Thanks to the generous support of the Darlington Community and a foundation friend of the school, the final phase of renovations to the boys’ residence halls was completed this summer. Darlington celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 14, at 4:15 p.m. on the patio between Wilcox and South Halls.
“What an exciting day for Darlington students!” said Headmaster Tom Whitworth. “This is yet another tangible sign of the tremendous success of our Second Century Campaign efforts. The theme of this campaign is ‘transforming lives’ and by transforming these halls, we are truly making a difference in the daily lives of our students and the experience they have here at Darlington.”
Darlington’s historic boys’ houses have welcomed thousands of students over the years, and countless memories have been made in their hallowed halls. Originally built in the late 1920s and updated periodically over the years, the boys’ houses have now entered the 21st Century with state-of-the-art features and technology.
“Our architect, Mike Mascheri of Chapman, Coyle, Chapman in Atlanta, worked closely with the boys and their heads of house to design a complete transformation that truly meets their needs,” said Joe Montgomery, chief advancement officer. “The upgrades include a complete renovation of each room and the addition of new common areas with full kitchens and flat-screen televisions. Extra dorm rooms were also added to fill our increasing need for space as the boys’ boarding program continues to grow each year. I’ve had the opportunity to be in the residence halls as students arrive on campus, and it is such as thrill to see their astonishment and excitement as they see the improvements.”
The ribbon was cut by seniors Preston Cobb, Mark Huang and Ibrahima Toure, all four-year boarding students who have witnessed firsthand the transformation over the past two years.
“It’s like a dream come true,” said Huang, head prefect of Summerbell House, who was among the first to move into the newly renovated dorms. “The school did a very good job of including us in the planning and meeting all of our needs. This process started our freshman year, and every year we would see more and more improvements or hints about what was to come. Now, it’s finally here and we have fallen in love with the dorms all over again.”
Toure, the social liaison of Summerbell House, said the new-and-improved common area is his favorite part because the larger space will allow students to use it for studying and hanging out instead of just running in to make a quick snack. “I remember when I moved in my freshman year the dorms were OK, but now they are a place that we can really make our home,” he said. “It’s a good feeling.”
The $3 million renovation project, which was completed by R.J. Griffin & Co. in two phases during the summers of 2008 and 2010, was made possible by gifts to Darlington’s $90 million Second Century Campaign. The first phase of improvements included the renovation of restrooms; replacement of windows and HVAC units; and reworking of hallway light fixtures and dropped ceilings. The final phase, completed in just nine weeks, included the renovation of existing dorms and hallways to incorporate new flooring, wainscoting and doorways. With the added space and improvements, the boys’ residence halls are now able to house 109 students (up from 103 in 2009-10).
“Based on student input, our goal was to provide more natural light to the dorms, computer study areas outside of dorm rooms, the ability to accommodate day students in overnight house activities, and to promote a cozier feel to the common living spaces and individual dorm rooms that serve as these boys’ home away from home,” Montgomery said.
To preserve the history that lies within the walls of Wilcox and South Halls, which house the boys’ dormitories, Darlington is still offering alumni the opportunity to be permanently recognized with the naming of a dormitory room on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, contact the Second Century Campaign Office at 1-866-534-1905 or campaign@darlingtonschool.org.
