Photo by James Steinbauer, Editorial Editor
By Elisabeth Greve, For The Miami Student
After more than 40 years standing, the Patterson Place Museum will be demolished and a new residence hall built in its place. The former home of the presidents of the Western College for Women became the offices of the Western College Alumnae Association, Inc. and the Patterson Place Museum in 1974.
The future demolition of Patterson Place has sparked retaliation among those who are protective over Miami University's history.
The museum holds historic artifacts such as paintings and furniture from Western College, the women's college that existed on Western campus from 1855 to 1974. The site was once the home of James Fisher, a farmer who provided the 30 acres on which Western College was built, before the original home burned down in 1870.
On a tour of the museum, one can view artifacts, such as paintings, literature and furniture, that were once in Helen Peabody Hall and in other residence halls on campus. In addition, the museum features the desk on which Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the majority of "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
Jacqueline Wallace, the former director of the Western College Alumnae Association, said she feels like the university is destroying a piece of history with this project. She is shocked and upset over Miami's decision to tear down Patterson Place.
"Razing a building that has historical significance seems to be a very aggressive solution for Miami, who has nurtured the Western College Alumnae Association for over 40 years since the college's closing in 1974," Wallace said. "What was once Western College doesn't seem to mean anything anymore, which doesn't make me feel positive about Miami."
Over the years, minor renovations have been made to Patterson Place. Some painting and asbestos removal have been done, and the bathroom on the second floor has been repaired. However, Miami estimates the remaining museum renovations would cost the university around $500,000.
David Creamer, vice president for Finance and Business Services, stated that this cost is one that would ultimately be deferred to students.
"Patterson Place is in a very aging condition, so we are facing substantial investments to even use it how it is used today," said Creamer. "Its preservation is a cost students end up bearing and we need to measure what students can afford now and in the future."
Miami has decided to put a residence hall in the spot of Patterson Place to meet the demands of growing enrollment. By fall 2017, the university expects to need at least 300 additional beds.
According to Creamer, Miami faculty believe the on-campus residential experience is essential and would like to offer additional opportunities for juniors and seniors to live on campus. Creamer said Patterson Place provides an ideal location for this.
"We needed a location that was accessible to an existing dining facility and the most able facility for that is the Western dining facility," Creamer said. "We had to ask ourselves how to connect this to our utility infrastructure in a way that meets our environmental goals going forward."
Patterson Place is not a site often visited by students. In fact, many students do not know what the museum is. Sophomore Reagan Bennett said he realizes the opportunities this project can provide for Miami.
"My initial reaction to hearing Patterson Place was being torn down was that it was really sad and almost insensitive of Miami to be destroying this piece of history," said Bennett. "However, when I thought about it more, I realized the museum has not been very relevant to students, so putting something more useful in its place might be the right move."
The project is expected to begin within the next eight to 10 months. The preliminary estimated cost of the project is $27 million.