1/2/08
10:00. I took a preliminary look at the building, both inside and out, starting with shopping a class in Rhode Island Hall 201, Cultural Anthropology: Understanding Human Societies with Daniel Smith. The building can only be entered from the side facing the Main Green, as the door facing College Green can only be used as an exit. This seems strange, as the building was designed to face onto College Green before the Main Green gained prominence, and so the door at the Main Green is really the back door. Clearly, the orientation of the building has changed.

Walking through the building after class I primarily noticed the dingy feeling of an interior that has not been taken care of as well as it could have been. The space inside the building does not seem to have a coherent purpose. Rather, Rhode Island Hall seems to provide extra space for things that do not have another place on campus, such as Psychological Services and the Writing Centre.

4/2/08
15:00 Chris Witmore and I took a more detailed look around the building, focusing on signs of use, and thinking about how to approach the archaeology of the site. On the west front facing College Green there are clear marks of changing usage, with the sign position having beenaltered and leaving a very evident mark. There is evidence of people walking between Slater Hall and Rhode Island Hall as a shortcut to get from the Main Green to College Green without following the paths out of their way. This is interesting because some of the old photographs show that at some points in the building's history there was a paved pathway along this route. It obviously made sense, as students still use the slightly muddy route despite the lack of paved pathway today.

A brief investigation of the interior revealed some unseen areas that shows how the space in the building as not been used entirely efficiently. On the second floor just as the staircase ends there are two cupboard doors flanking the corridor entrance. One seems to have been used for storage of extremely dusty odds and ends. The door opposite opened after putting a bit of force into it, and revealed the staircase that goes up to the top floor with the original skylights. I don't know how long the staircase has sat unused, but it certainly is not in good enough condition for me to investigate it today.

7/2/08
11:00 I visited the University Archives located in the John Hay Library. According to both Rob Emlen, the University Curator, and Albert Dahlberg, the Secretary of the University, whom I had emailed, this was the most likely place to obtain the original ground plans of the building. However the archivists at the John Hay did not have any plans or blueprints, having never received any. After making some more enquiries, I think that Facilities is the most likely bet for getting some of the groundplans, both recent and older.

The John Hay did have an extensive collection of photographs of RI Hall. Examining them provided a wealth of information about how the building has changed and been used over time. The file on the building also held newspaper articles that revealed some interesting history. An undated newspaper article told of a fire at RI Hall that had been extinguished by students, saving much of the expensive scientific equipment that was in it at the time. There was also an article that looked at various hauntings across New England, and apparently the 'Dancing Mortar of Block Island' resided at RI Hall in 1959 when the article was written.

12:30 Walking up George Street I noticed that a gate in the iron railing was open and the path led to a side door of Rhode Island Hall. I was able to open the door and walked down a few steps into one of the classrooms in the basement. I have noticed this door before, but it has not previously been open.

8/2/08
14:00 I did some research into the people mentioned in the undated article about the fire. It mentions that the library of the late Professor Packard was saved, and Alpheus S. Packard died in 1905. It also talks about a graduate student who's swift action helped extinguish the fire, Victor Emmel. Victor E. Emmel is mentioned in the Encyclopedia Brunonia entry on 'American Men in Science', and lists him as having received his Masters of Science in 1904, and his PhD in 1907, both at Brown University. The fire, therefore, must have occurred between 1905 and 1907.

notebook- spring 2008