Academy Building makeover is underway
A once-in-a-century renewal of the iconic building is underway, with work to include 45 refurbished Harkness classrooms, an Assembly Hall makeover and a new state-of-the-art Design Lab.
The venerable Academy Building, the epicenter of Exeter academic life and perhaps our most recognizable landmark, is undergoing a well-earned renovation for its next hundred years of service.
Assembly Hall had barely emptied on the last day of spring term before work began. When the work is finished, the building will have refurbished classrooms, an Assembly Hall re-do and a Design Lab, among many other improvements. Parts of the building will remain open and online throughout the project, which is intended to be complete by opening of school in 2026.
The Academy Building the fourth of its kind, its two immediate predecessors each consumed by fire. Dedicated in 1915, the building has served in nearly every academic capacity while also at one time hosting a bowling alley, a rifle range, a photo darkroom, a copy center and many other elements of campus life, past and present. On any given day, more than 50 faculty members teach nearly 200 classes in the building. Nearly every student on campus passes through its doors each day.
The project is significant, including:
- 45 updated Harkness classrooms
- An expanded Assembly Hall for seating of approximately 1,300 to accommodate every student and instructor
- A state-of-the-art Design Lab
- New common areas, including a 1,300-square-foot hall on the first floor
- Complete replacement of building systems, including a transition from steam to geothermal heating and new air conditioning
As the project moves forward, some of the school’s treasures must be stored for safe keeping. Among them are the 35 portraits that hang in Assembly Hall.
These works honor Exeter’s most respected leaders and benefactors, from founder John Phillips to the first woman to serve as principal, Kendra Stearns O’Donnell. The variety of the styles and subjects reminds us of the school’s long history and recognizes the legacy of the individuals who have shaped the Academy.
Some portraits will return to be displayed in a new Assembly Hall when it opens in the fall of 2026. Others will find places of prominence in other Academy buildings.
