Keene State alumni who previously lived in Monadnock and Randall halls now have an opportunity to take a piece of their college experience back home with them.
The demolition of Monadnock Hall and Randall Hall was completed on Aug. 28, according to an email from Associate Vice President for Student Engagement Jen Ferrell.
Both buildings previously served as dorm buildings until 2016, when the buildings were put out of commission by the college as a result of cost-cutting measures and declining enrollment. The demolition was made in preparation of Antioch University New England’s new building as part of a leasing agreement made with KSC.
An Aug. 3 Instagram Reels post by KSC, which showed the then-ongoing demolition process was captioned “It’s an end of an era here at Keene State …”
The post was met with many alumni of the college commenting on memories and connections to the two dorm buildings.
One commenter, Alyson, stated, “My sophomore year I lived in the same room my mom had when she attended. It was the best community and met so many amazing people over those years between Randall and Monadnock.”
Dayna Sylvester, who graduated from KSC in 2017, stated, “Spent 3 years in Randall as a resident and RA – this is making me sad!!”
Haley Kelly, a 2014 graduate of KSC, aptly commented, “Can y’all save me a brick?”
A Sept. 20 email sent by the Alumni Office revealed a new way that Alumni could remember their time at the dorms: through commemorative bricks. “It’s sad to see buildings that meant so much to us come down, but the memories will stay alive,” the email stated.
According to the email, Alumni can receive a brick from either Monadnock Hall or Randall Hall via a donation of $50. Additionally, the brick will come with a certificate of authenticity signed by Treadwell. The email noted that the offer would end on Oct. 30 and that bricks would be mailed by Nov. 23. “Support the College while collecting a piece of history,” the email concluded.
Before the Antioch deal, however, different plans were considered by the college in regard to the buildings. According to an Oct. 8, 2019, article from The Keene Sentinel, the original plan was to convert Monadnock Hall into a “business hub,” and to demolish Randall Hall to make room for green space and a parking lot. The business hub plans ultimately fell through after funding didn’t make the cut in the state’s budget. KSC explored other avenues to garner funding, including partnerships, grants, and donation/loan programs, but ultimately discontinued the plans.
Until the spring of 2019, the Hungry Owl, a student-run food pantry, was housed in Randall Hall, but after their relocation to Owl’s Nest, both buildings sat vacant until the COVID-19 pandemic came to the college. The vacant dorms were used as COVID isolation housing for students who tested positive for the virus.
In a Dec. 15, 2021 article, The Equinox reported that both buildings were being considered for demolition. KSC President Melinda Treadwell cited high costs as a barrier when it came to possible renovations. “Just to do anything to Randall, it’s 17 million [to] even get started on it. It’s just too expensive. It’s so out of date from current code, whereas Monadnock is a little bit newer [and] a little bit easier to scale to renovate,” she said at the time. Treadwell additionally noted in the article the presence of asbestos in both buildings and stated the college was looking to shift resources toward the center of campus.
Nathan Hope can be contacted at
nhope@kscequinox.com
