Most USU students or residents from Logan have heard of weird and quirky houses close to the university. Since Logan was founded in 1859, houses have come and gone but there are a few that have stuck around and continue to be recognized.

Boat House

The Boat House is located on the corner of 600 East and 700 North and stands out by its winding curves and white and blue exterior. Reasons for the name include the house’s location next to a canal, and the fact that it simply looks like a boat from the outside.

Built in the 1930s by Logan resident, Clarence Stucki, the house was originally built for his family. Jody Robins, who currently owns the house, bought it from Clarence’s wife, Barbara Stucki, in 2005. The house was too much for Stucki to maintain and was put up in an auction-style sell where Robins was the highest bidder.

Most people would say the outside is interesting but the inside is what’s intriguing. The inside has a continuous staircase that changes from wood to carpet as it ascends. The first part of the staircase from the first to second floor is wooden and showcases a painted mural the residents work on from time to time.

The house has hidden doors and compartments along with multiple balconies that wrap around the porch that make for a great study area. Curvy lines with glass and wood paneled doors and an old rock fireplace resting on green shaggy carpet also make the house different.

Robin’s favorite part of the house is the small, vibrant-colored mosaic tiles found in most of the bathrooms. He also likes how the house consists of curvy lines instead of the usual square, perpendicular lines found in most homes.

“Everything is circular and has a lot of windows,” Robins said. “For being built in the 1930s it’s extremely modern. Clarence was just really ahead of his time.”

Retro House

The Retro House, located at 789 E. 900 North, is known for its uniqueness. Built between 1945 and 1946, the house was originally owned by a woman who could not continue to make mortgage payments. The house was taken over and paid for until the woman passed away. Logan Preferred Properties currently owns the residence.

The word “retro” derives from the Latin prefix “retro,” meaning “backwards” or “in past times”. Walking into the Retro House conveys the feeling of just that – walking into another time.

From the doorbell chime sounding like a squealing train whistle, to the entire floor carpeted even into the all-pink bathroom, the Retro House is classic and outdated but seems to have been trendy at its time.

An ironing board folds out from the kitchen wall and one occupant finds his room to be in the spot where a garage once stood. Décor from random bottles to gnomes or geographic rocks take up kitchen-wall and shelf space.

Two vinyl sliders separate the kitchen from the living room and hallway, and pink flowered wallpaper occupies the ceiling in one bedroom with an overhead compartment that will hold just about anything.

Retro House resident Sheridan Guymon, USU parks and recreation graduate, said several guys were involved in the naming of the house.

“It just needed a name,” Guymon said. “It was a cool house and the casino carpeting and the old fixtures make it different.”

The Retro House is also famous for the African tree in the backyard where the residents can rest in a hammock hung from the tree in their spare time.

Round House

The Round House is named for its unique and complete round shape. Located at 729 E. 900 North, the house has four different living areas.

The apartment on the middle level is what makes the house interesting. The stairs of the apartment lead to the basement where one isolated shower is located, creating a creepy effect compared to other normal showers or bathrooms.

Star Trek décor in the boy’s apartment and a hammock in the opening of the windows where it curves also make the Round House out of the ordinary.

Origins of the Round House are not exact, but Lauryn Heaton, manager of the Round House, expects the house has been around since the early 1980s based on the earliest pictures she has of the house.

Valley View House

The general color scheme of the kitchen including an avocado green counter top makes this house exceptional. At 648 E. 900 North, the Valley View House is located in the middle of the parking lot of Valley View Apartments.

Nothing seems to make sense according to resident Jennifer Lindstrom and the house has a “what will happen next” feel. From low ceilings to built in bookcases, the rooms are strange and only have one electrical plug and a confusing location for light switches, mostly behind the doors. Even the toilet in the restroom is built off the ground on a pedestal and requires a stool for a footrest.

The basement of the house has a creepy feel with an unstable wooden staircase leading to a concrete cellar. The house exterior is colored light blue and black and makes its home next to a duck pond and an old wishing well.

Garden Court House

The Garden Court House wins the best place to play hide and go seek. Even though it is charming from its balcony underneath an apricot tree to its yellow coloring, the most exciting part of the house is the hidden doorway from one closet to a back room. From the back room, a trap door leads to the top of a closet in a separate room making for an easy fire escape, food delivery or opportunity to scare roommates.

Located at 935 N. 800 East, the house has four different apartments inside. The main section is also famous for its pearlescent-blue- and black-tiled bathrooms with two small showers. Each separate room is unique and diverse from low hanging ceilings above beds to fixed skylights. Alisha Christensen from South Jordan agrees her apartment in the house is exceptional.

“It’s not a cookie cutter apartment,” Christensen said.

–mackenzie.love@aggiemail.usu.edu