Home Sweet Home
One of the first sights that greets visitors who enter Buechner (pronounced “Beat-ner”) Hall is a collection of spindles that extends to the ceiling, one of its many historical charms.
The makeshift wall separates the foyer from a formal living room; yet chances are, most current and former YSU students have never seen the inside of the nearly 80-year-old, red brick, five-story building that sits in plain sight next to Sweeney Hall just off University Plaza on campus.
The private female residence hall that is home to 72 women may be one of the best kept secrets on campus, so Y Magazine asked Gail Keaty, 1975, a former Buechner resident who has worked there in various roles for 44 years, for a tour.
Buechner Roots
It’s hard to imagine finding a better value than life at Buechner Hall, which costs about $100 per week for room and board. That’s because most of the cost is absorbed by the nonprofit Lucy R. Buechner Corp.
The corporation traces its beginnings to the mid-19th century, when Dr. W.L. Buechner came to Youngstown from Germany and was instrumental in organizing the city’s first hospital, which later became Northside Medical Center. Buechner, whose wealth grew by investing in predecessor companies of U.S. Steel, died in 1904 in a bizarre accident when his horse and carriage bolted over an embankment in Mill Creek Park.
  The Antique mailboxes (top), which residents use today, are one of the ways Buechner Hall has preserved a bit of history. A photo of Elvira Buechner, the building's namesake, adorns the fireplace in the main living area. |
The corporation was funded by the estate of Buechner’s daughter, Lucy, in memory of Buechner’s wife and Lucy’s mother, Elvira. A $2 million bequest was used to establish the residence hall, built in 1941, for students and women working in a gainful occupation.
Life at Buechner
Today, the residence hall remains consistently at full capacity and a popular option for students living on the YSU campus. And, men are still verboten in the rooms. Men can visit residents from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m., but only in the common areas. Male workers are allowed on the residential floors for official business and only after they have declared - “man on the floor!”
Kitchen staff cook hot meals during the week and will pack lunches upon request. Bedrooms are cleaned once a week. There are 63 rooms in total - nine semi-private and 54 private. Three of the singles even come with a private bath.
Cheyenne Rhoades, a senior from Chillicothe, Ohio, majoring in Forensic Science, appreciates the helpful staff who provide many of the comforts of home while she is away at school.
“It’s kind of like you have extra moms up here. They take care of you like they would their own kids,” said Rhoades.
Three women who currently live in Buechner Hall are second generation residents. That includes Anna Pleso, a sophomore Exercise Science/PT track major from Bristolville, whose mom first introduced her to Buechner. Pleso describes life there as a “cross between moving out of your house and not completely living on your own.”
While Buechner Hall is not officially part of the university, the majority of those who live there attend YSU, including 18 international students. Currently, there is a waiting list.
Keaty, whose maiden name is Beichner (pronounced the same as in Buechner Hall), says she believes she was always meant to live and work there.