Canary Cottage, built about 1927-1928, was the personal residence of Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown, who hosted many social functions there for faculty, students, and friends. Dr. Brown kept canaries at her home, and the house took its name from the birds, its exterior paint color, or both. It was a modern urban style home with two full bathrooms, radiator central heating, a refrigerator, electric lights, telephones, and a radio in the library. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Dr. Brown lived there with her three nieces, all students at Palmer. The house also served as a home for female teachers and other women staff members, as well as younger students and visiting relatives. To train students in cultured behavior, Dr. Brown held teas and other social events there, including a formal reception on the east-side lawn before the first day of classes each year. Canary Cottage became the model for the Carrie M. Stone Cottage, built in 1948 next door, and the Massachusetts Congregational Cottage, built in 1950 at the east end of campus. Its location allowed Dr. Brown to look out over the school from her desk and easy chair, observing the buildings and grounds and watching students as they walked across campus.