Both buildings had hardwood floors and potbellied stoves (for which the university provided wood for students to burn).

From 1940 to 1949, the interiors of Buckman and Thomas Halls were renovated, and the wood structures were replaced by steel and concrete, at a cost estimated to be between $37,000 and $54,000.

According to the legend, "Old Steve" was the original head cook on campus who worked in the kitchen in the center of Thomas Hall, beneath the classrooms and library.

The legend states that Old Steve disrupted the campus through his shouting and cursing at his kitchen crew, the banging of pots and pans, the hissing of steam, and the loud crackling of fire and pans as lunch was prepared—the same sounds heard when the steam heating system in the Murphree Area halls is turned on every fall.

[citation needed] Increased electrical demands of students put heavy burdens on Thomas Hall, draining power and causing circuit overloads and thrown breakers, with four to six residents sharing a 15-amp service.

The project required total rewiring of the halls—from transformers to each outlet and switch—and the installation of a new 23,000-volt primary distribution switch.

[6] The organization, along with resident assistants, runs event programming in the Murphree Area (typically open to all students across campus), using funding given by the university's housing department.