Fall 2012 Issue - Colby-Sawyer College

Academy Row
In its early days, the campus was called Academy
Row and was comprised of the Academy building, where
classes were held; Heidelberg, a boarding house for
women; Colby Hall, the men’s dormitory; and a gymnasium.
These buildings were located on what is now known
as Sargent Common. Only the Academy building remains,
and it now serves as the New London Town Offices.
The Academy
building had
four classrooms
upstairs
and a library
and chapel
downstairs. In
1870, as the
student
enrollment grew, a much larger brick Academy building
was constructed on the site of what is now Colgate Hall.
This building burned down in 1892 (see From the
Archives, p. 117) and was replaced by Colgate Hall in 1912.
Building Boom
By the late 1920s, public high schools were attracting
more local students and the decision was made to
transform Colby Academy into a junior college for women.
The size of the current campus hadn’t changed since 1912,
other than the addition of a new gymnasium in 1927. The
first Colby Junior College students lived at the New
London Inn and in homes throughout the town, and the
college was in dire need of more space as enrollment
grew quickly.
From 1930
through 1940
eight buildings
were built near
Colgate Hall,
including six new
residence halls:
McKean Hall,
Shepard Hall,
Burpee Hall,
Abbey Hall, Page
Hall and Colby Hall. With these additions, the center of
the campus moved from Academy Row to the top of Colby
Hill. The old buildings were rarely used and were torn
down or used for other purposes.
A Growing Campus
Following World War II a
revival in building projects
on campus ensued. In
1949, the Commons-
Fernald Library (now Ware
Center) was built to house
the dining hall and library.
In the 1950s, Best Hall was
constructed, along with
a new arts center (Sawyer),
a health center (Baird), a
science center (Reichhold) and an exercise complex
(HESS, now known as Mercer). The old gymnasium was
renovated to become Austin Hall.
The Drought
The 1970s and 1980s were financially difficult for the
college, and construction gave way to renovation projects.
Buildings refitted during this period include Seamans
Alumni House, James House and the Caretaker’s Cottage.
The biggest project undertaken was the renovation of
three pre-Civil War barns into the Susan Colgate Cleveland
Library/Learning Center.
A Resurgence and the Future
The college began building
again to accommodate the new
male population and the
overall growth in enrollment in
the 1990s, with construction of
the Dan and Kathleen Hogan
Sports Center, Lethbridge
Lodge and two residence halls,
Rooke and Lawson. The
Commons-Fernald Library was
renovated as the Ware Campus Center and the Colby
Homestead Annex was transformed as the Cleveland,
Colby, Colgate Archives.
In the 2000s, Colby Homestead became the new home
of the Advancement Office and the Curtis L. Ivey Science
Center and a new residence hall, Danforth Hall, were
built. In 2010, Windy Hill was completed, providing a
permanent location for the college’s laboratory school.
In spring 2012, renovations began on the Ware Campus
Center to expand the dining hall and turn the building into
a true student center. A new arts center and other projects
are also in the works as Colby-Sawyer College continues
to grow.
Fall 2012
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