Reopening of Douglass Hall signals next phase of residential excellence at Wooster
The College of Wooster celebrated the reopening of Douglass Hall this fall with the College Board of Trustees, project partners, and Wooster community officials. Built on Wayne Avenue in 1929, the renovated building sets the standard for the future of residential excellence at Wooster with restored spaces like the historic, natural woodwork in the first-floor lounge, full accessibility with a new elevator, and suite-style living spaces increasing its capacity.
“Since it opened its doors in 1929, Douglass Hall has been the home for generations of Wooster students and that special place where creative ideas and lifelong friendships are formed and thrive,” said President Anne McCall thanking BSHM Architects, Bogner Construction Company, and the College facilities teams and staff who supported the completion of the project. She also noted the intergenerational love she sees for the College, telling the story of the building’s namesake and initial donor, Elisha P. Douglass, Class of 1877, Wooster’s sixth graduating class. “He cultivated this idea that people should be surrounded by beauty and that it would influence their experience and their own self development,” she said, adding later, “Each time we’re working on renovating a space, enhancing community life is at the heart of it.”
President McCall spoke at the ceremony about the Elisha P. Douglass, class of 1877, the building’s initial donor.
The $18.5 million renovation included a new fully accessible entrance on the north side of the building with an elevator placed on the exterior to preserve the historic beauty inside. About 60 first-year students and 67 returning students made their homes in the building this fall. On the top floor, construction added suite-style living spaces with dormer windows bringing in natural light and showcasing beautiful views of the residential quad and Wooster’s iconic, ancient trees. Further, the redesigned space increased the capacity of the building to 129 students, up from 109.
Brian Bogner, president of the Bogner Corporation, explained how construction crews fully restored the historic, natural woodwork of the first-floor lounge and used a dry ice process, rather than abrasive cleaning tools, to expose original brick in the stairwells, highlighting archways, and beautifying the traditional character of the building. The lower level also features two new soundproof rooms that can be used as quiet, study, or practice spaces where musicians can set the acoustics of the room to match different performance spaces from a recital hall to a cathedral or arena and record and playback their performance. Addressing infrastructural needs in the building, including adding air conditioning, the use of environmentally friendly materials, and new windows, created an overall energy savings of 30% in the building.
The reopening celebration of Douglass Hall at The College of Wooster welcomed College Board of Trustees, project partners, and Wooster community officials.
At the ceremony, Johnathon Reynolds, senior director of student life, residence life, and community standards, expressed his gratitude for the investment the building represents in Wooster students. “This building is a commitment to student well-being, growth, and success,” he said. “As student populations change, so does their desire for updated buildings. We are committed to reviewing and updating spaces across campus and appreciate the support of our past students and stakeholders in continuing this work.” Reynolds sees that support energizing the students who now call the building home, including Halen Toney ’26, education and music major and resident assistant in Douglass Hall, who spoke at the ceremony.
Halen Toney, education and music major from Wooster’s Class of 2026 and a resident assistant in Douglass Hall spoke at the ceremony.
“Douglass is one of those buildings where students can gather with ease,” Toney said, noting that one of her goals as an RA is to create community and the ease of that responsibility in the newly renovated space. “Thank you for giving us the chance to make our mark in Wooster history as the first group of students to give Douglas her glow back. Douglas Hall continues to be full of life and will always represent the Wooster experience.”
Featured image: The renovation of Douglass Hall added a fully accessible entrance on Wayne Avenue complete with an elevator and glass atrium.
Posted in Homepage Featured, News on October 28, 2025.
