Completed Projects

In keeping with Williston’s 2014 Strategic Plan—and thanks to generous support from alumni and other donors—the school has made significant improvements in recent years to our campus and facilities. Read about some of our completed projects below.

One of our oldest dorms on campus, Memorial Hall, received a brand-new fire suppression system in summer 2024. The project, which was entirely custom-fabricated, installed a water-based fire suppression throughout the three living floors and the basement of the building. Every room and hallway in the dormitory now has a sprinkler line running through it. The system had to be connected to the city of Easthampton’s water supply, requiring drilling through the building’s foundation and several feet of earth to connect the lines. From there, the school worked with Warehouse Mechanical Contractors out of Chicopee, Massachusetts to custom-build all of the piping running through the four floors of the dorm.

Parents Bridge has connected our main campus to the athletic center and fields for generations—and now, the bridge will be secured for many years to come. To address erosion issues on both sides of the bridge, the sidewalks were repaired and buffered. This work had to be done in conjunction with the city’s Conservation Commission, due to the ecosystem inside of Williston Pond. The new walkways on both sides of the ramp will now drain rainwater better, and retaining wall blocks were added on the Cain Athletic Center side to help further reinforce the bridge. Additionally, work on the Reed Campus Center side of the bridge also focused on distributing runoff of rainwater that comes from Reed.

Connectivity in today’s digital age is paramount for students, and the campus got some needed upgrades to ensure everyone can stay connected wherever they go. The school upgraded the models of its access points across campus, allowing the school to connect to a more modern Wi-Fi 6E network. In total, the school has 301 access points set up across the entirety of campus. The school also added new outdoor access points on the Main and Residential quads, creating a more stable connection for devices being used outdoors.

Renovations to Scott Hall continued in Summer 2023. After renovating the science classrooms themselves last summer, the windows around the science classrooms were replaced this past summer. The new, energy-efficient windows will help not only with better heating and cooling the rooms throughout the year, but will also limit the amount of outside noise from Payson Avenue that can be heard inside the classroom.

After sharing a room on the second floor of the library previously, the Math and Writing resource centers got their own rooms on the first floor of the library during Summer 2023. The new, fully-enclosed rooms will allow students a more private setting to work with teachers. And with the resource centers moving down to the first floor, the second-floor room has been refitted into a classroom for 18 students.

The front doors to the Phillips Stevens Chapel were replaced in June 2023, and shortly after a keycard reader was installed to help secure the building. The new doors not only provide a superficial upgrade to the building, they are also better equipped to keep out the elements throughout our New England seasons.

The entranceway to the Birch Dining Commons got a facelift in Summer 2023, as the old patio and stairway that led to Ford Hall were ripped up and recreated. The new patio setup expands the overall footprint of the area, and the new stairs leading up to Ford Hall have heating elements running underneath in order to stop ice and snow from accumulating on the steps.

When Williston built the new dormitories that make up the Residential Quad, geothermal heating and cooling was installed in all of the dorms—and a hookup was left for John Wright House. In Summer 2023, that hookup was activated, as John Wright got a full HVAC upgrade that will provide heating and—for the first time—air conditioning in every room in the building.

The shower rooms inside the Sabina Cain Family Athletic Center were completely renovated in Summer 2023, removing the older, communal-style showers in favor of more private, individual stalls. In addition to six individual showers in both the boys’ and girls’ locker rooms, each room also has a handicap-accessible stall.

During the summer of 2021, a new synthetic turf surface was installed at Berube Stadium on Sawyer Field. While the state of the art artificial surface is the primary home for football and girls lacrosse, it is also used for various other sports to include boys/girls soccer and field hockey.

On October 8, 2021, Peter Wold ’67, a former trustee and longtime supporter of the school, along with his wife Marla, unveiled the new name for the residence hall formerly known as 194 Main Street dorm. Board Chair John Hazen White ’76 remarked that it was a special day to dedicate “this great home behind me to the Wold family.”

EMV, as students refer to Emily McFadon Vincent House, has been home to 40 female students since its opening in the fall of 2020. At its official dedication on October 8, 2021, Head of School Robert W. Hill III spoke of Emily McFadon Vincent (NSFG ’49) as a “quiet and fearless explorer.”

Visitors to Williston baseball games this spring were greeted by the sight of two fresh new dugouts, built with a generous gift from Martha and Walter McLaughlin P’12, ’14. The dugouts provide many benefits to players and fans alike, adding not only coverage from unpredictable New England weather, but also an additional “baseball feel” to the already hallowed grounds.

In October 2018, a newly-constructed, state-of-the-art dormitory on the Williston Northampton School campus was named the John Hazen White House, in honor of Board of Trustees Chair John Hazen White Jr., a member of the class of 1976, and a tireless advocate of the school.

On October 8, 2021, members of the classes of 1970 and 1971 dedicated the new Memorial Hall Terrace, a gift from the Williston Academy class of 1970.

To honor the Cain family’s legacy of dedication and philanthropy to Williston, the Board of Trustees enthusiastically endorsed the naming of the athletic center as the Sabina Cain Family Athletic Center. The new name was celebrated and unveiled at a ceremony on June 7, 2019, where visitors could note improvements made to the Center in recent months.

Williston’s Center for Academic Success is a constellation of support that provides students at every level with the resources, instruction, and academic support they need to succeed. With a dedicated space recently constructed in Clapp Library, the Center for Academic Success helps support and challenge students to reach their full potential. (2018)

Thanks to generous donations from the class of 1968, a brand-new terrace and gathering area was built in front of Ford Hall. Last year, as part of their 50th reunion, this spirited class raised a record amount to tangibly improve this much-beloved spot, which Ford Hall residents and their fellow students will be appreciating for decades to come. (2018)

During the summer of 2018, the synthetic turf field inside the all-weather track was replaced at Galbraith Fields. Put in place by Field Turf, the new state-of-the-art field will be home to field hockey, lacrosse, and other games for 10 to 12 years. (2018)

The newly-completed 3.1-mile course is entirely on Williston-owned property, and takes runners through the lush woods behind campus. (2017)

Two pavilions were constructed near the tennis courts to provide shelter for both players and spectators. Funds for the pavilions were donated by Alice Childs in memory of her son, Robert A. Childs ’65. (2016)

Thanks to generous donations from parents of seniors, new lighting, sound (including wireless microphones), and projection systems helped upgrade Williston’s state-of-the-art, 288-seat performance space. (2016)

The 2015 renovation of Birch Dining Commons included new serving equipment, flooring, and interior design elements. The Stu-Bop student café was completely overhauled at this time, including the addition of a self-service area for grab-and-go products. (2015)

Thanks to generous donations from parents of seniors, upgrades and additions were made to exterior lighting on buildings and to lanterns along walkways. The new fixtures feature LED bulbs, which are more energy efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs. (2016)

A number of dormitories including Ford Hall, Hathaway House, Sawyer House, and John Wright Dormitory received upgrades to furniture and flooring as part of a campus-wide effort to improve student residences. (2014)

Solar panels were installed on the roofs of the Athletic Center and Lossone Rink. The panels produce renewable electricity that offsets the operating costs of both facilities. (2014)

The front of the Chapel was renovated to create a more versatile space for performance and other school events. The stage area is now ADA-compliant, and features updated sound and projection systems. (2015)