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| Construction of Shawneetown Apartments. Cincinnati Enquirer, 1946 |
UK became the first university to provide housing for
married students during the post World War II period when war surplus buildings
were purchased and erected. Cooperstown
and Shawneetown were assembled as quickly as possible to provide around 500
temporary units. Over an 8 year period
these units afforded housing for over 3,000 students families and during this
time 700 children were born there.
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Construction of new Shawneetown Apartments, 1957
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Where once stood 51 one-story converted barracks, construction
of the new six building Shawneetown was begun in September 1956. The housing shortage
for married students and faculty at the University of Kentucky was the impetus
to build Shawneetown. It contained 84
efficiency apartments, 84 one bedroom apartments and 18 two bedroom
apartments. The two bedroom apartments
and 42 of the one bedroom units were reserved for faculty and staff members and
the remaining two thirds for married students.
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| 340 square feet efficiency. Maximum of living in a minimum of space. Convertible sofas provide sleeping. |
The efficiencies were furnished for basic living. The kitchens were equipped with sinks,
electric stoves and refrigerators. The
living rooms had a divan hideaway bed, dining table with four chairs, a chest
of drawers, and a lounge chair. The three
piece bath and shower was finished in ceramic tile and all apartments were
provided with ample closet space. The
units reserved for married students were rented for $69.00 and included all
utilities – electricity, water, and heat.
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| 680 square feet one bedroom unit. |
One bedroom apartments were furnished with electric stoves
and refrigerators. The bedroom was furnished
with a modern bed. The one bedrooms were
equally divided between faculty and students.
Rent for students was $79.00 and faculty/staff was $89.00 for a fully
furnished apartment or $82.00 for unfurnished.
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| Ben Johnson reading in his living room at Shawneetown, 1958. |
At the time, one unique feature of Shawneetown apartments
was its full cross ventilation system – there were no center corridors and each
apartment had its own exterior entrance.
The doors were equipped with jalousie windows. Each unit was heated by forced circulating
hot water with individual controls. Each apartment contained an outlet for a TV
and a phone plug. Each of the six
buildings had a central laundry with coin operated machines and a vehicle
storage room for bicycles, tricycles, and strollers. Shawneetown was contracted
with concrete and structural steel with red brick exterior walls. The interior walls were soundproof and the
only wood in the building was used for doors and shelving. The buildings were considered fire resistant.
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| Dr. Dickey addresses a crowd at the Shawneetown Apartments dedication, 1958. |
The new apartments were made available for occupancy in
January of 1958.
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