Inbox Wanted: Butler Tract tales

David Paul Says:

2013-02-05 01:30:13

In the early seventies, Princeton Township's dog-control ordinance required owners to keep dogs confined or on leash between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. As soon as the clock struck 7 p.m., the dogs were let loose. Our friends Jeff (*73 Politics) and Sue Bergner had a Beagle mix named Hegel who tore up the house when left alone. So if they were going out in the evening, they waited until 7:00 and let Hegel out. Hegel would try to follow their car, so Jeff and Sue drove around the project until they found a cat. Hegel took off after the cat, and the Bergners quickly made their escape. Hegel was always waiting for them on the front steps when they returned.

Vera Keller *80 Says:

2013-07-17 16:25:38

I always love running into old Princeton Ph.D.s who tell me how it was in the old, hard times: "You know, when I went to grad school, we had to live in barracks." And I respond, "Yeah, I lived in those too, but they were 30 years older!"

Xuemin Lu *10 Says:

2013-07-17 16:28:58

I was pregnant with my first baby, so we decided to move to the more financially and family-friendly housing option – Butler. We never regretted living there. Walking out of the back door, there is grass. Trees, flowers, squirrels, the quiet neighborhood make it a perfect place to enjoy a life in nature. So sad to hear that it will be torn down.

Martha Jones *82 Says:

2013-07-17 16:31:20

We lived in the Butler Tract from fall 1980 to spring 1982. We repainted the inside completely when we moved in because it was dingy and dirty. Our home was slated to be renovated, and they started working on it in fall 1981 by taking most of the siding off the house. But then it got cold, and they decided it was too cold to continue the work so they stopped construction for the winter, leaving our home open to the elements without any insulation. It was freezing all winter – every time the wind blew, the curtains moved. There was no bathtub, so we bathed our baby in the sink. The mother who lived next door used to chase her toddler all around the tract houses with a bowl and spoon in hand, trying to feed the child who wasn’t much interested in eating. Those were the days. Despite a few inconveniences, we had a wonderful time there.

Edward Golding *82 Says:

2013-07-17 16:35:26

Halsey 223 Butler was opened up to non-married students in the 1970s, thanks to changing demographics and N.J. constitutional challenges. The barracks were on cinder blocks (foundations came later), and as a result the pipes would often freeze. No problem, we boiled water and poured it down the shower. My principal gripe was that our end unit was the mirror image of the other three (bedrooms to the left). For these units, the gas heater had the controls (similar to that of an old-fashioned water heater) in a corner against the wall and not accessible without leaning over the hot heater. So I epoxied a dowel stick to the valve to be able to control the heat without burning myself. Nonetheless, the rent was $110 for the two of us and quite affordable.

Will Driscoll *91 Says:

2013-07-18 15:08:39

The University would not equip Butler houses with fridges. Instead we had to buy a fridge at Butler, move and store it over the summer, move it back in September, and sell it in May. What a hassle! I asked the University administrator in charge to fix this problem, and he declined to do so. Did the University ever fix this problem?

Leonard J. Rahilly *72 Says:

2013-09-16 10:06:44

I lived in Butler '61-'64. They should have been razed long before that. Recently, I had a chance to drive through the tract and see that they have been tarted up a bit on the outside. Spanish has a wonderful word for things like this -- una vergüenza -- something truly shameful. Well, the fact that world-renowned and well-endowed Princeton can't offer better housing than this is truly something to be ashamed of.