Illustration by Bo Brown
Dear Benny,
I cant help but notice when I walk by College Hall that one side
of the building seems to have been renovated, while the other side of
the building does not. The stone on the apparently renovated east façade
seems to have been cleaned up; the stone on the west side, meanwhile,
looks untouched. Were there renovations performed on one side of College
Hall, but not the other?
Curious About College Hall
Dear Perceptive Passerby,
Yes, you are correctCollege Hall is essentially half renovated,
which accounts for the east sides fine finish and the west sides,
well, less impressive façade.
The buildings east wing and central portions were both completely restored, inside and out, in the mid-1990s, said Charles Newman, the University architect. As part of the overhaul, the buildings exterior was cleaned up, while inside, systems were upgraded, rooms and offices were reorganized and the buildings public spaces got much-needed facelifts.
The west side of the building, however, hasnt been touched. Newman said the University is awaiting funding for renovations on that side of the building, though theres no time frame right now for when that funding would arriveor when work would begin. The University is constantly evaluating priorities for capital improvement projects and determining how best to address the many demands for funding, Newman said in an email.
Theres one other obstacle to any restoration on the buildings west side, Newman said. The History Department moved into that wing a few years back, and before any large-scale renovations could be started there, the department would have to be relocated for the duration of the work.
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Originally published on January 13, 2005