Old Barrows

Walk five minutes south of campus and you will find Old Barrows. Lovingly called “Old B,” the house has the smallest number of residents (only 15) but provides meals for about 85 co-op members. Old B has a unique way of deciding its live-in membership; the first six spaces are women selected by lottery, then those six get to decide if the house is going to be all-female or all-gender. The Oberlin Student Cooperative Association (OSCA) is all about letting students make the choices that matter to them and this is just another way of doing so! This decision opportunity, along with a colonial portico overlooking an expansive lawn and some occasional homemade ice cream, make Barrows a distinctive living experience.

All students, whether they live or just eat in, have a weekly task that is equitably divided among members. It could be cooking, cleaning, or party planning, among many other things. Everyone helps out to make sure OSCA housing stays an at-cost option on campus. At the end of the year, OSCA is gives back any extra funds to its membership.

Application information is available at the OSCA web site.

Floorplans:

• First Floor (PDF)
• Second Floor (PDF)