Thurston House

Date

Late 19th century-1971 (private); 1971-? (college)

Location

156 South Professor Street (demolished)

Architects/Collaborators

Builder unknown

Style

Folk Victorian

History

Thurston House was a three-story home, known for some time as the Knowlton House. The college purchased the home in 1971 from Eloise Thurston Landis Knowlton, daughter of Hiram Thurston. Hiram Thurston was the Treasurer of Oberlin College from 1916-1934. In 1972, Thurston became the first home of the Women’s Collective. The collective housed 18 or 19 women in Thurston’s 11 bedrooms until the 1981-82 school year, when it moved to Mallory House. The Women’s Collective was born out of concern that women were isolated within the dorm system, and had only a small Women’s Center in Wilder. Women contributed belongings and furnishings to the house, so members of the collective were distraught to learn that they would have to move the program to Mallory House. Additionally, Mallory’s capacity was 14 students, requiring the program to downsize. The collective remained in Mallory until 1989, when the program was moved to Baldwin Cottage, the current home of the Women and Trans* Collective.

Sources

Oberlin College Archives
        Records of Student Life.
        Paula Goldsmid Papers.
        Office of the Dean of Students Records, Subgroup VI.
                Housing and Dining Records.