Surrounded by its own moat and barred windows, the outside of Hill College House was built to resemble a fortress -- but the inside is even more secure. The building rests on a bomb shelter that served the Philadelphia area from 1959 until 1960, when the fear of atomic attacks began to subside. "This shelter is a wonderful representation of the end of an era," English Professor Robert Lucid, faculty master of Hill House. "For 10 years, it was technically part of the civil defense effort of Philadelphia." Although the bomb shelter presently does not appear to be efficient, Lucid says that in 1959 people found it an "interesting use of foundation." During that time period Hill House was surrounded by highly populated row houses. "All Philadelphia residents were given leaflets that told them to run to Hill if the bomb sirens went off," Lucid said. "The whole idea was really crazy though, because in the event of a firestorm the place might have turned into a big coffin. After all, there weren't even any doors." Logos informing the public of Hill's bomb shelter can still be found around the building. Since then, Hill House management has found more modern uses for the space. Throughout the years, the 15-foot-high shelter has been used for various storage purposes. The Geology Department has used it for rock storage, Hill residents have filled it with personal belongings and several escaped pets reportedly call the tunnel home. Last summer, a room was built in the fallout shelter during ResNet installation to house several controller cards. And until the early 1980s, the bomb shelter remained stocked with water, crackers and first aid equipment. According to Lucid, the materials were removed when mice and students began to "get in there." The Hill House manager board is presently considering planning a maze for the Class of 2000 in the cement tunnel. "Walking through it is a very unnerving experience, and if you were alone that would be really scary," said Engineering and Wharton freshman Vishal Shah, one of the planners.
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