Fall/Winter 2010 - Pingry School

After more than a quarter-century, the Martinsville
Campus’ iconic clock tower has received a face-lift.
Renovations took place during the summer of 2010 in
the midst of the roof replacement because the tower’s
familiar green tiles were aging, and it was more practical
and financially sensible for Pingry to upgrade the tower
exterior at the same time as the roof.
In addition to structural and aesthetic improvements—
the new façade unifies the tower with the colors and
architecture of the rest of the campus—renovating the
clock tower has created a new space for academic pursuits
and a more inviting entrance.
Expanding the area beneath the clock tower has provided
significant opportunities for the library—specifically, the
center portion of the library that used to contain the circulation
desk is now a spacious reading area bathed in sunlight,
overlooking both the interior Upper Commons and
the exterior Baldwin Courtyard. “Students have free time
before, during, and after school, so this new environment is
Left: The renovated clock tower with its new façade, new clock,
and expanded glass-enclosed interiors.
Left and top: The new reading room in the C.B. Newton Library.
Above: The new enclosure outside the main lobby.
New Interior and Exterior Look for the
Martinsville Campus Clock Tower
conducive to relaxed research and other classroom work.
It’s a very attractive area for the entire Pingry community
to use at their leisure,” says C.B. Newton Library Director
Eileen Hymas.
The main entrance is larger, allowing for a natural extension
of the building, and provides a more welcoming space
for students, faculty, and visitors, particularly during large
functions such as Parents’ Day, Homecoming, and alumni
events. The new enclosure outside the existing main lobby
is more energy-efficient, and the extra set of doors will also
improve security.
This renovation is part of the Upper School modernization
that Pingry is undertaking during the next several
years. A lot has happened at Pingry and in the world
since the current building was constructed in 1983—
curriculum modifications and technology updates, for
example—so the Board of Trustees has approved a
long-range plan to modernize and raise funds for the
Upper School building.
23
fall/winter 2010