I called Westgate 13:42 home during the Fall semester of 1998 and would eat my meals at Friley. I didn't know anything at the time of Westgate's history as a women's residence, fascinating stuff; fond memories of playing pool in the lounge there.
@@vayabroder729 I remember It was the only room with air conditioning, which was useful at the beginning of the semester; I don't know if you had it installed there during the 80's? I have a lot of fond memories too of that place. It was a handy location as well for classes and for going into town. Now a parking lot :(
@@alexbest381 As I remember we didn’t have A/C, only a heat radiator in the rooms. Now I can’t recall if there was A/C in that lounge?! It’s been close to 40 years!! We also went to study at a community center at the church across the street; not sure if it was still the case later. Such fond memories of my years at ISU; lovely folks!
@@vayabroder729 Yes, only heating in the rooms in '98. Interesting to learn you studied at the church which is still there of course. I remember each floor having a south facing mini "lounge". I used the one on my floor (the 2nd) only a handful of times to study. I believe the others were used to store excess furniture during my time. I agree, lovely people!
Here's a little walking tour from what I can remember of Westgate Hall; I'm happy to be corrected if I've forgotten or misplaced something:) Going through the main South facing entrance you would have entered the lobby. When Westgate opened in 1955 there would have been someone at the main desk to greet you; however it was later walled over and turned into a storage room. Left of the main entrance was the combination lounge/recreation room, sunken slightly so that you descended some steps to reach it. Largely unchanged since 1955, it had been closed off from the lobby by a door when air conditioning was added, making it the most comfortable room in Westgate during hot weather. Running down the length of each floor of Westgate was the main corridor with the suites on either side. On the ground floor things were slightly different as the first door on the right would have been the hall advisor/president suite. In my time (1998) this was occupied by an easy going, personable guy called Jason. There were 16 student rooms on the ground floor; these suites were all double occupancy rooms, housing bunk beds. You entered a small entryway that had a useful fridge and a microwave. The toilet/shower room was directly ahead with suite 'A' to your left and suite 'B' to your right. Travelling down this ground floor corridor, passing the advisors room these suites would have numbered 104-106-108-110 and ending at another stairwell and a door opening out onto the eastside of the building. On the left or westside, passing the store room was the laundry facilities and suites 105-107-109 and 111. There was not a lot of space between floors, so the ground floor rooms had exposed water pipes running through them; these were used as additional "shelving" by some of the students living in these suites. The other floors (2nd, 3rd, 4th) Entering Westgate through the south entrance, right in front of you, across the lobby floor, would have been the south stairwell door. This would've given you access to the remaining three floors. Passing through this door, immediately on your left would have been an exit which led to the carpark. Continuing up these stairs and going through the next door you came across, you'd be on the second floor. Looking right was a door leading to the "den". They were perhaps a little smaller than two full suites and were useful for studying or playing card games etc. Floors 2nd to 4th had these and they were situated in the southwest corner of the building, overlooking the first floor lounge roof to the west and the Presbyterian Church across the road to the south. Leaving the den and facing north, you would have been looking down a long narrow corridor with a window at the far end. From this south end the rooms went 203-205-207-209-211 with 'A' and 'B' suites on the west side, ending with a custodial room and 200-202-204-206-210 on the east side, ending with the northeast stairwell. This stairwell functioned the same as the south stairwell; giving access to all floors in addition to the northeast exit. The third and fourth floors had an identical layout, only their suite no. changed, so that rooms ran 303 to 311 and 403 to 411 on the west side and 300 to 310 and 400 to 410 on the east side.
Parts of Helser was taken down to create the room for Martin and Eaton Halls, and for the Union Drive Community Center (UDCC). That is why when entering the building on the East ground level, or " Carpenter House" side, you can see a difference in the brickwork/ structure. - I was told as a 2008 freshman, the Helser building was condemned but never fully demolished due to housing issues. In reality, it was just the band-aid facade they placed on the building after taking away parts of it. (Thus is why Carpenter House and Flemming House use 2 floors - Carpenter: 1-2, Flemming: 3-4. Both of which were female houses in 2010, last I knew.)
+Elizabeth Fowler the UDCC is north of Helser. Martin and Eaton are West. Helser used to go further north (Stalker house, the rest of Fleming, Carpenter as you mentioned, and others). What I fail to grasp is how the east side of Helser is remotely relevant.
