Martha Cook Building

Martha Cook is a Collegiate Gothic women's residence hall at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

While the pantry has been updated, the wooden tables and chairs, the fireplaces, and the intricate designs allow the dining area to keep its historic appeal.

In 1984 the front parlor of Martha Cook, called the Red Room, was transformed by director Robert Altman into the set for the film Secret Honor, a one-man play in which Richard Nixon (portrayed by Philip Baker Hall) sits alone in the San Clemente library reflecting on his presidency.

Located on South University, across the street from the Law Quad and the Business School, Martha Cook is one of the closest residence halls to UM's central campus.

[9] Above the main entrance is a statue of Portia by Furio Piccirilli, described as “Shakespeare’s most intellectual woman.” Samuel Parsons, the prominent landscape architect, designed the garden in 1921.

Statue of Portia, Martha Cook Building