Grainger Hall
Reconstruction Official Groundbreaking: 10:30 am, 18 July 2002
**Grainger groundbreaking
photo album - Scroll down or click here
Background
Prior to
the Great Fire of 2001 (April 24), Grainger Hall was being used as an academic
building that included classrooms, laboratories, and faculty offices. Although
Grainger Hall survived the fire, it was later razed (Fall 2001) due to extensive
water, smoke, and collateral damage to the infrastructure of the building. The
faculty and departments of English, philosophy, modern languages mathematics
and computer science were re-located following the fire to modular housing and
other locations on campus.
- The original Grainger
Hall was constructed in1903 at a cost of approximately $27,500 and housed
the college library, the infirmary, classrooms, dorm rooms and the training
school for teachers.
- The building was named
in 1967 for Dr. James Moses Grainger (1879-1968), who taught English at
Longwood from 1908 to 1950 and chaired the department for all but the first
two years. Dr. Grainger was co-founder of the Virginia Association of Teachers
of English.
The New Grainger Hall
- The new Grainger
Hall will look very much like the original, Even some of the architectural
details salvaged from the fire will be used in the re-construction.
- The construction company,
W.C. English, Inc., (Lynchburg), will be working from documents created
by Moseley Architects of Virginia Beach.
- New Grainger will
have four floors, providing 26,300 square feet, just like the original,
and the "footprint" (dimensions of the building) will be identical
to the old Grainger.
- New Grainger will
have offices for 34 faculty and include 15 classrooms.
- The cost of reconstruction
for Grainger Hall is estimated at $4,000,000.
- Plans call for completion
by August 2003 with occupancy for the fall semester 2003.
Other Construction
- Construction will
begin soon on Brock Commons and the Ruffners, including the signature Rotunda
Building.
- The construction of
both Grainger and the Ruffners will cost slightly more than $20,000,000.
Grainger
Groundbreaking Photo Album
(click to enlarge)
