The Life

Dorm Room in Johnstone Hall A; 1967; Clemson Libraries

Johnstone Hall housed approximately 2,200 residents, including about 2,100 men and 100 women once they were introduced into the student body. Male beds and dorms were housed in halls A through F until hall A was adapted into a female-only residence hall starting in the early 1980s. Each residence hall consisted of furniture for two people, each receiving a single-width bed measuring 35.5 inches by 81 inches, individual study desks and chairs, a lavatory, and built-in closets. The bedrooms themselves had complete tile flooring, while the connecting hallways were carpeted. On each hall, there were communal restrooms and kitchens, and any amenities of the Johnstone building were located adjacent to the resident halls. The halls were originally made as barracks to house the ROTC and military students, so military influences could be seen in the construction of the rooms. For example, there were spaces between the closets where rifles could be stored and there was a sink in each room since the bathrooms were set up military-style. For being built as the bare minimum, the college did provide each student with the necessary furniture and housing.

Student's Damaged Property After Johnstone Fire; Clemson Libraries

The living conditions that former students describe from residing in Johnstone Hall are somewhat concerning. Students gave Johnstone hall the nickname of the “tin cans" because they were built from mostly metal. Since metal is a temperature conductor, the normal room temperature was always extreme within the building, reaching the highest highs and lowest lows, without the ability to adjust to comfort. The heat seemed to drive the students into a wild state, to the point where the bathrooms in both halls A and F were turned into public swimming pools. “Students plugged the drains with towels and washcloths… they made the pool about 4ft deep so you could swim. [1]" The walls were described as being so thin that you could hear everything going on above, below, and around, "which is not ideal if your neighbor finds out he is gonna be a dad over a telephone message. [2]" It was also known that asbestos could be found throughout the halls, and students would interact with it in pranks. One historic legacy for Clemson buildings and residential halls is its commonality with fires, and Johnstone was not exempt from this legacy. The electricity and overall electric system throughout Johnstone consisted of exposed, non-grounded wiring, which is both a safety and health precaution for students. Because of these exposed wires, unnatural temperatures, and so much life going through the building constantly, it was not a far stretch for fires to start on campus. Once it started building its sense of community, Johnstone was one of the most sought-after places to live on campus in its earlier years. Overall, the living conditions were not the best, but the community made it worth the while. 

Students Lined Up To Enter Harcombe Dining Hall; Clemson Libraries

Even for students who did not live in Johnstone, the building still made an impact on the college experience at Clemson. There are some alumni who can still remember the smell of walking through the loggia. Students could leave their doors unlocked and go to class without the threat of someone taking their property.  The “tin cans” were a central hub for students living on campus, mainly because it was located at the center of campus. Johnstone Hall was home to the University Post Office, Harcombe Dining Hall, the Student Union, a ticket window for events, a bowling alley, the canteen, student government offices, the college chapel, and a lot more. Some of these offices and locations are still there today, including the bowling alley, senate chambers, and post office. The proximity of the residence halls to other parts of the campus made it attractive to incoming students as well. It was only “a hop and a skip from Dan’s” which was a local restaurant and bar in downtown Clemson, the fraternity quad was right next door, and the proximity to lecture buildings was close enough that students didn't work up too much of a sweat on their way to class.