Lost Albion
Celebrating the buildings that are no longer on campus
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Bell House
Despite popular belief, Central Hall was not the first functioning building completed on campus. The unexpected costs forced the college to postpone construction and instead erect a more affordable multi-purpose wood structure in front of Central Hall named Bell House. Built in 1843, Bell House served as both dormitory and classrooms until it was moved off campus in 1891. The picture on the right is Bell House shortly after it was moved off campus.
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The Gymnasium
As the Albion College Athletic Association grew in popularity, students began to pressure the college into erecting a building that was suitable for sports competitions and practices. Completed in 1892, located in front of Central Hall (replacing Bell House), the Gymnasium provided a large practice space, a track, a ball court, and locker rooms. A fire of unknown origin destroyed the structure in 1922. The first image was taken circa 1900 and the second was taken in 1922.
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Lottie Gassette Memorial Library
In 1901, Mrs. Charlotte T. Gassette of Albion donated $10,000 to the college to be used to build a suitable library building named after her deceased daughter, a former Albion College student. Located where Ferguson Hall is today, the Lottie Gassette Memorial Library was completed in 1903 and used to fulfill a vital mission on campus until it was replaced by the larger Stockwell Library in 1938. The building was used for administrative offices until it was demolished in the summer of 1998. The first photograph on the right was taken in 1996. The second photograph is undated.
4
McMillan Laboratory
Due to a fire in the previous chemistry laboratory location, Central Hall, in 1892, the college sought out a donation to build a better suited building for science laboratories. Fulfilled by Senator James McMillan, the building was completed in 1893 and primarily housed the chemistry department. However, at times it was home to the physics, biology, and journalism departments. McMillan Laboratory was demolished in 1969 and replaced by the Science Center. Both pictures are undated.
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Epworth Physical Laboratory
In attempt to elevate the status of physics at Albion College, Dr. Greene, a physics professor, managed to raise the necessary funds to erect a new physical science laboratory within three years. Dedicated in 1916, Epworth Physical Laboratory was home to state-of-the-art laboratories and science equipment. Additionally, students frequently hung sheet signs on the grates located on the side of the building to advertise events on campus. The building was demolished in the summer of 2007. The first photograph was taken in 1923 and the second in 2007.
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Gerstacker International House
Designed as an in-residence language instruction facility, I-House served as the headquarter for international education from 1970-2010. The building itself was split into four major segments, three of which served as residences for French, German, and Spanish language majors. The other section of the building was used for seminars, classes, and special intercultural meetings.
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The Coffee House
This co-ed annex was founded in 1993 by students in response to a campus wide call for a new social space. Originally designed as a relaxing place to enjoy a cup of coffee and a conversation, it grew into much more. The Coffee House offered the perfect atmosphere and place to hold open mic nights, meetings for organizations, class sessions, and more. The students that lived in the The Coffee House worked as baristas, serving beverages to members of the college and the community. The annex was demolished in October of 2012.
Second and fourth photos courtesy of Danny Moilanen, Class of 2009.
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The Eat Shop
Built in 1922, the Eat Shop provided a popular space for students and faculty alike to grab a bite and socialize. Students could often be seen in the resturant squeezing in a quick game of pinball before class or spending the evening cramming for a test.
Although the building was demolished in 1971, elements of the Eat Shop still remain. The booth in the third picture is now located in the Kellogg Center near the current Eat Shop.
Greek Life
Greek life has always been an important aspect of the college experience on Albion College’s campus. Before living in their current houses on campus, the fraternities occupied multiple homes around the city of Albion. The sororities also had previous lodges before the creation of their current ones, except Kappa Delta. Kappa Delta is the only sorority on campus that uses their original lodge built in the 1920s.
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