Onyx Spring-Summer 2019

"IF THIS FLOOR

COULD TALK"

A time capsule found beneath the surface of the McMahon Ballroom paints a picture of life in 1923. By Lindsey Richardt ’07

installation crew were discovered below the floor boards. The most unique discovery was a hand written letter signed by two of the members of the original crew and dated September 1923. Due to age and wear, the only recognizable name is that of Jacob Junker, who the College discovered to be a known carpenter at the time. Next to the letter was a wax paper sandwich wrapper from Ideal Baking Company, a workman’s compensation form from Freitag-Weinhardt, an organization based in Terre Haute, Indiana that still exists today, and a clipping from the Terre Haute Star dated July 12, 1923. Wood encased the letter with a frame he created from pieces of the original flooring. “The items paint a picture of a day in the life of a member of the original installation crew,” said Wood. “Ideal Baking Company was a Terre Haute

would eventually need to be replaced. “The flooring was more than 95 years old and no longer structurally sound. A tongue and groove board can only be sanded so many times before you damage the actual groove or tongue,” said Joshua Wood, director of facilities at SMWC. “John Crispin is the best I’ve ever worked with. He showed me areas of the floor that you could almost step through because it was sanded so thin.” Replacing the floor finally became a priority when a pipe burst on the second floor of Le Fer Hall last winter, causing water to flood the ballroom. “Unfortunately, the area directly under the leak suffered significant damage,” said Catherine Mickey Saunders ’98 , associate vice president for advancement at SMWC. “The wooden planks were obviously warped. We could not put off replacing the flooring any longer.” In the midst of removing the old floor, a number of items left by the original

If floors could talk, the 95-year-old McMahon Ballroom floor would have some intriguing stories. Located in Le Fer Hall, the grand Italian ornate style ballroom would tell tales of the finest events held at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC), from prominent visitors and elegant balls to student activities and decades-old traditions. What was uncovered during a renovation of the ballroom floor was a different kind of story, a piece of history dating back to 1923. The original maple floor had been maintained with care over the years, but after 95 years of dancing and dining, the ballroom floor had reached the end of its useful life. Ten years ago, when the floor was last sanded and sealed, John Crispin, father of Frieda Crispin ’04 and owner of Hardwood Renovations, informed the College that the wooden planks had become too thin to ever sand again. It was then that the College knew the floor

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