About five years ago, I graduated from Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. It is by far the best decision that I have ever made in my ENTIRE life. Looking back, it was one of the greatest times of my life. I worked in the Student Life Office and in the Residential Life Department, loved the faculty that taught my classes and I make it a point to go back and visit just about every time I go home to Vermont.
When I was home in September, I set aside an afternoon to go visit campus. There has been a lot that has happened in the past five years since I’ve graduated, even more if I look back to what it was like my freshman year. Before I headed home, I had contacted my old boss in the Student Life office (more on her in a post to come) and asked if she could give me a tour. “Of Course” was the response. I was pretty excited.
To provide a bit of background, the below picture (May 2009) is the Perry Hall that I knew when I attended Champlain. I lived in a dorm across the street and a few of us would go over and play softball in the HUGE yard behind the house. Oh how it has changed.
Meet the new (front – top, back – below) Perry Hall after an estimated $15 million dollar restoration and preservation project. Perry Hall is named after Roger Perry, a former President of the College. It’s amazing what a bit of construction can do to a place. Although the building has a modern feel, the original architecture has been maintained throughout. Something Champlain does extremely well. Have I mentioned the majority of the dorms are converted Victorian homes? It’s one of the top key features that attracted me to the school.
Behind Perry Hall you will find what use to be the stables. Now it is a lab for the graphic design students.
This is a view, a very bad view, from the inside of Perry Hall, kind of overlooking the backyard. They’ve put in these great wooden rockers so you can relax, sit back and just check out the scenery. You can kind of see the lake on the left center side of the below picture. This was a rainy day but on a clear perfect day you can really see Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks on the New York side.
On the far end of the back yard there is also a water reservoir. The building also hosts energy efficient climate control systems and geo-thermal pump. It’s all in an effort to receive an Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.
Inside of the building was beautiful. The architecture and details are really accentuated in the rooms.
Look at the wood crafting that was put into the main house. The doors and floors are absolutely beautiful. I wish I could have detail like this in a house of my own someday.
That is William Shakespeare in the middle of the fireplace mantle. Take note of the marble in front. .
Finally. I think I could’ve spent a lot more time in this room if I could have, and if I would have permission to go thru everything in the cabinets. This is the museum room. It contains history about the building, Burlington and the previous home owners.
It’s really nice to see what has been done on campus and to get a feel of the upcoming construction that is being done. It’s incredible to see what has been done with Perry Hall. The building now contains numerous offices which cater specifically to prospective and current students which I personally would find to be an incredible convenience. (If I remember correctly this includes Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Account and Advising and Registration). It use to be such a pain going all over campus to these offices, now, all the current students are a little spoiled. 🙂
Have any other graduates had a chance to visit campus lately? What’d you think?
