Lausanne Hall

That original house belonged to Chloe Clark Willson, the very first teacher at the Oregon Institute, which eventually grew into Willamette University. It is another great example of women shaping the early academic foundation of Salem, turning a frontier outpost into a hub of learning. The building eventually took the name Lausanne to honor the ship that brought a massive influx of Methodist missionaries to Oregon in 1840. That voyage brought vital reinforcements who went on to help establish the university itself. But wooden structures from the pioneering era tend to become massive fire hazards. True to the city's habit of tearing down the old to forge something bolder, the university demolished Chloe's expanded house in 1919. They hired local architect Fred A. Legge to design this fire-resistant Late Gothic Revival replacement, an architectural style characterized by those pointed stone arches and heavy masonry you see at the entrance. It cost one hundred and forty thousand dollars to build, which is roughly two million dollars today. During World War Two, Lausanne actually became a ship, operationally speaking. The United States Navy took it over for an officer training program, enforcing strict military discipline. Trainees were required to adopt nautical terminology, calling the walls bulkheads and the floors decks. I suppose marching up and down a brick stairwell was considered excellent practice for oceanic warfare. Today, the building is better known for its spectral residents. It has a long-standing reputation for being the most haunted place on campus. Students have reported phantom doors opening and a century-old ghost in the attic. There is even a specific toilet on the third floor that perpetually refills with water. Some residents insist it is paranormal activity, completely ignoring the fact that it is an aging plumbing system built in 1920. Since it is an active student residence hall, it is technically open twenty-four hours a day, giving those alleged ghosts plenty of time to roam the corridors.