Campus History

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
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<p>Old buildings fascinate me, and Brown’s expanse of eighteenth and nineteenth century edifices are no exception. I’ve exhausted Encyclopedia Brunoniana (all '14ers should check it out: [Index</a> to Encyclopedia Brunoniana](<a href=“http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Databases/Encyclopedia/]Index”>http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Databases/Encyclopedia/)), but I can’t find anything on the Minden. Anyone want to help me out?</p>

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<p>I believe Minden used to be an old hotel that was about to be destroyed, Brown bought it and turned it into dorms. Googled around:</p>

<p>Minden Hall</p>

<p>Formerly a hotel and then a Johnson & Wales University residence hall, Minden Hall underwent extensive renovation in 2002 and now houses Brown upperclassmen. Minden is unique in its configuration of having many rooms organized into singles, doubles, and three-person suites that contain a private bathroom. Not all bedroom doors in suites are lockable because of the bathroom configuration and some suites do not contain showers and instead rely upon shower rooms off the hall. Minden has a kitchen on its first floor containing two ovens but has no stove tops.
Residence Hall Services:
Kitchens: 104B
Lounges: 104
Laundry Rooms: 102
Bed Storage: None
Bike Storage: 107
Trash and Recycling: 102</p>

<p>sauce:
[Residential</a> Life: Residence Hall Map](<a href=“http://reslife.brown.edu/residence_halls/map.html]Residential”>http://reslife.brown.edu/residence_halls/map.html)</p>

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<p>Also, I am glad you have taken interest in Brown’s history :). Sometimes I feel like the school does a bad job of letting students know what a rich history some of the buildings have… I’m curious are you a Brown student? Are you really '13?</p>

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<p>Thanks for the ResLife link!</p>

<p>And yes, I really am Brown '13! I love Brown, but I do wish as well that the school made campus history more accessible. In fact, it’s one of my few complaints thus far. I pass a lot of buildings each day that are unmarked, or whose presence is unexplained. While poking around would probably reveal some information, it would if the backstories were available without the effort. Maybe I’ll talk to a dean…</p>

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<p>Minden is terrible. There is still a large abandoned kitchen/ cafe in there from before Brown bought it. </p>

<p>Other notables: </p>

<p>Sayles: MLK Jr gave a sermon there.
List: designed by Philip Johnson
U Hall: has all sorts of history.
Frat/sorority quad: built by same people who rebuilt colonial Williamsburg</p>

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<p>Talk to Facilities Management – I’ve taken tours with them, they are very knowledgeable about building history. There also might be someone in History of Architecture who knows a lot. The idea of putting plaques in front of buildings with detailed info is a good one.</p>

<p>I love Robinson Hall, the econ dept, myself. </p>

<p>As for Minden, here’s an article from the 2002 Brown Alumni Magazine (which has an online search function: </p>

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</p>

<p>The last paragraph makes me laugh, since 8 years later it’s still being used as a dorm. I know students who lived there last year, and they loved it.</p>

<p>BAM actually has a lot of interesting articles. Do a search for architecture, or building names, and you might learn even more.</p>

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<p>"There also might be someone in History of Architecture who knows a lot. "</p>

<p><<<<< Me. LOL. I learned some things from my department but not the majority. DPS officers and other random people are always a good resource to learn things. You just have to talk to people.</p>

<p>Some people like Minden for some crazy reason. Maybe the private bathrooms? I worked for Res. Life and the above mentioned person in the article. I’ve seen every dorm on campus, and also places where students aren’t allowed (storage areas, tunnels, etc.). I can tell you that the condition of Minden is poor. Even after they did some work in 2006/7? it’s still bad. That elevator is ridiculous.</p>

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<p>To learn about Brown and it’s building and history you should talk to William Simmons in anthropology and Luther Spoehr in education. Also take their classes UNIV1700 and EDUC1730.</p>

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<p>Thanks, everyone! You’ve given me all sorts of things to seek out when I get back to campus.</p>

<p>(Incidentally, a friend of mine who lives in Minden claims it’s haunted. Interesting…)</p>

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<p>Tunnels! I didn’t realize that Minden had those, too, but the other (i.e. more publicized) tunnels on campus have a fascinating history:</p>

<p>[The</a> Brown Daily Herald - The truth about Brown’s tunnels](<a href=“http://www.browndailyherald.com/features/the-truth-about-brown-s-tunnels-1.1674350]The”>http://www.browndailyherald.com/features/the-truth-about-brown-s-tunnels-1.1674350)</p>

1 Like
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<p>no Minden doesn’t have any, just a dirty basement.</p>