North College (1822-1856)

The reopening of the College in 1821 sparked the undertaking of major renovations to the campus. One of these renovations included the construction of a woodhouse and an icehouse to the north of West College in 1822. The woodhouse, built at a cost of $265 by John and George McCarter, was to be 80 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 12 feet high. The icehouse was to be 9 feet on each side and sunk 16 feet into the ground. Both buildings were made of limestone. Twenty-five years later, in July 1847, President Robert Emory authorized a $300 renovation supervised by contractor William H. Horn to provide living quarters for students, more specifically for young tradesmen, who were also provided with space to carry on their respective trades. Along with the new look and purpose came a new name, “North College,” denoting the building’s location on the campus. North College was destroyed by fire on November 11, 1856, one week after Dickinson alumnus James Buchanan was elected as the fifteenth President of the United States. North College is believed to have been located approximately on the site of the white building in the background of the above image.