Sofia History

1908:

• The house at 1239 Spaight Street was built as a single-family home. Room 1 was originally a dining room and there was originally an archway between the living room and dining room, (where the bookshelf at the far end of the living room is now). No one currently knows if the layout of the second floor was as it is now. 

1990s:

• We don't know when residents of 1239 Spaight Street began to refer to themselves as a co-op, but by 1991, if not earlier, the house began to refer to itself as “The Goo Hut”. Speculation traces the name back to Sonic Youth's 1990 album "Goo," which was widely popular among grunge fans at the time.

2000:

• The Goo Hut had been renting from a landlord and the landlord was ready to sell. 

September 15, 2000:

• MСC purchased 1239 Spaight for $179,300. The house retained the Goo Hut name. Significant renovations occurred including the restoration of the cherry woodwork.

• MCC initially had planned to redevelop the attic to add extra bedrooms. However, it would have required a significant exception to the prevailing zoning law that prevented it from operating as a co-op, due to a local zoning ordinance that restricted more than five unrelated adults from living together in a single residence.

• To address this issue, the members of the Goo Hut reached out to their neighborhood and District 6 alderperson. According to reports, the alderperson expressed a willingness to assist them but requested that they find an alternative name for the residence to facilitate their efforts.

2003:

• The house temporarily changed its name to Orton Co-op, named after the park one block west of the house, so modifications could be made. Although, the house members continued to informally refer to the house as the Goo Hut, and the Goo Hut sign remained next to the mailbox on the front porch. 

• For various reasons, the proposed remodeling work was not done and after a few years, the house seemed to be falling into disarray. The house was rife with conflict with serious accusations made about members living there.

2007:

• The house was dealing with nearly $8,000 in unpaid rent and had burned through the house's reserves. Only three of the rooms were occupied. 

• The house was reorganized with a member from Friends Coop and a young family  from Chicago. 

• They announced that they would only be referred to as Orton Co-op. The Goo Hut sign disappeared, and they set about scrubbing down the house, as it was covered with dirt, gunk, and layers of cigarette smoke. Allegedly, a picture exists of the bottle of Goo Gone, which ironically, was used to help clean the house.

2008:

• The house was filled by the end of the year which coincided with the 100th birthday of the house.

June 2009:

• The co-op was renamed Sofia, named after a Greek goddess of wisdom. 

2010:

• Kitchen renovation: included two under-counter refrigerators with compressors relocated to the basement, new cabinets, a European cooktop, and food storage cabinets on one wall. An island with a butcher block top was added, increasing prep space by approximately 33%, and a wooden dish drainer similar to the one at Syntropy Co-op was built. This work was partly prompted by the discovery of significant lead paint on the original cabinets.

• Attic renovation: Due to the cost of widening the stairway, creating bedrooms was not feasible. Instead, the attic was divided, with one-third becoming the new family room. Sofia's community blew in insulation, MCC installed drywall, and Sofian's installed extra tile that MCC had left over from renovations at the Social Justice Center.

2023: 

New siding and roofing was installed.

The house has served as a home for students, activists, musicians, and historians. We are devoted cooperative humans who understand that managing and maintaining a housing cooperative, fostering community, respecting and supporting diversity and inclusivity is a collaborative, dedicated effort.