Life at Sampsonville
Who Lived in the Barracks?
The average age of the men in Sampsonville was 25 and the average age of women was 24. Average income was $165/month, mostly paid for by the government and part-time jobs that the women held. Veterans originally received an allowance of $90 per month from the federal government, but this soon increased to $120 per month after Sampsonville was constructed. The families were not on a meal plan and reported spending an average of $48 a month for couples and $65 for couples with children. There were sixteen children in Sampsonville in February of 1947 and this number raised to 26 children by May. In November 1948, there were 40 couples and 22 children living in Sampsonville.
There were three different barracks that comprised Sampsonville. Twelve years after it was built, Bardwell House was torn down in 1958 to make way for Adams Hall. In 1960, Russell and Garcelon Houses were both razed to make way for the Olin Arts Center that now stands in their place.