Colby-Sawyer is located on the crest of a hill in New London, New Hampshire, in the heart of the Lake Sunapee Region. The combination of beautifully maintained grounds and stately buildings creates an environment conducive to learning. Campus architecture ranges from the classic Georgian style of Colgate Hall to the contemporary architecture of the Susan Colgate Cleveland Library/Learning Center. The campus is safe, comfortable and accessible. Students can walk to all buildings without leaving the campus or requiring special transportation.
Caretakers Cottage (1930)
The cottage is a nine-room building built in 1930 as a residence for the farm manager of the Colby Homestead. It was renovated in 1992 and is situated near the Susan Colgate Cleveland Library/Learning Center.
Cleveland, Colby, Colgate Archives (1996)
The archives were dedicated in June 1996 and named for three families who played important roles in the history of Colby-Sawyer College and the town of New London. The archives, located in the wing connecting the Colby Homestead to the Susan Colgate Cleveland Library/Learning Center, house records, documents, artifacts and other materials of significant historical interest to the college and the Cleveland, Colby and Colgate families.
Colby Homestead (1800)
Previously, the building served as a private residence for college staff and administrators. The historic building, which the college purchased in 1981, once was the home of Anthony Colby, the governor of New Hampshire (1846–1847).
Colgate Hall (1911)
The central building on campus is Colgate Hall, built in 1911 to house the entire teaching and living facilities of Colby Academy. Reconstructed, altered and enlarged many times, this building constitutes the center of the college. Visitors are welcomed to Colgate Hall in the Thornton Living Room. Colgate Hall houses the Admissions Office, other administrative offices, classrooms, student computer facilities and a state-of-the-art nursing lab. It also houses faculty of the School of Business & Social Sciences, as well as faculty of the School of Arts & Sciences. The offices of the Information Technology Department are located on the first floor. The building name honors the Colgate family, whose members were dedicated supporters of the college. Susan Colby, who later married James B. Colgate, was the first woman teacher and principal of Colby Academy. Her children, James C. Colgate and Mary Colgate, dedicated the building in 1912. The portico facing the college quadrangle was built in 1958, the gift of Mrs. Susan Colgate Cleveland and her sister Mrs. John Sloan, daughters of James C. Colgate.
Curtis L. Ivey Science Center (2004)
The Curtis L. Ivey Science Center is a two-story, 32,000-square-foot building that houses the houses the faculty of the School of Arts & Sciences. As the center for science education, the facility accommodates eight laboratories and six classrooms, with faculty offices and student spaces on both floors. A 180-seat auditorium is located on the first floor. The building was named for Curtis L. and Doris Ivey, who contributed a major gift for science education in memory of their children, Curtis Ivey Jr. and Elizabeth Ivey Jurgenson.
Davidow Center for Art + Design (2017)
Named for generous supporters and champions of the arts William and Sonja Carlson Davidow ’56, this hub of creativity opened in the fall of 2017 and offers state-of-the-art studios, the Niblack Black Box Theater, the Davidow Fine Art Gallery and offices for faculty. It also features stunning views of Mt. Kearsarge and scenic outdoor art in the sculpture garden outside the gallery.
James House (1931)
James House is named for William James, American philosopher and houses the Campus Safety Offices.
The Janet Udall Schaefer ’52 Center for Health Sciences (2024)
This new facility expands and accelerates preparation of new healthcare workers and provides ladders for advancement for current healthcare professionals. In addition to state-of-the-art laboratory and simulation spaces, the Schaefer Center includes a café and study areas that are used by the entire campus community. The second floor of the Schaefer Center expands on Colby-Sawyer’s nursing skills and clinical simulation facilities, helping us prepare the next generation of highly trained nursing professionals.
Lethbridge Lodge (1998)
From 1934 until 1996, the lodge sat on the shore of Little Lake Sunapee. This large, rustic building was framed with hand-hewn timbers from New London’s first meeting house, originally erected in 1788. The lodge was reconstructed on campus in 1998 and named Lethbridge Lodge in honor of trustee and friend George M. “Bud” Lethbridge, in May 2004. The building has a great room with a fireplace, snack bar and internet lounge. It is available to students, faculty and staff 24 hours a day with ID card access.
Mercer Hall (1963; 2002)
The Mercer Hall building houses nursing and health sciences classrooms, conference areas, laboratories and meeting spaces. A 20-foot addition, a climbing wall, an expanse of windows overlooking Mount Kearsarge and a colonnade were also included in the 2002 renovations. Named for former trustee William C. Mercer and his wife, Ramona Wells Mercer ’41, the building was rededicated in the fall of 2002. It was originally built in 1963 with funds raised by Dr. Eugene Austin, second president of the college.
President’s House (1937)
The President’s House on Main Street, across from the campus, was one of several gifts from Mary Colgate to the college. Surrounded by spacious lawns and well-groomed gardens, this house provides a gracious setting for social and celebratory events and is the home of the sitting president of the college.
Sawyer Fine Arts Center (1959)
The Sawyer Fine Arts Center was named in honor of Dr. H. Leslie Sawyer, who served as headmaster of Colby Academy from 1922 to 1928 and as first president of the college from 1928 until his retirement in 1955. The center includes classrooms and spaces for performing art programs. The center also houses the Marian Graves Mugar Gallery, the Everett and Ruth Woodman Dance Studio, the Sawyer Theatre and stagecraft shop and offices for the faculty of the School of Arts & Sciences.
Susan Colgate Cleveland Library/Learning Center (1985)
The library is named for Susan Colgate Cleveland, a longtime trustee and benefactor for the college and granddaughter of the college’s first teacher. The award-winning design was created using two pre-Civil War barns. The five-level structure houses the college library and archives, as well as, the Student Learning Collaborative and Access Resources. The library provides print and electronic resources, including full-text databases, books, periodicals, videotapes, DVDs and compact discs. With its spectacular view of the surrounding mountains, the library is a perfect place for quiet contemplation, reading and research. Wireless network and Internet access is available in two computer areas with numerous PCs and a computer classroom. The Colby-Sawyer Testing Center is located in this building as well and offers more than 200 state and national assessment examinations, as well as professional certification and licensure exams.
Sustainable Classroom (2013)
This free-standing classroom, fondly referred to as the Sunshack, was designed and built by students and is one of the first commercial buildings in the state to integrate a straw-bale wall system. Students enrolled in three courses that taught them principles of sustainable structures and living buildings, designed the orientation and building systems and participated in the timber frame construction of the structure. The classroom utilizes natural materials and demonstrates energy efficiency in addition to being a student-friendly classroom with a unique interior design.
Ware Student Center (1987)
The Ware Student Center, named in honor of Judge Martha Ware ’37, former trustee, provides a common gathering place and is the site of many educational and social events. The center houses the Stable, which is the campus bookstore, the campus dining services, Ware Conference Room, Student Activities, Wheeler Hall and the mailroom. Also located in the Ware Student Center are offices for Student Development, Residential Education, Citizenship Education and the Board of Trustees Conference Room.
Wesson Honors Suite (2008)
The Wesson Honors Suite, located on the fourth floor of Colgate Hall, was opened in 2008 and funded by the continued generosity of Bill and Jan Wesson and the college. The suite provides space for honors students to study and gather twenty-four hours a day in a space provided with computers and wireless internet access. As part of the program’s mission “to take leadership in a community of scholars and participate as catalysts for inquiry and discussion across the college,” two of the three rooms are available to any constituency in the college as a place for gathering.
William T. Baird Health and Counseling Center (1954)
This building, named for William T. Baird, former chair of the Board of Trustees, houses the college’s health and counseling services, which are available to all full-time matriculated students.
Windy Hill School (1976; 2010)
The Windy Hill School was founded in 1976 and moved to a new building in 2010. The school is the laboratory school for the Child Development Program and includes toddler to pre-kindergarten-age children and a summer program for children up to age six. Supervised by licensed teachers, the school provides practical experience for students interested in child development and early childhood education.