Pine Cottage and Spruce Cottage, both built in the late 19th century—currently behind Ritenour Building at University Park—originally served as campus housing for university faculty, and later became sorority housing and academic and administrative offices.

In 2006, they were repurposed for Penn State’s Forensic Science program, which uses them to stage simulated crime scene investigations for student instruction. A third residence, Maple Cottage, was demolished in 1953.