Named houses attract social gatherings
The Tex-Mex Museum, the Grapery and the Boat House. What do all these names have in common? They’re some of the student-given names of different houses and apartments off campus. Many students carry on the local tradition of dubbing their residence with a nickname.
“We just wanted to stake our claim in university housing,” said Cassie Dillard, a sophomore majoring in elementary education. “We want people to know where it is – for it to be a landmark that is easier to find.”
Dillard lives with her roommates in a house they named the “red door house.” The house is on 600 East, just south of 1000 North. Dillard and her roommates named it the “red door house” due to the red door on the front of the home.
“It’s the first thing you notice,” Dillard said
Some students feel there is a connection between named houses and social events.
“People want to know where these landmarks are because that is where social gatherings and parties are,” Dillard said.
“Without a name, no one would come over,” said Kaden Anderson, a sophomore studying business. “Because it has a name, people know it exists. Everyone knows where it is. Without a name it’s just another house with a bunch of college kids in it.”
Anderson lives in a house on 200 East, just south of the Logan LDS Temple, which he and his roommates call the Grapery.
Kyle Fischer, a sophomore studying aviation, also lives in the Grapery. Fischer said the house is famous for its annual ugly sweater party, which is held in December. He said the house got its name due to its unique wall paper and a basement similar to a wine cellar.
“It’s an older house, and the basement is pretty scary,” said Fischer. “It’s got a spiral staircase with concrete floors. It just looks like a place where bad things would happen. It looks kind of like a wine cellar. The house has also got grape wallpaper, so that’s why we called it the Grapery.”
Some students name their houses because of the effort they put into decorating it. Natalie Thatcher, a senior studying public relations, lives in a house on 600 E. 600 North which she and her roommates call the Gold Mine due to the gold-colored decorations and furnishings they used while putting together the home’s interior.
“Everything that we decorated it with is gold,” said Thatcher. “It’s an older house and we put our own touch into everything we did to it. We got stuff from the DI and it’s just unique to us, so that’s why we gave it a name.”
Landon Kohler, a junior studying public relations, lives with his other roommates in a house they call the Tex-Mex Museum. The house is northeast of the USU campus just north of the eighth hole of the Logan River Golf and Country Club, according to Kohler.
Kohler said the naming of the house was due to its Southwestern feel, as well as the influence of the paraphernalia from different parts of the world used to decorate it. Kohler’s roommate had an uncle who had died, leaving him various objects from different parts of the world.
“Drew’s uncle died and left him a whole bunch of artifacts,” Kohler said. “It was his passion to decorate our house using those items and provide a Southwestern, homey feel.”
The 3,000 square foot house has features such as a theater room, a four-foot wide stone Mayan calendar, an outdoor patio with firepit, eight plasma TV’s, a massage chair, a popcorn machine and a 36-inch-tall cowboy boot in the entryway filled with candy.
Kohler said one of his favorite features is the extensive theater room, complete with a library of movies and all the sports channels available from Comcast.
“We’re accepting applications for new move-ins,” said Kohler. “It’s a little place we call heaven.”
Some students feel living in a named house can also affect reputation.
I’m an official She-Wolf,” said Meghan Peterson, a senior studying exercise science who lived in the She-Wolf House on 600 East last year. “People will come up to me and be like, ‘You’re a She-Wolf aren’t you?’ and I haven’t even met them before. I think it’s great because everyone knows you and where you live.”
Peterson said even though she doesn’t know why many houses are named the way they are, it gives them a reputation for social events. She also mentioned houses such as the apple Pie House, Boat House, Pool House and Garage House.
“I don’t know exactly why they’re called that, but I feel like it gives them a cool reputation for parties and stuff,” said Peterson. “Once your house has a reputation, it sticks.”
– cale.w.p@aggiemail.usu.edu