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Contact: Jenni Brockman Phone: 804-443-3357 Fax: 804-443-6781 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tappahannock (June 21, 2004) - A 24-student dormitory is indeed in the plans for St. Margaret’s, school officials have confirmed. In response to community inquiries, Head of School Margaret R. Broad took the unusual step of making a public announcement before all of the necessary funds have been raised from parents and alumnae. 
Photo left:
This computer-generated schematic drawing illustrates a front view of the proposed new dormitory at St. Margaret’s School. The structure faces down campus, parallel to Duke Street and perpendicular to Water Lane.“Unfortunately, much of the information that has been circulating is not actually on the drawing board,” she noted. “I think people will be interested to know that we sited the building specifically to preserve views of our three historic buildings, the much-loved Bishop Meade and Gingko trees and a river vista.” The dormitory will parallel Duke Street, perpendicular to the Anderton House in what currently is a parking lot for buses and other school vehicles. St. Margaret’s has taken the additional measure of obtaining the advice and approval of a leading Virginia historical architect to ensure that the building’s design is compatible with adjacent structures. A long-standing resolution by the Board of Governors ensures the preservation of the only river view within the Tappahannock historic district between two of the school’s oldest buildings, Brockenbrough House and St Margaret’s Hall. “We’re investing a tremendous amount of time, money and energy to undertake a proper renovation of the Brockenbrough House,” Broad noted. “It only makes sense that we would want the dorm to complement it and our other historic properties.” Perhaps most important, she said, is that the new dormitory is being built on a residential scale rather than an institutional one. Plans call for the two-story building to feature white clapboards, dark grey shingles and dark green shutters. Architectural details like pillared porticos and front porches create a further relationship with older school buildings, while brick-red roofing over the entryways provides a visual link to structures on the south end of campus. The family of a recent graduate will donate one-half the dormitory’s projected costs, providing that St. Margaret’s parents and alumnae match the contribution. Their $750,000 challenge gift, announced to the school community at Spring Family Weekend, is the largest in SMS history. School officials hope to raise the remaining funds by early fall. St. Margaret’s niche remains that of a strong, small girls’ boarding and day school, Broad explained. Residential life is a key component of the school’s campus master plan, which guides the future use and development of SMS facilities. The plan, which was shared with town officials at the time of its adoption in 2001, calls for increasing boarding enrollment by five students. This shift will reduce the student/teacher ratio in the two existing dormitories and provide settings more conducive to residential learning and more comparable to those of competing institutions. For additional information, local residents are encouraged to contact Director of Development Maureen Neal or Head of School Margaret Broad at 443-3357. |
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