Martha Cook Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Martha Cook Building |
|
|---|---|
Martha Cook Building
|
|
| General information | |
| Opened | 1915 |
The Martha Cook Building is a special home for young women at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It's a type of building called Collegiate Gothic, which means it looks like old university buildings. About 140 young women live here while they study at the university.
Unlike some other dorms, students can live at Martha Cook for all their years of study. This building first opened in the fall of 1915. It was the very first dormitory on campus just for female students.
What is Martha Cook Like?
Martha Cook is one of only a few all-female homes on campus. It was first built for about 110 women. Today, more than 140 students, from first-year students to those getting advanced degrees, live there.
The building has many fun traditions. One popular tradition is weekly teas held every Friday. These teas are for residents and their friends. There's also a big International Tea each spring that everyone can attend. Other traditions include a special dinner for new students and a Handel's Messiah Dinner. There are also themed buffet dinners each week.
Martha Cook has its own private dining hall. Only people who live in the building can eat there. Even though the kitchen has been updated, the dining hall still looks historic. It has old wooden tables, chairs, and fireplaces. These features help the dining area keep its classic charm.
The building itself is very old and historic. While some parts have been updated, it still has its original beauty. For example, it has special rooms like the Gold, Red, and Sparking rooms. These rooms are used for studying or for Martha Cook events. The rooms are also larger than typical dorm rooms. This allows for bigger, non-modular furniture.
In 1984, the front parlor of Martha Cook was used for a movie set. The film was called "Secret Honor." It was a play about former President Richard Nixon. He was shown thinking about his time as president. Many students from the University of Michigan's film program helped make the movie.
Martha Cook celebrated its 100th birthday from October 23-25, 2015. Many past and current residents came to the celebration. Martha Cook is the only dorm at the University of Michigan with an alumni association. This group helps make important decisions about the building. They also raise money for scholarships for students. They help plan events like Fall and Spring Tea for former residents.
Where is Martha Cook Located?
Martha Cook is on South University Avenue. It is right across the street from the Law Quad and the Business School. This makes it one of the closest dorms to the main campus of the University of Michigan. The exact address is 906 S. University Ave.
History of the Building
The Martha Cook Building was designed by the company York and Sawyer. It was built in 1915. A lawyer from New York named William W. Cook gave the building to the University. He was a former student there. He donated it to honor his mother, Martha Wolford Cook.
Above the main entrance, there is a statue of a woman named Portia. This statue was made by Furio Piccirilli. Portia is known as a very smart woman from Shakespeare's plays. The garden around the building was designed in 1921 by Samuel Parsons. He was a famous landscape architect.
