SOUTH KINGSTOWN – The University of Rhode Island last week re-opened one of its oldest buildings, Lippitt Hall, after an $8.9 million renovation.
The project was funded through $5 million in general obligation bonds, state grants and a $3.8 million state appropriation.
The 111-year-old building had been built as a military drill hall and gymnasium for what was then the Rhode Island College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts, according to URI. It was the third building built with locally quarried granite on the school’s quadrangle.
The building’s English Tudor-style architecture includes north- and south-side dormers and the renovation has restored the original dark brown framing of the gables, the school said.
“The renovation of Lippitt Hall brings an 18th century building into the 21st century with the new technology, fully accessible classrooms and offices in an important historical building,” URI Vice President for Administration Robert Weygand said in a statement. “This renovation is a reflection of our past with a view toward our future.”
The four-story building, which houses the university’s Department of Mathematics and Honors Program, has been fully equipped with wireless technology. All utilities have been upgraded and a new slate roof has replaced the original. The rooms were repainted their original colors.
The University of Rhode Island is a member – along with the Community College of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College – of the statewide public university system overseen by the R.I. Board of Governors for Higher Education. For more news and information from the University of Rhode Island, visit www.uri.edu/news.
