Campus architecuture’s traditional charm

Monday, Apr. 18 campus was flooded with admitted students of the prospective Class of 2026. The views visitors focus on always remind me to pay attention to the beautiful place where I go to school, even if busy days only allow a glance at the hilly landscape you can see from Miller steps. Groups of current and prospective students (and their parents) seemed impressed with the aesthetic look of the campus. A popular notion of the quintessential college campus includes brick buildings scattered across a nice green setting with big trees here and there. 

Colby’s architecture resembles many colleges small colleges across New England, but specifically matches a few. Architect Jens Fredrick Larson designed several campuses Georgian architecture adds onto Greek tradition, notable in the pillars on buildings such as Miller and Lovejoy. Wake Forest has a quad that very closely resembles Miller Lawn, but the hilly geography makes it different.

Officially named Colby College in 1899, previously called Maine Literary and Theological Institution and Waterville College, several identifying factors have been around longer than the name. When the College was founded in 1813 it was located in downtown Waterville, and remained in town for a few decades. Then in 1929 the trustees passed a vote to move the campus from downtown Waterville, and the town granted Colby the land on Mayflower Hill in 1930. The construction of the hill campus that remains and the move to this new campus started in 1937 and was not completed until 1952. The year some buildings were constructed is surprising given their image as traditional educational buildings. 

The move, in the midst of World War II and the surrounding historical events, applies to the Colonial Revival Style harkens back to the years of the college’s foundation, even though remaining structures were built much later. Waterville has a rich history, but Colby’s campus relates it to institutions outside of the College. 

When the campus moved to Mayflower Hill, the location became a part of the campus, which was designated a state wildlife management area in 1953, and shortly after that the Perkins Arboretum was dedicated. The natural environment is a signature feature of the campus, and new buildings, as much as if not more than the museum, built in 1973 with a renovation and pavilion addition in 2013. Though additions, rennovations, and new constructions are constant on campus, the building style remains cohesive because of strong architectural standards.  

There is a sense of place that does not translate across states or campuses, and the hill sets our campus apart. The green doors and white trim along with the green spaces and geographic landscape make our campus unique, despite its ties to traditional college architecture. 

~ Molly George `23