Audrey Pantaz
Contributing Writer and COWnselor
On Friday, March 14, President Anne McCall sent an email to the Wooster community sharing that the College will be renovating Otelia Compton Hall beginning this summer — using the majority of a large donation from trustee Doon Foster ’80 and her husband, John. A survey was shared with students on March 10 asking for suggestions on the renovation, and Residence Life plans to host two discussions for further student input on Friday, April 25 at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. in Lowry 201.
Compton Hall will undergo a full renovation over the course of the 2025-26 and possibly the 2026-27 academic years. While the building is being renovated, it will be closed to students, but Kittredge Hall and The Underground (UG), both located in the same building, will remain open and only undergo minimal renovations.
John Reynolds, director of residence life, shared plans for the Compton Hall renovation with the Voice. Reynolds disclosed that the building will be updated with air conditioning and a modern elevator, as well as renovations that will make common spaces more functional and useful for students. Reynolds said that Compton’s fourth floor, which has not traditionally been accessible to residents, will be converted into residential rooms, resulting in the addition of “fifteen to eighteen beds to the building.”
The renovation will focus on retaining the unique elements of the building while revamping spaces for functionality. In the Residence Life survey, which aimed to gather a general student response about students’ feelings about the space, students shared that they would like updates to Compton’s patio area and internal spaces, converting it to a green space for outdoor lounging, studying and hammocking.
The renovation team is currently considering several potential purposes for the Compton common spaces, such as a convertible indoor-outdoor space, a student café or an event space. Reynolds said that the renovation possibilities are “still up in the air” and that the plans largely depend on student input.
Wagner Hall, which has been under renovation during the 2024-25 year, will be available for first-year students during the 2025-26 academic year as a new boiler system has addressed the previous heating issues.
While Wagner and Douglass Hall will reopen during summer 2025, Reynolds shared that several houses and apartment spaces will be closed to students during the 2025-26 academic year. These include Henderson Apartments, Miller Manor, Westminster Cottage and several other small houses –– citing overwhelming constructional issues at each location. These spaces will be temporarily or permanently closed, as the College moves away from a residence system made up of smaller houses and focuses on the renovation of larger residential spaces.
