It stands where the old Rutherford Hall stood for more than 70 years, a new residence hall on the University of Georgia's Myers Quad, with all the conveniences and efficiencies missing from the original. With a spacious interior that has wood detailing and some features from the original building, it looks like a gussied-up, prep-school, hard-body version of what was an aging structure in need of renovation.
On Thursday, outgoing UGA President Michael Adams, who made the decision to raze the original building, dedicated the new one, which will be ready for students this fall semester. He looked at the new structure and said, "Doesn't it look like it's been here forever?"
Adams told a crowd gathered for the event that, years ago, when he saw green mold in the basement and dehumidifiers running in every room, he knew the original Rutherford would have to go. Standing in front of the new, far larger Rutherford, he said, "I'm glad to have made that decision."
In 2011, preservation advocates across the country tried to convince Adams to save the historic building, which was constructed in 1939 by the Works Progress Administration. The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Georgia Trust pleaded for it to be renovated and remodeled instead of razed. Adams said that it would be more cost efficient to raze than to restore.
The new building, said UGA Housing Director Jerry Kowalski, "stays true to the history and style of the old Rutherford Hall." It has almost double the number of bedrooms, plus private baths, study rooms, a classroom and two apartments.
"We tried to capture the spirit of the architecture of the building, and make it more of a Georgian building," said UGA architect Danny Sniff. "So you see the monumental stairs on the front, and the large columns and porch on the back were direct copies of the existing Rutherford Hall."
Sniff said the original residence hall wasn't "well built" to begin with--the materials themselves had imperfections. The staff wanted to salvage and reuse the back columns in the new building but found they varied in length by as much as two to three inches. They managed to reuse a few items, including the mantles, the exterior light fixtures and the ornamental railing on the outside gardens.
They've maintained the parlors and fireplaces of the original building, though the fireplaces aren't working.
Today's dedication marks the last public event for President Adams, who hands over his office to incoming President Jere Morehead on Monday, July 1st.Find out what's happening in Athensfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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