Saturday, February 10, 2007

Camden House

Owen B. Cheatham Chapel, former site of Camden House (photo courtesy of Henry H. Mitchell)

I graduated Class
of '69. Col. Cosby was still firmly in charge at the time. My junior year, I was quartered in the Camden House, where the chapel now stands. Richard Abernethy was in charge of the house and it was a great place to stay... except in winter and you wanted to take a shower! That required going around on the back porch into a separate room.

The neat part of the Camden House was the third floor. It was off limits, with a door to the stairway firmly padlocked. Enterprising cadets had gone in the other side, where there was a closet, and loosened the steps, allowing us fairly easy access. There was a balcony of sorts and we had a great time sitting up
there, enjoying the view. We were never reported or got caught. I still have a picture somewhere of that balcony.

Mr. MacMillian, who taught theology, lived in a separate part of the house, with his own entrance. Mac was the only person we knew who could walk into the main part of the house without the boards creaking.
That was always our tip off during evening study time, when the other teachers made the rounds.

George Fordham
fordhamwv@aol.com
Band Company '69

No comments: