Through the Home Again campaign, more than $400,000 was raised to reopen the home in December 2011 as a residence for President Dianne Lynch, who wished to be in the heart of campus life.
Now Stephens can once again open the doors of this revitalized home and welcome students, alumnae, friends and a multitude of guests to experience our campus landmark.
But there's still more to be done. Future fundraising will allow more extensive renovation projects in the public areas to continue, while an endowed fund will help preserve the President’s Home for many generations to come.
A symbol of Stephens’ rich history, the Home holds many fond memories for alumnae. Fireside chats, Sunday afternoon gatherings for hot chocolate and cookies, and alumnae cocktail parties are just a few of the events held there over the years. Many distinguished guests, including Maude Adams, a famous stage actress and former theatre professor at Stephens, also stayed in the house.
Now that the Home is a residence for President Lynch and her family, the President’s Home Preservation Society is leading Phase II renovations and raising funds to finish the public spaces of the Home. Approximately $350,000 will be raised to complete the structural renovation, landscaping, interior design, and furnishings to create a timeless, inviting home in which to entertain alumnae, students, faculty, and guests of the College. An additional $100,000 will be raised to create an endowed maintenance fund for future preservation.
The structural work includes window replacements, the kitchen renovation, wall finishings, wiring, plumbing, the powder room and an ADA-accessible bathroom. The interior design includes research of the home; a design plan; the decoration and furnishing of the main floor; and carpet, furniture, lighting and window treatments. The exterior design includes a landscaping plan; sprinkler system; and trees, shrubbery, plants and flowers.
The Society, chaired by Libby Taylor Reid ’71, is also led by Patti Ball Blakemore ’65, chair of the Design & Acquisitions committee; Dr. Carol Edwards Grove ’87, historian; Jean Steven McVicker-Spomer ’49, chair of the Fundraising committee; and Kathy Karpan Perry ’75, chair of the Landscaping committee.
“Since the 1920s, the President’s Home has been a place of celebration, comfort and community on our campus, and I am so grateful that the success of Phase I of the Home Again campaign guarantees that it will continue to serve in that role for generations to come. Phase II will help return the Home’s public spaces to their former grace and elegance, a source of great pride and inspiring memories for today’s Stephens community — and tomorrow’s.”
President Dianne Lynch
