Bridgewater, Va. – Over the past year, Bowman Hall underwent an 8.5 million dollar renovation. The final two floors of the three storey building were completed upon students’ return to campus this fall.
Dr. Garner H. Downey and his late wife, Mae Frances, made a near 2 million dollar donation to help kick-start the plan to renovate Bowman Hall. With the aid of donors to the college, the renovations are helping to maintain the core values of Bridgewater College. The college’s mission is to always provide students with the best possible experience in their four years on campus.
Seven different undergraduate programs are housed in Bowman Hall, and it is one of the most utilized academic buildings on campus. The building also sits right next to John Kenny Forrer Learning Commons, which underwent a 13.2 million dollar renovation just 4 years ago.
Because the building hosts so many classes on campus, as well as the Information Technology department and the Digital Media Lab, the college wanted to give Bowman Hall a more modern look and feel. New floors, classroom equipment and paint were the main focus around the renovation.
Many small touches were also made. As you walk into the main doors of the building, a BC logo is projected from the ceiling which adds to the modern feel.
Students are already enjoying the upgrades to the 71 year-old building.
“The new technology is very useful, especially the addition of all of the screens in the classroom,” said junior Ben Hutcheson. “The chairs are also pretty comfortable, which is a nice touch.”
Each classroom has new seating, screens and cameras to help with virtual meetings if needed.
At first, students weren’t sure if the renovation would be completed by the start of the school year, but they are more than glad it was.
“As a business major, most of my classes are in Bowman Hall,” said senior Darien Smith. “I was looking forward to the new renovations at some point this year, but it was definitely nice to see the finished product by the time classes started.”
The completion helped kick-start Bridgewater College’s Strategic Plan 2025, which is designed to enrich the BC experience. As a part of enriching the student experience, the college is focused on the future of students and their experiences at Bridgewater College.
The renovation of Bowman Hall helped lay the foundation for what is to come at Bridgewater College.
