Lola P. Aiken Hall Celebrates Re-Opening
3/6/09
BURLINGTON, Vt. - Champlain College's historic Lola P. Aiken Hall held its official re-opening and rededication on Monday, Feb. 23. After many years as a residence hall, the Queen Ann style building is now home to the Core Division, Champlain College's new interdisciplinary general education program, providing office and meeting space. It is located on the corner of Maple and Summit Streets.
Among those at the ribbon-cutting and reception were Champlain College President, David F. Finney; Champlain College Board of Trustees Chair Jim Crook; Dean of the College's Core Division Betsy Beaulieu; Champlain College President Emeritus Robert A. Skiff; and the building's namesake, Lola P. Aiken, an emeritus member of the College's Board of Trustees.
Renovations, which began more than a year ago, emphasized preservation and restoration of the existing structure, sustainability and reducing the impact on the environment through the use of modern construction practices and a whole-building approach to sustainability. As a result, the stately brick manor house, circa 1885, is expected to qualify for certification through The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System while preserving its historic character.
LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. It recognizes performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
A few features contributing to Aiken's LEED certification include:
•• Energy efficient lighting, heating, and elevator installations.
•• Improved building envelope through insulation upgrades.
•• Salvaged hardwood floors and re-use of many original building materials.
•• Use of regional building materials where applicable.
•• Slate roofing shingles and a selection of regional building materials.
•• Construction waste diverted from landfill and often donated to ReCycle North.
•• Access to alternative transportation options such as CCTA buses and Carshare Vermont.
Work on the project was done by DEW Construction Corporation and designed by Burlington architect Stephen Smith of Smith Alvarez Sienkiewycz Architects.
History of Aiken Hall
King George III of England granted the original charter in 1763 to Benning Wentworth, Governor of New Hampshire. In 1774, Ethan and Ira Allen and others known as the Onion River Company, gained title to the land and held claim until Ira Allen sold the property in 1804.
The main house was constructed in 1885 by A. B. Fisher and Company for Frederick C. Kennedy, a prosperous Burlingtonian associated with the Burlington Woolen Company. Built in the Queen Anne style, the edifice resembles other College properties from that period - Hill, Lyman, Pearl and Schillhammer among them.
Stephen Perry Jocelyn, a brigadier general, and his wife, Mary, acquired the property in 1902 and added the 1,000 square foot "big room" on the first floor and adjoining west porch in 1907. In 1920, the property passed to Jocelyn's second daughter, Dorothy Westervelt and her husband, W. Irving Westervelt. She lived at the estate until her death in 1981.
Champlain College dedicated and renamed this building Lola P. Aiken Hall in 1982, to honor then Trustee Lola Aiken for her enthusiasm and energy in her service to Champlain College. The large manor was remodeled as a dormitory.
In 1983, the elegant library was named the Morgan Room to honor Mrs. Eunice Silsby Morgan, a former member of the Board of Trustees. Lois McClure, a fellow Trustee, and Mary Foster, wife of then Trustee Willett Foster, selected furniture and artwork for this lovely room. In 1985, retired University of Vermont Professor Edwin Greif added to the furnishings by donating several statues and collectibles in memory of his late wife, Suzanne.
In the first dedication of Lola P. Aiken Hall, Champlain "commemorated the memory of the Jocelyn-Westervelt property. It is fitting for the College to reflect on the past of this place before we rename these buildings and establish a new purpose for these grounds."
Champlain College, founded in 1878, offers "Education in Three Dimensions" - a distinctive educational approach to professionally focused majors, developing life skills and leadership based on critical and creative thinking. It has nearly 2,000 campus-based undergraduate students on campus and is ranked in the top tier of Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the North by 2009 America's Best Colleges, published by U.S. News & World Report. To learn more about Champlain College, visit www.champlain.edu.
.gif "Media Contact: Steve Mease, 802.865.6432, smease@champlain.edu")
