 The college 's 1968 campus master plan called for the expansion of the campus eastward towards Wade Avenue in East Washington Borough , a plan that placed them in conflict with the residents of that area . For the next 30 years , the college maintained a policy of purchasing any homes in that area as they became available . In 1984 , the Washington County History and Landmarks Foundation was able to get the East Washington Historic District , a collection of 120 Victorian homes in that area , added to the National Register of Historic Places . The college opposed the designation but did not object in time to prevent it . According to President Howard J. Burnett , the district " was structured to prevent expansion of the college . " In the 1990s , the hard feelings between some residents and the College came to a head , with residents trying to have the Borough enact anti @-@ demolition laws to block expansion and a meeting of the Washington County History and Landmarks Foundation deteriorated into a shouting match between residents and college officials . Burnett maintained that the expansion was beneficial to the community and that the opposition came from a small and non @-@ representative group on Wade Avenue . He also questioned the historic value of many of the designated homes , pointing out that many of them were in very poor shape and others were vacant . As of 1995 , the college owned about 30 properties listed in the historic district . In the end , efforts to block the demolition of these buildings , including several which were part of the historic district , were unsuccessful . Notably , one 140 @-@ year @-@ old farm house at 137 South Wade Street , which the college had acquired in 1977 after being vacant for several years , was moved to a new location outside of town . 
