Baltimore Heritage

In one of the largest efforts of its kind, Goucher College is currently moving three 1200-ton Mid-Century Modern dorm buildings across its campus. The buildings, completed in the early 1950s, were part of Froelicher Hall, named for Hans Froelicher, a long-time Goucher dean and interim president. The buildings that are being moved are Alcock, Gallagher, and Tuttle Houses, named after faculty and alumni of the college. When they were completed, they housed over 200 students. Over the last 60 years, they have been modified to include more spacious living arrangements and common rooms, but the buildings themselves have retained the Mid-Century Modern appearance that defines much of Goucher’s campus. Each building is approximately 100 feet long, 40 feet wide and 35 feet tall. The work crews are now jacking them up and putting them on wheels to roll across the campus, soon to be used again for student housing only in a new location. We have a small window of opportunity to witness part of this massive move in action and to get some insight from the project’s engineers on how in the world it is possible to move such large historic stone buildings. Please join us and two hosts from the college, Mr. Terence McCann, director of facilities, and Dr. Thomas Walker, director of Goucher’s historic preservation program, on this one-hour interactive tour. We’ll meet at Goucher’s Stadium Parking Lot at the north end of campus near the Sports and Recreation Center. This is a hard hat tour of an active construction site and tour participants must wear pants and closed-toed shoes, and must be able to walk on uneven ground.