Many chapters in the book of history have been figuratively written on the walls of Wilson Hall, the oldest dormitory on Northeastern State University’s campus.

But what’s behind the walls is another story.

Wilson Hall bears the name of Florence Wilson, principal of the Cherokee Female Seminary when it was built in 1936. And the students who live there while they pursue their degrees have a special attachment to the venerable building they call home.

They know it needs major work. They also know the money’s not readily available to fix it.

Melissa Miller would rather live in Wilson Hall than anywhere else. She just has a problem with the water and a radiator she can’t turn off.

“When it rains, it floods,” Miller said. “And I don’t like the radiator, either. It feels unsafe.”

Mildew, open electrical wiring boxes, rusty pipes, threadbare insulation, and crumbling foundations from water damage can be spotted in various areas of the dormitory, especially in the basement. But NSU officials estimate a $10 million price tag for repairs, and they aren’t optimistic they can find that kind of money in today’s economic climate.

The students want to help. That’s one reason Alicia Slader, NSU Housing Advisory Committee president, hosted the “Wilson First Rally” Tuesday afternoon. She and other students presented a slide show and offered tours of the dormitory to spark community awareness.

“This is a nationally recognized building,” she said. “We should be taking an active part in helping clean the black mold and solving [the building’s] other problems. [Some] of the bathrooms in the hall are out of order. And some of the toilets leak onto the floors. We just want to gain some momentum, support and money to fix the dorms.”

NSU officials will take any help they can get, but they know a project of this magnitude can’t coalesce overnight.

“Wilson Hall is a building from the 1930s that hasn’t had any major renovations,” said Kim Cherry, vice president for administration. “In the ‘30s, there weren’t such things as building codes. [Wilson] is in extreme need of major repairs. We had talked about renovating the restrooms last summer, but there were too many things that had to be done. The facility would have had to be closed for at least a semester.”

As far as residents are concerned, the major concerns are air quality, frequent flooding that causes water damage, and standing water in areas like the basement laundry room. NSU officials said that while mold is indeed present, the air quality is tested at least once a semester, and affected areas have been quarantined.

Major repairs would have to be implemented in costly increments. And for buildings as old as Wilson Hall, there’s a caveat: Once a certain percentage of overall refurbishment is reached, the entire building must be brought up to code.

“We are looking at probably in excess of $1 million to renovate the bathrooms, $1 million for the roof, half a million to do masonry repair. Those are three things I consider critical,” said Cherry. “Our thought always is, stabilize the envelope of the building – the roof, masonry and exterior, to keep water out – before we do anything else.”

Members of NSU’s Housing Advisory Committee have been discussing what they and others could do to help. Panel members plan to meet every other Tuesday evening to clean the basement and discuss options.