Construction Begins on Fitness Center Expansion, Fundraising Well Underway to Reach $2 Million

A rendering shows the glass-walled addition to the JFC.

CHESTERTOWN, MD, June 14, 2012—Construction begins this week to expand and update the Benjamin A. Johnson Fitness Center at Washington College. The $2 million project will include both a 3,200 square-foot gallery addition and reconstruction of the existing fitness space.

            During construction, which is expected to last through December, the Fitness Center facilities will remain open as usual to students, faculty, staff, and members of the College’s 1782 Society. A temporary wall will separate the construction areas from the areas still in use.

            The Johnson Fitness Center Renovation Committee, which is led by Board of Visitors and Governors chair Edward Nordberg ’82 and John Moag, Jr. ’77, is well on its way to raising the $2 million needed to fully complete the renovations. More than $1.4 million had been donated by June 1. Barbara Heck, senior associate vice president for College Advancement, says donors of $1,500 or more will be recognized by name in the new space. (To learn more about how to help or to make a pledge, call the Advancement office at 410-778-7805.)

            At a ceremonial groundbreaking held outside the Fitness Center in April, Nordberg unveiled a plaque dedicated to William B. Johnson, the alumnus who made both the original building and the current renovations possible. Bill Johnson and his family, which includes current Board member Ben Johnson, made a lead gift of $500,000 for the renovation, continuing a tradition of involvement and support that dates back a century.

            Bill Johnson’s father, Benjamin Alvin Johnson, graduated from Washington College in 1911 and became a well-respected Maryland jurist. Bill Johnson, himself, graduated maxima cum laude from Washington College in 1940, taking home six senior class awards. He earned a law degree and then launched a stellar career in business, starting off in the railroad industry and eventually becoming CEO of the multi-billion conglomerate Illinois Central Industries.

            More than 20 years ago, Bill Johnson made the lead gift on the original fitness center building in honor of his father. Now his family’s half-million dollar gift is making the necessary upgrades possible.

            Athletics Director Bryan Matthews ’75 says the College community has simply outgrown the current facility. It was built for a student body of 900 undergraduates. In recent years, both student population and participation in fitness training have grown exponentially. The student body now numbers closer to 1,400, athletes are increasing their weight and cardiovascular training in order to improve their skills and overall stamina, and more non-athletes are turning to fitness as a means of stress and weight management. Faculty and staff, too, frequent the JFC in order to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle.    

            Under the new design, the space devoted to cardiovascular and weight training will more than double. A glass-enclosed gallery with a curving 18-foot wall of windows will house cardiovascular equipment such as treadmills, stair steppers and ellipticals. The addition will also have a designated space for circuit training and floor work. The existing fitness space will be used only for strength training, with universal weight machines and free weights.

            Matthews says the improved JFC will help the College stay competitive in admissions and athlete recruitment.  “Many schools in the Centennial Conference have recently invested a lot of money in their athletic facilities,” he explains, “and prospective students and their families expect excellent athletic facilities to go hand-in-hand with excellent academic programming.”

           

Miller Library Renovation Complete, Open Oct. 14

The newly renovated Miller Library reopened October 14. In the revamped facility, the Washington College community has direct access to the collection, interlibrary loan services, printing and to new and revitalized spaces for teaching, researching, and working in comfort. The Math Center and Office of Academic Skills is fully operational in the library as well. The OIT educational services provided by the Multimedia Production Center and Beck Instructional Lab will be phased back into the library and will be fully functional soon after the opening; in the meantime those services will continue to be offered in William Smith Hall 111 and 226, respectively. The café will be completed with the Grand Opening scheduled for November 9 at 4:30 p.m. If you have questions or comments please do not hesitate to call or email Ruth Shoge (rshoge2@washcoll.edu) or Jennifer Nesbitt (jnesbitt2@washcoll.edu).

Original Release: May 2, 2012

Miller Library to Close May 12 for Extensive Renovation Work Expected to Last Four Months

CHESTERTOWN, MD—Washington College’s Miller Library will close for a major renovation beginning May 12 and is expected to remain closed for approximately four months.

The renovation will greatly enhance the library’s spaces for study, teaching and research and will provide a more comfortable climate-controlled building for all patrons.  When it reopens, the library will boast five enclosed collaborative group spaces, an open quiet-study area on the second floor, a redesigned and expanded Archives section, new offices for instructional technology, enhanced spaces for Office of Academic Skills, and a café.

The renovated infrastructure will include a new geothermal HVAC system, including air handlers and ductwork, as well as new electrical and plumbing systems, new flooring, ceilings and lights.  In addition, the library plaza will be enhanced and made more functional with new tables, chairs, and plants.

College Librarian Ruth Shoge says she regrets the inconvenience the renovation will cause the community, especially those who use its Kent County News archives. “We look forward to seeing everyone when we re-open in the fall,” she adds.

Archaeologists Dig Behind Chestertown's Colonial Custom House

Chestertown, April 12—Archaeologists from Washington College recently began a two-week archaeological investigation at Chestertown's Custom House, at the foot of High Street. The excavations were prompted by the College's plans for a substantial renovation of the old building, a restoration that might disturb centuries-old archaeological remains.

The original section of the Custom House was built around 1745 by local innkeeper and merchant Samuel Massey. The distinctive brickwork of the house's facade, a style that uses glazed brick in a decorative pattern, marks it as a prominent building for its time. It was acquired from Massey in 1749 and enlarged substantially by another of Kent County's most prominent citizens, Thomas Ringgold. Ringgold, an attorney and member of the House of Burgesses, had extensive mercantile connections, interests in shipbuilding yards, and large landholdings.

Ringgold supervised his holdings from the Custom House, located at the corner of High and Front Streets. The house overlooked Chestertown's main wharf at the foot of High Street. Vaults and cellars beneath the house were used for storage, and the grounds held a wide variety of buildings over the years. Historical documents refer to a dry goods store, a cooper's shop (barrel and cask maker), granaries, storehouses, and wharves.

The location of the house also made it ideal for watching the comings and goings of ships and cargos from Chestertown's busy colonial harbor. Prior to the American Revolution, the District Customs Collector used at least one room in the house as an office, giving the building the name it has retained ever since, the Custom House.

During the 1800s, the Custom House saw a variety of owners and changes in the uses of both the house and its grounds. Outbuildings for the residence included a carriage house, a meat house, and privies, and commercial structures included warehouses and canning factories. For many years, the house was divided into apartments. In 1909 the property was purchased by the Hubbard family, who remained the owners until the property recently was given to Washington College. Much of the historic fabric of the Custom House has deteriorated and the building requires substantial renovation before it can be used effectively. The College plans to rehabilitate the building, paying special attention to historical details and keeping intact as much as possible of the original building.

Part of the renovation work includes construction of new mechanical and storage rooms in the rear of the building. Because this will disturb the ground, archaeologists from Washington College are excavating these areas in advance of construction to ensure that no important evidence of the earlier history of the site is destroyed.

During the two-week excavation phase of the project, which began on April 10, archaeologists will excavate inside the planned construction area. Digging one layer at a time, the students and staff members hope to uncover artifacts and the remains of old foundations from outbuildings. John Seidel, assistant professor of archaeology, said, "The materials we recover during this dig may reveal important insights into the construction phases and history of the Custom House and the everyday life of its occupants."