Today marks the end of an era for one representative of IU’s post-World War II building boom. University Apartments West, located near the intersection of Third Street and Jordan Avenue will be demolished today to make room for the construction of a new studio building for the Jacobs School of Music. For more information see today’s article in the Herald Times (login required or can access through the library subscription if at IUB).
Completed in February of 1949, the University Apartments, the Hoosier Courts apartments, and the Woodlawn Trailer Court were built to accommodate the massive influx of married veterans returning to school on the G.I Bill. Over the course of one year the student population of the Bloomington campus more than doubled, going from 4,498 in 1945-46 to 10,345 students the following year.
Between University Apartments East and West, the complex consisted on 238 living units, each building consisting of 81 efficiency and 38 one-bedroom apartments.
Advertising for the building boasted about its two laundry rooms with automatic washers and dryers and ironing boards, a carriage and bicycle room, incinerator system for garbage and trash disposal, and guest annunciator system from the building lobby to each apartment.
In the 1950s efficiency apartments ran $60-65 per month (an additional $10 for furnished) and one bedrooms went for $70-75 (an additional $15 for furnishings). Rooms included drapes, electric stove and refrigerator, kitchen cabinets, and all utilities except for phone.
6 Comments
Good morning, Jim! Alas, it was not me! I didn’t come to Bloomington until the 90s. 🙂
Had a chuckle about your mom cleaning the apartment they were about to raze – I get it! Wouldn’t want workers coming in for a final inspection and judging! 🙂
Hi Dina,
Your name isn’t very common so I’m just checking to see if you’re the person to whom I gave my last Herald Telephone paper route to in 1973. I believe it was in Campus View. My family was the last family to leave the “old” Hoosier Courts, 4-6 while they were tearing the buildings down. The power had been off for two days and my mother was cleaning up the kitchen before she left – just an image still in my head that I didn’t understand at the time.
Jim
In the early 1960s, we lived in “New” Hoosier Courts (the modular apartments that still exist) and “Old” Hoosier Courts, (the repurposed Army barracks located around the Horseshoe partly covering the ground occupied now by what I think is the new Hper building). Dad was in Optometry School, Mom in the School of Education. I still remember our Old Hoosier Courts building, #226. These were all north of the railroad tracks behind Crosstown.
Hello! We have some images of Hoosier Courts scanned and available in our photo database! https://go.iu.edu/3YYt Let us know if you have any questions!
My family (9 years before I was born) lived in a 2 bedroom at Hoosier Courts while Dad was in Pre-Med at IU. Wish I could find pictures of it on the internet!
Great share Carrie. History brings a lot of memories. It’s amusing seeing what was charged way back then.