Historic Resource Survey Form : Carson Hall

5 pagesEllis 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.