In this exhibit you can explore the different phases of Solitude’s history. We begin during the period when this place was indigenous land, and go on to explore its history as a slave plantation in the nineteenth century.
A SPACE OF THEIR OWN—HILLCREST HALL
Hillcrest Hall, which opened in 1940, was the first official women’s dormitory on Tech’s campus. The building housed around 100 women. Most of the female students at Hillcrest majored in home economics. Dr. Mildred Tate, Dean of Women, is often credited as the force behind the dorm’s construction. Hillcrest served as a women’s dormitory from 1940-1971. Currently, the residence serves as a university honors house.
It was predicted, by a campus newspaper, that female students would study gardening and horticulture. In the fall of 1921, 12 women enrolled at VPI and 5 were considered full-time students. None of these women majored in agricultural areas as previously predicted. The “first five” majored in engineering, chemistry and biology.
Hillcrest Hall, today
One group of Hillcrest residents, 1966
One of the first events at Hillcrest was a dinner to initiate the new women’s dorm. One of the handwritten invitations, sent to Mrs. Gillette, is seen here.
Many of the personal recollections of former students mention that Hillcrest was called the “skirt barn.” A photograph from the 1966 Bugle attributes the name to Tech’s agricultural history. The Bugle also dedicated pages to the "skirt barn."
From personal recollections and interviews, Hillcrest seems to have impacted the lives of its female residents in three ways: through food, creating a community and the reinforcement of lady-like behavior.
Women ate separately from men until 1963 when one of the male dining halls opened to female students. Meals in the dining room at Hillcrest were quite the affair. Elizabeth Lamb Aydlett ‘46 recalled the “wonderful meals” served at Hillcrest. Dorothy Herndon ’60, ‘62 described coming together each evening at 5:30 to eat at tables with white table cloths. She noted that Hillcrest used the same China as the Hotel Roanoke giving the dining experience a touch of elegance. Hillcrest had its own kitchen staff to prepare meals for the female residents. Evening meals were one way that women at Hillcrest built and maintained a sense of community.
Images from Hillcrest or "the skirt barn", 1949 Bugle
Page dedicated to the "skirt barn," 1950 Bugle
Until 1966, Hillcrest was the only female dormitory on campus. A few women could live in Woolwine House or the Extension Apartment Building, but Hillcrest was the only official dormitory. Most of the women living at Hillcrest majored in home economics. However, Ida Powell ‘58 recalled that there were also students from architecture and engineering living at Hillcrest.
Women at Hillcrest banded together to “fight off” male invaders during panty raids of the 1960s. Dorothy Herdon recounted:
“Some of them tried to get in and some of them got their fingers caught, when we, the co-ed, slammed the window down. We surprised the potential thieves by repelling them with fists, an electric iron and hot water, and sent some of the raiders to the infirmary.”
Hillcrest House Council, 1955 Bugle
Patricia Ann Miller receiving her commission, 1959
The House Council was another way that women of Hillcrest promoted community. Five women were elected from the dormitory to serve as mediator between the women students and student officials. Effectively, the council acted as a governing body for the female students.
The women of Hillcrest also came together in 1959 to watch Patricia Ann Miller become the first woman to receive a commission at Virginia Tech. Although she was denied access to classes taken by the cadets, Miller applied for and was granted a commission with the Army Women's Medical Specialist Corps. Dr. Laura Jane Harper noted that the women of Hillcrest were furious when Miller’s commission came at the very end of the ceremony. When Dr. Harper was asked why Miller was the last to be recognized, Harper replied, “Those men must get a head start on her; even with that she will overtake them.”
Students living at Hillcrest were expected to act like ladies. The women of Hillcrest had a curfew of 10 pm on weeknight and 11 pm on weekends. Female students were required to sign and provide a destination when they left the residence. Women leaving campus for the weekend needed a note from their parents. Well into the 1960s, the women of Hillcrest lined up for dress inspection before leaving for class. Women were not allowed to wear pants on campus until 1968. Several female students recalled that during snow storms, the housemother would call the office of the president and request permission for co-eds to wear slacks on campus. However, this request was rarely granted.
For three decades, Hillcrest was home to the majority of women living on the Blacksburg campus. Eggleston and Campbell Halls were opened to women as enrollment increased in the mid-1960s. The first newly constructed women’s dorm, Slusher Hall, opened in 1973-1974. It was named for Clarice Slusher Pritchard, a VT alum and former registrar.
Women on the steps of Hillcrest as pictured in the 1966 Bugle
Co-eds walking across a snowy campus. Hillcrest was situated apart from most of campus.
A campus map from 1944 shows Hillcrest still identified as the Girls' Dormitory (#3). Hillcrest was set apart of other areas of campus. The co-eds had a long walk to buildings like the library.
