is the elevator door at left. The first floor map in the 1952 Fondren Handbook shows one elevator, exactly where it ought to be if my location is correct:
Bonus: The entrance to the stairs.
I can walk you through it.
Any idea what’s going on with those frilly dresses that don’t really go well with freshman beanies?
I remember it from my freshman year, ’57, when the RMC was being built. We entered through those stairs. Freshman girls had to wear green dresses and pinafore on Fridays first semester.
Gorgeous Eames LCW chairs. Quite progressive!