277 W. Thach Ave., Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama. County/parish: Lee.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places August 29, 2003. NRIS 03000423.
1 contributing building.Also known as:
Katharine Cooper Cater Hall, also known as the Old President's Mansion or the Social Center, is a structure on the National Register of Historic Places on the campus of Auburn University, in Auburn, Alabama. Designed by Joseph Hudnut and built for $17,000, Cater Hall was constructed in 1915 as the residence for the president of Auburn University (formerly Alabama Polytechnic Institute). In 1938, Auburn University built a new president's home, and Cater Hall became the social center for the new Quad dorms when they were built to the south of the mansion in 1940.
At this time, the Social Center also housed the Dean of Women. The goal of the Dean of Women's office was to teach female students how to “develop to their fullest potentialities, intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically, culturally and morally," and prepare them for their womanly roles in the home and community. In the late 1970s, the building was renovated to contain administrative offices and today houses the Auburn University's Honors College. Presently, Cater Hall is home to the honors college and still hosts student organization “callouts” on the steps.
(read more...)National Park Service documentation: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77836642