The Space

Higgins House Board of Governors meeting minutes from June 10th and June 24th, 1971, suggest a top priority of theirs was assessing the estate's condition. All decisions related to use of the Higgins House space would follow their determination of maintenance and upkeep needs, including repairs, interior furnishings, and grounds work. Earliest attention to the matter was given with support from three WPI students who resided above the garage. The accommodation was rent-free in exchange for their provision of nighttime security and "certain odd jobs on the premises."

Some of the Board's initial condition observations and decision points included:

As these observations were made, a structure for accomplishing these goals and early operating policies were drafted.

Higgins House Board of Governors Meeting Minutes

Draft Event Policy and Governing Structure

The first occupants of the Higgins House after its bequeathal were Bill Ericson, Bob Williams, and Harold Sanderson--all WPI students. It's unclear how they first came to reside above the garage, but what started with them in the Fall of 1970 quickly grew into a more formalized housing experiment proposed by a group of twenty-two WPI students in the Spring of 1971. Since everybody had ideas about what to do with the Higgins House but few decisions were yet cemented, WPI welcomed the interim opportunity to offer housing in exchange for estate maintenance. It was understood, however, that the Higgins House would not become a permanent dormitory. This arrangement was intended primarily to prepare the estate for university functions and other special events.

Newspaper clippings from The Gazette, ca. 1970

Tech News headline from May 4th, 1971.

Click on headline image below to access full coverage of the twenty-two student housing proposal.

By Fall of 1971, The Higgins Estate Residents Association--comprised of the twenty-two students who first proposed this idea to WPI administration earlier that year--had moved in to the estate. The Association was divided into four departments:

As part of this program, members of The Higgins Estate Residents Association agreed to submit monthly reports to WPI administration. These detailed the day-to-day work being done and state of living together at the Higgins House, along with the Association's progress on various special projects and subsequent recommendations for continuing to maintain the estate. Review the below report from their first month to learn more.

The Higgins Estate Residents Association Monthly Report: October 8th, 1971

Though effective in estate upkeep and as a form of support for visitors and special events, the Higgins House group living experiment eventually declined in popularity. Participants expressed concern over both the cost to reside at the estate and the unsustainable amount of labor expected of them. Over time, the Higgins House closed to residents and instead transitioned into a space exclusively for special events and, later, offices.

Read the Association's comprehensive report for more insight into the experiment's decline, ca. December of 1971

Along the post-bequeathal Higgins House timeline, there also lie three standout instances involving peaceful student protest. WPI administration had on three separate occasions recommended that the Higgins House lawn be paved over for additional parking. The first was proposed amidst ongoing uncertainty about what to do with the estate at large, soon after it was left to WPI. A second attempt was made in 1980. Director of Public Relations, Roger N. Perry, explained that need for the lot was due to loss of parking at the Atwater Kent Laboratory building, a growing student body, and new evening programs. Nonetheless, it's estimated that around 150 WPI students gathered in opposition to this plan. The proposal was later denied at the May 31st Board of Trustees meeting.

Newspaper clippings from the Worcester Telegram, May 16th, 1980

Despite widespread student, staff, and faculty disapproval expressed in both 1971 and 1980, another parking measure took shape in 1993. Learn more from the full Newspeak Special Edition issued on May 4th, 1993: https://digital.wpi.edu/concern/generic_works/v405sd26d?locale=en

As of [], the Higgins House is home to WPI's Office of Alumni Relations and Quorum Cafe. In addition to centralized, internal alumni outreach operations, WPI alumni themselves now have a dedicated gathering place above the Great Hall, and the Quorum, situated adjacent to the sun room, provides staff and faculty with a shared break space. In the half century since the estate's bequeathal, it seems the myriad of considerations around how best to utilize the Higgins House has settled. But the estate has become a hallmark gathering place for students, too. Meetings, conferences, and other special events--for alumni, faculty & staff, students, and the broader community--are frequently held in the Great Hall and on the Higgins lawn. Browse the images below for an inside look at the offices and cafe now housed within the estate. For more information about special events, see the "Special Events" photo gallery (accessible via the exhibit's homepage).

The Office of Alumni Relations

The Quorum Cafe

In 2019, the house underwent its most extensive restoration with the help of generous philanthropic support from WPI alumni. Texas-based alumnus Michael Abrams ’77 made a significant donation with his wife, Nancy, in response to the estate's outdated electronics, which made communicating in meetings with fellow Alumni Association Board members quite the challenge. Together with additional funds from the WPI Alumni Association, many of the building's architectural masterpieces were also restored.