Sill House memorabilia, 1939-1993

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: SC-53

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains memorabilia and scrapbooks on the history of Sill House from 1939-1993. Included are photographs, stories, and letters that have been compiled into two scrapbooks, the first created in 1955 and an updated version from 1993. There are also drafts of the scrapbooks and information on the Sill House Reunion in 1993.

Dates

1939-1993

Creator

Lynes, Martha Gary (Person)

Historical Note

The house at 31 VerPlanck St was purchased by the Colleges from Mr. and Mrs. McKay in 1939. Since more housing was needed for William Smith students the house became the first cooperative dormitory on campus. The house was named for Ellen Sill, William Smith College class of 1927, who had died in a car accident. Twelve William Smith students lived there and did their own cooking and cleaning.

In 1966 Sill House moved to 710 South Main St, the former Delta Chi fraternity house. The original Sill House on VerPlanck St was torn down in 1983, the same year that the co-op became co-ed. This collection documents the history of Sill House and its residents from 1939-1993.

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Location

Box 1: Archives Storage, Range 22A, Section 6

Provenance

All of the materials in this collection were gathered and donated by Martha (Marti) Gary Lynes '55. She and her roommate Evelyn Sanford Beran '55 solicited letters, stories, and photographs from former Sill House residents in 1955 to create the first scrapbook. Martha Lynes then updated the scrapbook in 1993 after again receiving materials and stories from former Sill House residents. The materials in this collection were given to the Archives by Martha Lynes at various times between 1980 and 2016.

Subjects

Black & white photographs Subject Source: TGM II, Genre and physical characteristic terms
Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Housing, Cooperative Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Reunions Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Scrapbooks Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Sill House
Student housing Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
William Smith College