Most people may be aware of Whitworth University’s tunnel system. What people may not know, however, is the alleged bunker that lies underneath Westminster Hall. This raises many questions, such as, “Why was there a bunker on Whitworth grounds? What was it originally used for? How can I sneak into it?”
To cut to the chase, this supposed “bunker” was likely some sort of crawlspace hideout that was created by some crafty students. But before we elaborate on that, it is important to note how exactly Westminster Hall was set up at the time. Dr. Leonard Oakland, a recently retired Whitworth professor who taught in the late 1960s, said that Westminster was originally a men’s only dorm up until 1968. “When [Westminster (WM)] was still a men’s dorm, the rooms were configured differently from what you will find in the office structure now. Also, the lower area below the current modern language offices was not excavated. It was all ‘Whitworth sand,’ plus a large shower room on the WM side,” said Oakland. Westminster was originally much smaller, only encompassing the area to the right of the current main entrance. What was to the left of the modern entrance was Alder Hall, making it separate from the original Westminster Hall.
Despite there being no lower floor, there was a crawl space which could have been accessed by removing the drawers from the dorm closets. This crawl space is likely similar to the ones you may find inside the closet in a conventional house. This is far from the rumor of a bunker that was alleged to have been there. “Several men found that if they removed the closet floor and the drawer, they had access to the unexcavated ‘crawl space’ below,” said Oakland.
According to Oakland, it is rumored that a group of students led by Chris Van Dyke in the 1960s managed to “carve out” a room from this crawl space and filled it with furniture and a fridge for beer. This is all speculation, however, as Oakland said he cannot confirm these claims. “I must admit this is all hearsay from that time in the late ’60s because I never saw this room or talked to Chris Van Dyke,” said Oakland. Considering that he would know the most out of anyone, being active at Whitworth and Westminster Hall for over half a century, we can be certain that there was no Westminster bunker.
