Bowie

Members: 21 (21 singles)
Approx. cost: $659/mo
Floors: 3
Bathrooms: 4
Mealplan: Yes
Refrigerators: 4
Freezers: 1
Laundry: 2 washers, 2 dryers
Highlights: Near Apollo, newly renovated, Stoop, Beer Garden
Bus Line: #1, #25, #31 CATA
Nearby Locations: Crunchy’s (bar),  Biggby’s 24-hour cafe, Quality Dairy, Tabooli Mediterranean
Blocks from campus: 3

711 W. Grand River

Bowie House is one big family! We are all pretty good friends, and we always try to accommodate for each other’s needs so that everyone feels comfortable in their home.  Each Bowian is unique, with different majors from STEM to the arts, and different interests from cooking to sports. We love to play video games, watch movies, and have dance parties together. We are a cleaner house and try to (nicely!) hold each other accountable for cleaning up after ourselves. We very strongly value consent at Bowie, and make consent (in all areas of life) a house norm. With Sunday – Thursday dinners, 20 parking spots, all singles, and wonderful people, Bowie House is where you will make great memories and become part of a new family!

Elsworth (Bowie) House Constitution

Elsworth (Bowie) Floor Plan

Interested? Apply to the SHC first by clicking here. Then contact Azana, the Membership Officer, at acochran890@gmail.com

History

Elsworth was the second men’s co-op established at Michigan State University. The members wanted to lease a house, as Hedrick had done in 1939, but the owner’s of available property weren’t interested in leasing– they wanted to sell. The future members of Elsworth Co-op raised $1700 in the summer of 1940, lifted from foreclosure a house at 218 Albert established what may have been the first student housing co-op in the nation to own their own building.

Elsworth expanded to the house next door in 1947, but sold both houses to the City of East Lansing in 1949, which were demolished to build a parking lot. A new house was built at 711 West Grand River, and Elsworth reopened in 1951. Elsworth members played an important role in campus social life, winning intramural trophies and competing in Junior 500 contests. When vacancies and other problems threatened the house, SHC leased it to the Asher Christian Science Co-op, and later to a fraternity. The fraternity was evicted in 1992, and Elsworth has renewed its status as a well-respected co-op.

During the summer of 1996, Elsworth was closed down for some extensive renovations. Elsworthians now enjoy a new kitchen with many more cupboards and newly painted common areas. It has now reopened as one of the houses fastest to fill.