COLCHESTER — Much of the history of St. Michael’s College lies in Founders Hall. The proud brick building‚ a former farmhouse, was the first home of the college, founded there by the Society of St. Edmund in 1904.
Yet, school officials say, Founders Hall has outlived its useful days. The college hopes to begin demolition by the end of this month.
The building now sits empty. Administration offices on the first floor have been vacated. The top three floors were student dorm rooms, but students haven’t lived there in almost 10 years, according to Associate Director of Facilities Joel Ribout. People are not currently allowed inside because of asbestos abatement.
Ribout understands why some people are upset. The vine-covered building, topped with an iconic cupola, is a symbol of the school.
“People don’t want to take down buildings with such history,” Ribout said. “My background is in architecture and I certainly never want to take down a building unnecessarily.”
But to bring the building up to code — which requires new insulation, substantial work to meet accessibility requirements, and utilities upgrades — would cost “tens of millions of dollars,” Ribout said.
Saving and restoring the building is off the table, according to Ribout, who noted the permitting process is underway to begin demolition. The college announced in August that they plan to keep the Founders Hall Annex intact.
The college’s board of trustees unanimously voted to approve the demolition of the historic building, according to Ribout, and the Society of St. Edmund wrote a letter in support of the plan.
“While buildings like Founders Hall are important to the history of the College as they help us link to our past and help us better appreciate where we came from, retaining them must be carefully considered in light of the Mission they were erected to help fulfill,” the letter reads in part.
Plans for how best to use or restore Founders have been ongoing since the early 2000s, when an Act 250 permit was needed for an unrelated project. In September 2013, a report estimated the cost of a full restoration would be between $12 million and $14 million.
Ribout could not provide the cost of the current demolition plan.
The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation has been involved with the project because of the Act 250 permit and the history of the building, according to State Historic Preservation Officer Laura Trieschmann.
Trieschmann said St. Mike’s has worked closely with the division in recent years for their ideas on Founders Hall, which is eligible to be listed on the State Register of Historic Buildings. In 2014, a state historic preservation official said in a letter to the school that its decision to demolish the building is “justified due to the overall poor quality of the building.”
“I wish this building weren’t coming down. I totally understand that it’s a visual landmark to the campus,” she said. “But I can see where the school is coming from.”
While, according to Ribout, most people have been accepting of the demolition, some have been critical — like alumnus Sara Dillon.
Dillon, who graduated from the college in 1977, has been an outspoken critic of the demolition on Facebook.
“You have to be true to the visual history,” Dillon said. “This building is so key. It was the early college.”
Now a law professor at Suffolk University, Dillon has concerns with how the project was handled, saying she believed the architectural reports showed the building could have been saved if work began sooner.
She is calling for an Act 250 public hearing, which is not required by law for projects of this size. Dillon has also asked to be named as an interested party in opposing the demolition, and is critical of the criteria for what an interested party is. She said it’s been hard to rally support from her classmates.
“I don’t know where to turn anymore,” she said.
Ribout expects the building to be completely removed by January or February.
The metal cross-topped cupola, which is the school’s logo, will be saved and restored. The college plans to reuse the space where Founders stands as a green area with walkways and lighting. The cupola will be placed on the ground at the exact coordinates where it is currently.
Ribout expects the entire project to be completed by graduation, set for May 10.
Pedestrian traffic will be rerouted around the site, according to Ribout, but he does not anticipate that traffic on Route 15 will be impacted by the project.
