Pine Cottage was built in 1888 as the home of the school's commandant of cadets (military instruction was then mandatory), first Lieutenant Samuel Pague and then a succession of others. It served that purpose until 1917, when it became the residence of Robert Sackett, dean of the College of Engineering.
Later occupants included a sorority, incoming freshmen, the Office of Telecommunications, and the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing. In 1938, to make way for the construction of Osmond Laboratory, Pine Cottage was relocated to its present location behind Ritenour Building. Today, it serves as an instructional facility for students in Penn State's
Forensic Science program.