by Allison BrookesEAST LIVERPOOL - When college students enter the Mary Patterson Building on the KSU campus, most do not realize that this building has an interesting story behind it and that it served many other purposes than a modern learning facility. Here is the tale, beginning with the coming of the man who built it.
Monroe Patterson arrived in East Liverpool around 1871, along with his father Lawrence Patterson and their team of horses. Despite Monroe’s lack of assets, he began to accumulate money until 1878, when he and two other men opened a small town machine shop located on the corner of Walnut and Fourth streets, adding a small foundry shortly after.
In 1883, Patterson married the woman he loved, Mary Thompson. The couple had two children, who unfortunately passed away as infants. Their loss was tragic, but it sparked interest in the couple for the youth in the community.
Monroe Patterson’s company gradually prospered, and in 1891 he built a larger foundry and machine shop at Second and Walnut. After collaborating with seven local men, Patterson Foundry and Machine Company was incorporated in 1899. Patterson was the general manager and treasurer of this company; however, he gave up his positions to become the general manager of The East Liverpool Pottery Company. Patterson also founded the Wellsville China Company.
On November 26, 1921, Monroe’s beloved wife, Mary Patterson passed away after 38 years of marriage. Consumed by grief, Patterson channeled his sadness into giving back to the community. So in honor of his late wife, Patterson built a four-story building that offered housing to single, young, working women in the community. Monroe continued to supervise the construction of the building until he developed pneumonia and died on Nov. 22, 1924.
Construction of the Mary Patterson Memorial was brought to a halt for seven years due to a dispute between executors of Patterson’s will and the building’s board of trustees. But by 1932, the building had 40 rooms, a public lounge, two small writing areas, an auditorium and a swimming pool in the basement that was open to the public.
