How Firm a Foundation: The Rededication of Venable Hall

The momentous occasion followed a four-year intensive renovation process that saw the second-oldest building on Hampden-Sydney’s campus restored to its 19^th-century grandeur while incorporating all the amenities that 21^st-century students require.

“Our students spend only a relatively small portion of their time in class,” says Hampden-Sydney College President Larry Stimpert. “So much of the student experience is determined by the spaces where they gather, where they live. The quality of those pieces matters, not just retention and graduate graduation rates, but the quality of their lived experiences during their four years at Hampden-Sydney. The restored Venable Hall now serves as a centerpiece of that high-quality student experience, where students will be able to learn, grow, and make memories in a truly special place that we hope will always feel like home to them.”

Constructed by Jeffersonian-trained masons and enslaved labor, Venable is an architectural and engineering treasure. Built between 1824 and 1831, Venable, though less prominent, sits squarely among Federalist-style greats like Montpelier, Mount Vernon, and Monticello. The restoration and design processes were handled by MCWB Architects out of Williamsburg, Virginia, which specializes in historic renovation projects, and the construction was expertly performed by English Construction from Lynchburg, Virginia.

Attendees also heard remarks from Student Body President Drew Blankenship ’25, who accepted the building on behalf of the Hampden-Sydney student body; remarks from Dr. Eugene W. Hickok ’72, who, along with his wife, Katharine P. Hickok, serves as principal of Endeavour Legacy Foundation, which made the historic renovation possible through a generous $15 million investment; and Tommy Shomo ’69, chair of the H-SC 250^th Anniversary Committee and former Hampden-Sydney director of public relations, who delivered the keynote address titled What’s Worth Keeping?

In his remarks, Shomo recalled living in Venable Hall for two years as a student, a time at which he says he and his fellow students knew that Venable was old but that it seemed completely natural to live in such a building at a college like Hampden-Sydney, a college that “wore her history casually.” Now, nearly 60 years later, Shomo noted that, “In the last decade, Hampden-Sydney has been wise to distinguish between old buildings that had outlived their purposes and historic buildings which embody the spirit of the College. Venable deserved nothing less than the sensitive restoration it received.”

As Hampden-Sydney embarks on its 250^th anniversary celebration, the thoughtful and strategic stewardship of its history as seen in the intentional renovation of Venable Hall stands out as a testament to the staying power of this historic college.

Hampden-Sydney College extends special thanks to a few of the generous benefactors who made this historic renovation possible, including Dr. and Mrs. Hickok, Wilson Schoellkopf ’93, and Salvatore Giannetti III ’86.   

Visit the Venable Hall Restoration page for more details about the process.

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