Our next Honor Award goes to the rehabilitation of Hedge Hall and Roger Williams Hall at Bates College.
Built in 1890, Hedge Hall was originally designed by architect George M. Coombs in the Richardsonian Romanesque style.
It was originally built as the chemistry lab but its function and appearance have changed many times in the hundred and twenty years since it was first built.
Roger Williams Hall was built in 1895, five years after Hedge Hall, and was designed by architect Elmer Thomas in the colonial revival style.
Roger Hall was originally built to house the divinity school but like Hedge Hall, its function and form were altered several during its lifetimes.
By 2007, these two academic buildings had become worn, outdated and inefficient residence halls and were being considered for demolition. Fortunately, these buildings were saved from the wrecking ball thanks in part to a campus survey conducted by JSA Inc. Architects which showed overwhelming support among students and faculty for saving Hedge and Roger Williams Halls.
Bates College then began crafting a plan that would update the structures and enable them to age gracefully for another 100 years. The century old masonry was restored to preserve the historic character of the buildings while new additions respectfully reflect the current time period.
Through collaborative design and community engagement, the Hedge Hall and Roger Williams Hall continue to add to the architectural character of Bates College.
Bates has taken two endangered historic campus buildings and, with strong input from the students and faculty, strengthened them to ensure that all three buildings will be vital forces on campus well into the 22nd century.
