Colgate Hall
Introduction
Since 1912, Colgate Hall has been the center of Colby-Sawyer College’s campus. Built when the school was still New London Academy, Colgate has been a focal point for the school through its iterations as Colby Junior College for Women, Colby College for Women, women-only Colby-Sawyer College, and finally, the present-day co-ed Colby-Sawyer College. Colgate Hall was originally an “all-purpose” building for the school,[i] but is now the home primarily for administrative and faculty offices as well as classrooms and laboratories.[ii]
Adaptive Reuse
Colgate Hall has continually been renovated through the practice of adaptive reuse. Adaptive reuse, sometimes called retrofitting or refurbishment is the act that changes the function of a building through changing the relationships between the building’s spaces, as well as additions and the demolition of certain areas.[iii] Adaptive reuse is a concept that has been particularly embraced by American colleges and universities as they seek to retrofit many of their original dormitories and academic buildings to better suit their current needs, academic and administrative.[iv] Institutions often turn to adaptive reuse to bring a historic building up to state or federal code, as well as modern standards. This sometimes includes adding new sprinkler systems or elevators to comply with modern fire codes and accessibility standards, respectively.[v] Institutions may also add modern amenities such as air conditioning, heating, and newer technologies such as Wi-Fi to their plans for adaptive reuse, therefore bringing historic buildings into the 21st Century.[vi] Institutions will often choose to renovate and reuse historic buildings versus building modern facilities due to financial and environmental cost. The first environmental benefit historic buildings provide, is that they already exist and represent energy that has already been expended. By reusing a historic building, colleges and universities can capitalize on the previously expended energy, while also avoiding the numerous negative environmental impacts of new construction.[vii] By utilizing adaptive reuse, colleges and universities across the United States are able to add new functionality to a building and their entire campuses while still preserving the character and symbolism of historic buildings at low financial and environmental costs. As colleges and universities are charged with the task of educating and inspiring young minds, the use of adaptive reuse on their campuses is extremely important. The act of preserving historic buildings while making them suitable for modern needs will hopefully influence generations to come to do the same in their communities, lowering environmental costs and preserving history for the years to come.
History of Colgate Hall
The Rebirth of New London Academy: Construction of Colgate
Colgate Hall was built to replace New London Academy’s original brick academy building, which had been dedicated in 1870, and was built to house up to 100 girls as well as classrooms and laboratories.[viii] This building burnt down in 1892, while the students were out picking saffron.[ix] The school planned to replace the building almost immediately after it was destroyed by the fire, and even developed plans for a new central academy building to be built by 1895 in 1893-1894,[x] however, due to the depression that was affecting the entire country the school was unable to raise the necessary funds for the project.[xi] The site remained empty until 1911, when construction began on Colgate Hall,[xii] after the project
was funded entirely by a generous donation from Miss Mary Colgate.[xiii] Miss Colgate was the daughter of Susan Colby Colgate, who had been the first teacher and “lady principle” of Colby Academy.[xiv] She saw the Academy’s need for more dormitories, classrooms, and laboratories, prompting Miss Colgate to make the donation.[xv] The construction of Colgate Hall was completed in 1912, and was dedicated on June 13th of that year.[xvi]
In 1923, Miss Colgate gave a $25,000 endowment based on several conditions such as keeping the funds in a separate account from the general Academy funds, and using the money solely for the maintenance of Colgate Hall, the structure as well as the interior equipment and furnishings. Any surplus of the funds could then be invested in the Academy’s Permanent Fund and be used for the general purposes of the Academy.[xvii]
Changes Within Colgate
Colgate Hall has retained much of its original function throughout its years as Colby-Sawyer College’s main building, and the building itself has undergone few changes to its original structure, although there have been many interior changes throughout the years and exterior work to maintain the building’s structural integrity. Originally, Colgate Hall was an “all-purpose” building for the Academy and housed the dining facilities, library, and infirmary as well as classrooms, dormitories,[xviii] and a chapel.[xix] According to the March 4th 1916 edition of The Colby Voice, Colgate Hall was connected to power lines from the Sunapee Power and Electric Light Company in February,[xx] although Colgate Hall had electric lights in 1914 according to a previous edition of The Colby Voice.[xxi] The building housed the Academy’s auditorium until 1927, when the building now known as Austin Hall was built.[xxii] In 1939, a classroom wing was added to Colgate Hall, according to a February 1958 edition of the Colby Courier.[xxiii] Colgate was also remodeled from 1958 to 1962[xxiv] to add more space for classrooms, laboratories, and faculty and administrative offices after the transfer of the Arts Department to the Sawyer Center.[xxv] In March of 1972, two enclosed stairwells were added to each end of Colgate Hall to better facilitate movement between the floors of the building.[xxvi] In 1993, a telecommunications center for the school was located in the basement of Colgate Hall;[xxvii] the switchboard operator could be found in a small office off of the Thorton Living Room.[xxviii] The 1990s also featured the opening of the Baker Communications Center in 1996,[xxix] the addition of a radio station, a process which began in 1994,[xxx] and the refurbishment of Colgate Hall’s cupola in 1998, a project which delayed the radio station’s “on-air” date.[xxxi] A film studio and editing studios were also included in the Baker Communications Center, and would serve along with the radio station, as key components to the Communications curriculum. Colby-Sawyer students no longer use the radio station, but a classical station does broadcast from it still, and has bought much of the school’s equipment and the FCC license. The radio station was sold due to the high expense of maintaining it.[xxxii]
To Learn More About The Baker Communications Center, Listen to Our Interview with Pat Anderson HERE
Colgate Hall as a Dormitory
Colgate Hall served as a girl’s dormitory from 1912,[xxxiii] until at least 1982.[xxxiv] At some point between 1982 and 1990, Colgate became solely an academic and administrative building and was no longer used as a dormitory, possibly due to the addition of new dorms to the campus.[xxxv] After Colgate’s transition away from a dormitory building, faculty offices were able to move to the second and third floors, allowing more space for administrative offices on the first floor.[xxxvi] During its time as the common room for Colgate Hall’s residents, the Thorton Living Room was renovated at least once during the 1970s, due to the disrepair of the furniture and the room itself.[xxxvii] Thorton Living Room was just renovated recently as a part of the current renovations of Colgate Hall that are still on going.[xxxviii]
Colgate’s Newest Changes: The Renovations of the 21st Century
The current renovations of Colgate Hall began in the summer of 2014 and are taking place to improve the building’s structural integrity, interior cosmetics, and intend to change the way space is used for classrooms, laboratories, and administrative offices. The first phase of renovations has focused on fixing some structural issues within the building, repairing the portico and front entryway, and renovating and redecorating the Thorton Living Room. The Thorton Living Room was beginning to show some wear, and needed repairs to the molding and other features, and required new furniture to give it more functionality as a study space for students while still maintaining it’s historical splendor. The portico is currently being renovated to replace the rotten pillars that hold the portico up, and the front entryway was renovated to have a granite floor after it was discovered that the old subfloor was rotting.
Another major feature of the first phase of the current renovations has been the addition of a greeter’s station off of the Thorton Living Room. The new greeter’s station used to be a small closet that was once the location for the College’s switchboard and was most recently used as a storage location for the Admissions Office. The greeter’s station was built with the intent of having a person greet families of prospective students instead of just “walls and signs.”[xxxix]
Phase Two of the Colgate renovations will focus more on the “Admissions Wing” and the restructuring of the way space is used on the first floor to give the Admissions and Financial Aid Offices more appropriate space. Currently, Admissions Councilors are doubled up in offices and do not have private space to converse with prospective students, while the Financial Aid Office does not have an area to discuss financial issues with students and their families in private. Both offices are lacking in appropriate storage space. In order to give these two Offices the appropriate space they need the classrooms located at Colgate 126 and 127 will be relocated to another area, and that space will be repurposed for the uses of the Admission and Financial Aid Offices. The classrooms may be relocated to Colgate’s basement, where the nursing lab is currently located. The nursing lab will be moving to the third floor of Colgate Hall during January of 2015, and should be completed in time for the Spring 2015 semester.[xl] The nursing lab will be taking over portions of the Baker Communications Center, specifically the old film studio.[xli] The administration decided to move the nursing lab because its current location in the basement does not showcase the high quality of Colby-Sawyer’s nursing program and because the current lab is not as up to date, technologically, as it should be.[xlii] The current renovations of Colgate Hall serve to repair the building, and to cement its status as Colby-Sawyer’s main administrative and academic building.
To Learn More About the Current and Upcoming Colgate Hall Renovations, Listen to our Interview with Lisa Tedeschi HERE
Symbolism of Colgate Hall
Colgate Hall has been considered the heart of Colby-Sawyer College since it was built in 1912, and has served as a symbol for the school since at least 1932, when its cupola first appeared on the cover of the 1932 Colbyan.[xliii] Colgate Hall is the home for much of the school’s administrative offices,[xliv] many of the academic departments, most of the faculty offices, and is a central location for classrooms. For these reasons, faculty, staff, and students alike, consider Colgate Hall to be the center of our campus.[xlv] The rich history of Colgate Hall symbolizes for the campus community the rich history of the institution and instills pride in and inspires Colby-Sawyer’s students. Colgate Hall truly defines Colby-Sawyer College as not only a unique institution, but also a great one, and will continue to do so in the college’s future.
[i] “Next Step in Our Program: Colgate Hall.” Eugene M. Austin. Colby Junior College Bulletin. Feb-Mar, 1962. Box 1, Folder 20. Colby-Sawyer Property Records. RG 19.3. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College
[ii] Lisa Tedeschi, interview by Syed Muhammad Ghaznavi and Margaret Tucker, December 3, 2014.
[iii]B. Plevoets, and K. Van Cleempoel. “Adaptive Reuse as a Strategy Towards Tonservation of Cultural Heritage: A Literature Review.”
[iv] Mary Ellen Benson. “Iconic Buildings, Modern Uses.” Washington Magazine, December 1, 2012.
[v] Lauren Zumbach. “Princeton University Building Spree Includes New Construction, Renovation.” NJ.com. September 24, 2012.
[vi] Mary Ellen Benson. “Iconic Buildings, Modern Uses.” Washington Magazine, December 1, 2012.
[vii] Jean Carroon. “Feature: Greening Historic Buildings.” Traditional Building. August 1, 2009.
[viii] “History of Colby School For Girls.” Box 1, Folder 20. Colby-Sawyer Property Records. RG 19.3. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College
[ix] “Colby Junior College, 1837-1962.” Box 1, Folder 25. Colby-Sawyer Property Records. RG 19.3. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[x] “The New Colby Academy.” Box 1, Folder 14. Colby-Sawyer Property Records. RG 19.3. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xi] “Colby Junior College, 1837-1962.”
[xii] “Laying of Cornerstone of New Colby Academy.” 1912. Box 1, Folder 20. Colby-Sawyer Property Records. RG 19.3. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xiii] “Colby Junior College, 1837-1962.”
[xiv] “I. Colgate Hall.” Box 1, Folder 20. Colby-Sawyer Property Records. RG 19.3. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xv] “Colby Junior College, 1837-1962.”
[xvi] “New Building Dedicated at Colby Academy.” The Union. Manchester, N.H., June 14, 1912. Box 1, Folder 20. Colby-Sawyer Property Records. RG 19.3. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xvii] “Proposed Endowment Gift to Colby Academy: Colgate Hall Preservation Fund.” June 1923. Box 1, Folder 20. Colby-Sawyer Property Records. RG 19.3. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xviii] “Next Step in Our Program: Colgate Hall.” Eugene M. Austin. Colby Junior College Bulletin. Feb-Mar, 1962. Box 1, Folder 20. Colby-Sawyer Property Records. RG 19.3. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College
[xix] “Colby Academy.” The Colby Voice. December 5, 1914. Box 10, Folder 13. Student Newspapers, RG 12.7, Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xx] “Electric Lights.” The Colby Voice. March 4, 1916. Box 10, Folder 16. Student Newspapers, RG 12.7, Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xxi] “Colby Academy.”
[xxii] Like Father…Like Daughter.” The Colby Courier. November 1, 1963. Box 16, Folder 2. Student Newspapers, RG 12.7, Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xxiii] “Colby’s Expansion Program Increases.” Colby Courier. February 11, 1958. Box 14, Folder 14. Student Newspapers, RG 12.7, Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xxiv] Ibid.
[xxv] “Next Step in Our Program: Colgate Hall.”
[xxvi] “Colgate Renovations.” March 1972. Box 1, Folder 22. Colby-Sawyer Property Records. RG 19.3. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xxvii] “New Telephone System Creates Upset On Campus.” Mary Carkin. Colby-Sawyer Courier. September 17, 1993. Box 17, Folder 16. Student Newspapers. RG 12.7. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xxviii] Lisa Tedeschi, interview by Syed Muhammad Ghaznavi and Margaret Tucker, December 3, 2014.
[xxix] “Baker Communications Center: Dedication and Open House.” 28 April 1996. Box 1, Folder 21. Colby-Sawyer Property Records. RG 19.3. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College
[xxx] “Latest Update on Radio Station.” Robert Peaslee. Colby-Sawyer Courier. September 16, 1994. Box 17, Folder 24. Box 17, Folder 16. Student Newspapers. RG 12.7. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xxxi] “Cupola Construction Delays On-Air Date.” Cheryl Lecesse .Colby-Sawyer Courier. October 2, 1998. Box 19, Folder 5. Student Newspapers. RG 12.7. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College
[xxxii] Pat Anderson, interview by Syed Muhammad Ghaznavi and Margaret Tucker, December 3, 2014.
[xxxiii] “Next Step in Our Program: Colgate Hall.”
[xxxiv] “The Colbyan.” 1982. Colby-Sawyer Yearbooks Collection. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xxxv] “The Colbyan.” 1990. Colby-Sawyer Yearbooks Collection. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xxxvi] Pat Anderson, interview by Syed Muhammad Ghaznavi and Margaret Tucker, December 3, 2014.
[xxxvii] Louis C. Vaccaro to Mrs. Harry A. Lowe. May 12, 1975. Box 1, Folder 22. Colby-Sawyer Property Records. RG 19.3. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College
[xxxviii] Lisa Tedeschi, interview by Syed Muhammad Ghaznavi and Margaret Tucker, December 3, 2014.
[xxxix] Ibid.
[xl] Ibid.
[xli] Pat Anderson, interview by Syed Muhammad Ghaznavi and Margaret Tucker, December 3, 2014.
[xlii] Lisa Tedeschi, interview by Syed Muhammad Ghaznavi and Margaret Tucker, December 3, 2014.
[xliii] “The Colbyan.” 1932. Colby-Sawyer Yearbooks Collection. Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, Colby-Sawyer College.
[xliv] Lisa Tedeschi, interview by Syed Muhammad Ghaznavi and Margaret Tucker, December 3, 2014.
[xlv] Pat Anderson, interview by Syed Muhammad Ghaznavi and Margaret Tucker, December 3, 2014
