Rockefeller Hall was built in 1933 by the National Park Service to house Navy personnel.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. commissioned noted architect, Grosvenor Atterbury to design it in the French Norman Revival-style. Remarkably, the building remained untouched from 1934 to 2002 while continuing to serve its original use.
The Navy returned the property to the National Park Service in 2002 and for 11 years it stood unoccupied.
In 2009, rehabilitation was funded through a generous $1 million gift from Edith Robb Dixon to update the facility for the Schoodic Institute, which provides professional development for teachers, and educates students in stewardship and conservation of our natural and cultural treasures.
Many design alternatives were explored to minimize disruption to the historic floor plan. The plan was segmented into three totally unconnected major blocks, which was particularly challenging. Additional items included interior finishes, system upgrades, restoration of the building envelope, accessibility and elevator, and original landscaping.
Rockefeller Hall is now a flagship building featuring a museum interpreting the history of the region including the Naval base, and the activities of Scoodic Institute and the building is now open to the public for the first time in its long history. This project is an excellent example of facilitating adaptive use while retaining National Register significance. Maine Preservation is pleased to present a 2013 Honor Award for the adaptive use of Rockefeller Hall.
