Saints' Rest Frequently Asked Questions

What is Saints' Rest?

Saints' Rest is the first dormitory on the MSU campus, and the second building on the campus. It was a three-story brick building built in 1856 when MSU was known as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan.

Where is it now?

Gone, except for a few irregularities in the lawn between the MSU Museum and Linton Hall. It burned during winter break of 1876. The catastrophe prompted re-evaluation of the college water main and fire protection systems. No one was hurt.

What's left of it?

Above ground, the northeast corner of Saints' Rest is marked by a concrete slab, set at an angle in the sidewalk, containing a weathered inscription with the name of the building, the date the structure was built and the date it burned.

What about below ground?

That's part of the fun and fascination of archaeology. The fire would have left some artifacts of everyday campus life. In addition, it's likely that after the fire the site was filled with debris from other parts of campus, which would contain more items of interest.

Who is doing the dig?

The Saints' Rest archaeological dig is being conducted as part of MSU Department of Anthropology Archaeology Field School, an anthropology summer class centering on research, field methods and excavation. About 20 students are part of Anthropology 464: Field Methods in Archaeology.

Also, part of this year's dig is two special courses for high school students and teachers focusing on archaeology. For high school students, "Archaeology at MSU," a week-long program June 27-July 1, will give young archeologists a chance to help dig up some of the university's history. The separate course for teachers, "Archaeology for Educators," is offered twice, June 20-30 or July 5-14. In addition to learning archaeological methods and research techniques, teachers will explore ways of bringing archaeology to the classroom.

Who is involved?

The Department of Anthropology, while the lead unit on the field school, will coordinate its efforts with a number of other units across campus, including the Consortium for Archaeological Research, the Department of Geography, the MSU Libraries and Archives, Campus Parks and Planning, Physical Plant and the MSU Museum.

Fieldwork and student training at Saints' Rest will take place under the supervision of anthropology assistant professor Jodie O'Gorman and professor Kenneth Lewis.

What will become of the artifacts?

The MSU Museum presently features a sesquicentennial exhibition, "Memories of MSU," that traces 150 years of advancing knowledge and transforming lives at the university. Featured from the Saints' Rest location is a lone ink bottle, unearthed in 1996 during a campus fiber optic installation project.

Artifacts uncovered in the sesquicentennial field school will be added to the MSU Museum's collections and further help tell the story of life on campus.  

Why called Saints' Rest?

It was unofficially named by students after a popular Christian devotional, written in 1652 by Richard Baxter. For more, see www.gracegems.org/book4/Baxter.htm

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