Four Church Avenue

Four Church Avenue was the name given a row of brick cottages situated behind the President's House, to the east of South College on the Church Avenue alley. Under the control of absentee landlords, the rents for these cottages were low and their condition poor.*

In 1948, President Edel's administration took the opportunity to purchase the buildings at a cost of $13,200 on December 27, 1948. The buildings were repaired and rented to College maintenance employees for some years. They were demolished during the 1970's and the space where they stood is now a parking area.

* C.C. Sellers (p.590) suggests rumors of "houses of ill fame" were attached to Four Church Avenue, but these are largely unsubstantiated. Such "services" were available, however, at the time in rooms on nearby South West Street, above the Briggs Cafeteria, now the area on which the Bosler Public Library extension stands.

Author of Post: 
Dickinson College Archives
Date of Post: 
2005