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All about the Edwards and Hutchins construction projects

Austin Warren

After students returned to campus for the Fall semester, they were greeted by a fully completed and operational CMIT Building standing between Fee Glade and the Quad. Still, the construction projects on campus are only just beginning.


Two exciting construction projects are happening concurrently on campus. Here are the details on the ongoing projects, as well as what to expect from the finished products:



Edwards Building


In July of 2023, the historical Edwards Building, which stood next to Stephenson Hall on Main Street, was torn down due to the impractical costs it would require to solve its structural issues.


While the new Edwards Building is being constructed, the College has placed black guard barriers extending from the Edwards site to the area adjacent to the Emery Building. These barriers are intended to preserve the trees adjacent to the site.


In addition, a drainage system has been constructed near Fee Glade to drain the Edwards site of water when it rains. According to Rich Dodd, Director of Project Management for the College, rainwater rolled onto Main Street when it rained, and the drainage pipe has since remedied that issue.


As of publication, the construction of the replacement Edwards Building is underway, and the project is set for completion in late 2025, around next winter.


The new Edwards Building, particularly its second and third floors, will house the alumni and philanthropy staff and offices, serving as Berea College’s new center for relations with alumni and donations from generous benefactors.


A three-dimensional rendering of the replacement Edwards building
Image courtesy of the Berea College Facebook page

The exterior of the new Edwards Building will pay homage to the original in its architectural design with some modern touches. The first-floor atrium space will be dedicated to the legacy of the old Edwards Building, displaying the original student-crafted bricks and the inscribed cornerstone alongside some historical information about the building.


Constructed from 1902 to 1903, the Edwards Building was originally intended as an industrial building, set to contain classes teaching masonry, tailoring, and even wagon-crafting. In addition, the building was constructed with 25 rooms on its third floor, each of which could house two to four male students.


Its construction was paired with the construction of the Bruce Building, which housed the printing office and the woodworking shop, with the blacksmithing and machine shops set in a courtyard between them.


The Bruce and Trades Buildings were later connected and ultimately renamed in 2013, where they became the Stephenson Hall we know today. Meanwhile, the Edwards Building remained solitary until the decision was made to demolish it.


The College recognizes the historical significance of the Edwards Building, and they are making meaningful efforts to memorialize the century-long legacy of the original building.


A live feed of the replacement Edwards Building construction’s progress can be found here.



Hutchins Library


After work on the CMIT Building was completed, Berea College’s IT Department packed up and left its space adjacent to Hutchins Library. In its place, the College is executing its plans to make the space a one-stop-shop for catering to students’ individual academic needs.


The space will serve as the new home for the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), Disability and Accessibility Services (DAS), and Student Success and Transition (SST). It will also house some collaborative spaces and offices for each of those departments, as well as a café.


The café will be to the far left of the open entrance space, equipped with numerous sets of tables and chairs nearby. The new spaces will be accessible from Hutchins Library, and some collaboration and study spaces from the new departments will spill over into the library space on the reception desk side.


The project at Hutchins is set to be completed by the end of 2024, with each of the aforementioned departments due to be moved into the space in early 2025.


As construction continues on campus, students now can anticipate the exciting new spaces in the new Edwards Building and adjacent Hutchins area, which will be available to future students for many years.

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