Campus Upgrades

Every summer, the Avon Old Farms first-rate facilities department takes advantage of a quiet campus to make necessary repairs and improvements.

This year has been no exception, with upgrades taking place all over, from the top of the Diogenes roof to the underground tunnels that house the school’s electrical systems and other utilities.

Avon Old Farms Founder Theodate Pope Riddle was wise enough to install these tunnels long before underground wiring was a mainstream practice. Being nearly 100 years old, however, the tunnels were in need of repair.

Director of Facilities Glenn Wilcox said the work would improve drainage and prevent water damage to the tunnels. The tunnel repairs are a four-year project that were completed by summer’s end.

“It will all be completed, and nobody will know any work was done because it’s all underground,” Wilcox said.

Another four-year project that will wrap up by the end of the summer is the replacement of all dormitory windows in the Quad. The windows in Diogenes, Pelican, and Eagle dormitories were replaced prior to this year, with only Elephant needing to be completed this summer.

While multiple four-year projects are finishing up this year, another is just beginning. Full upgrades of the dormitory buildings began this summer with the Diogenes Dormitory. The dorm rooms, bathrooms, and first-floor classrooms are all being renovated as part of this project, and a full roof replacement will cap the effort.

“It was just time for a significant upgrade to make them more appealing and more functional,” Wilcox said. “The dorms will still have that Old Farms feel, but will give the boys more space in their rooms.”

Diogenes will be ready before students return to campus in the fall, with the next three dormitories set to be completed over the next few years.

Other projects around campus include replacing the heating and air-conditioning units in the Refectory with more energy-efficient models, and a rearrangement of the Wachter Post Office.

“We modified the mail room to better fit today’s environment,” Wilcox said.

When the mail room was originally designed, paper mail was much more popular than packages, but that has reversed in recent years, Wilcox explained.

The size of the school store, commonly known as the Hawk’s Nest, will be increased this summer as well.

“That’s being done so the school store can better serve the students,” Wilcox said.

Manager of the school store Lara Doyle P ’12,’14 said she is very excited about the expansion.

“We currently have very little area to display our clothing and gift items, and now we will be able to have permanent displays for all of the things we carry,” Doyle explained. “I know that our students and families will be very happy to have more access to these items.”

The student center will also be receiving a refresher this summer, with the addition of new workspaces, updated furniture, and a new tv social space on the lower level.

Many projects this summer involve the school’s athletics facilities. Major mechanical repairs and preventative maintenance are underway at the Jennings-Fairchild Arena, which houses the famous John T. Gardner ice hockey rink. That work will wrap up before the end of July.

The most substantial upgrades this summer are taking place on Ryan Field and the Gregg Linburg ’87 Memorial Track that surrounds it.

Ryan Field is the primary field used for all varsity football and lacrosse home games. Crews have begun installation of a brand-new turf field featuring customized on-field colors and lettering. A new and improved scoreboard will be installed to accompany the new field.

The track surrounding the field, which is utilized by the school’s track-and-field athletes, is also being replaced.

Outdoor stadium lighting will surround the field and run along the pathway from campus to the field.

“It’s going to look phenomenal when it’s done,” Wilcox said.

The nine Globe Tennis Foundation Tennis Courts are also being replaced. The existing courts have developed cracks and other evidence

of wear and tear over the years. “That one’s weather dependent,” Wilcox said.

The work is necessary to maintain the beauty and high-quality infrastructure that Avon Old Farms has been known for since its founding.