Legend or History?
The story of the construction of Mendel Hall and Fontbonne Hall are prime examples of stories where the only evidence is the building itself. The story of Mendel says that Sister Antonia heard that Prior Avenue was being built and would run through campus. She immediately hired a building crew to lay down the foundation of Mendel Hall. Since she had the foresight to lay down a building Prior Avenue cannot run through campus and she is the victor. They say history is told by the victors and this story is a perfect example of it. In this story we all are the victors and so we have the pleasure of telling the story to all new members of our community and living in the victory and memory of Sister Antonia. The story is preserved through its victorious ending and the perfect alignment of the building. The doors of Mendel open straight out onto Prior Avenue making the story seem realer than ever. The story surrounding the building is what makes it peculiar and this memory of space preserves an image of Sr. Antonia.
The next sections will explore the title of this project and why these space are peculiar. Tunnels, pools and ghosts are part of our campus lore and tell very specific tale of the campus. These stories make the campus more peculiar and preserve these odd memories of spaces.